2022 Dave Kroyer Nosework Seminar - Friday - Celhaus German Shepherds WyomingCelhaus German Shepherds Wyoming

Dave Kroyer Seminar, Friday, 9/16/22
See An Illustrated Explanation of Nosework for Those Unfamiliar with It

to Saturday’s pages:
Novice & Advanced Exterior searches
Superior & Master Exterior searches
Detailing & Interior search
back to main seminar page

Learn more at www.davekroyer.com (including a thirteen-video “Super Snout series showing his method) and on @davekroyerdogs.

This seminar focused on efficient searching, accurate indications and reading the dog’s indication (whatever that indication may be).

September 16: for beginner dogs – dogs not yet competing or just beginning competition, that search for all 5 UKC scents and have reliable indications.

Many thanks to Dave, to Sue – the arena owner and our local nosework trainer, and to my friend Katina, who took photos.

Participating dogs were Cat Baloo (mixed breed), Dash (corgi), Deltje (standard poodle), Joe (Vizsla), Justice (my GSD, a sable), Missy (Heeler), Pansy (Yorkshire Terrier), Ursa (a Cantor/Mercy son from my UU litter, a black & tan) and Xaavi (Dutch Shepherd). They were at different levels in their training; for instance, my Justice is very immature and wants to pounce on the pipe. swat it with a foot or pick it up. I was looking for suggestions from Dave to encourage more mature indications.

I picked the best shots of each dog. All dogs are not featured in every exercise. Many thanks to Katina, who agreed to take photos for me. She used my camera.

First, Dave evaluated each dog’s indication, using a pipe or a wooden box, which contained a “cocktail” of all 5 of the UKS scents. The pipe was mounted on a board. In the Kroyer method, the dog pushes it nose into the pipe and remains there until the handler clicks to release it, then comes to the handler for its reward. The handler and dog team came into the working area and headed toward the pipe, the handler letting the dog approach the pipe and show Dave what it knew.

One dog (Joe) had no real indication, so Dave took it back to the beginning. The handler had gotten an old DVD series of Dave’s, when he used the wooden boxes to teach indications, so they worked him on those. First, they teach the dog to put its nose into the box, feeding it treats from your hand that is in the box. Then you work up to having the treats outside the box, the dog holding its nose in the box until a click releases it. Next, when you click, you throw the treat for the dog to get. Eventually the dog leaves your side, goes to the box, indicates, holds the indication until you release it, then returns to you for its reward. Katina got some GREAT photos of Joe with his ears flying everywhere as he tried to get the treat.

Dave then worked on focus and clear indications with all the dogs except Joe. He used whatever container – box or pipe. the dog was used to. He played the “shell game,” where someone (this time it was Sue) teases the dog with a treat or toy, then goes down the line of boxes/pipes, pretending to put the treat in them. We did these exercises against a wall in the part of the arena with a rubber mat floor so the treats wouldn’t get lost or dirty from the sand. Meanwhile the handler was holding the dog back while trying to excite it by voice and body, so that when released the dog rushed to find the hide.

Then, the dogs with the best indications worked a line of containers, like a Novice Containers Class at a trial. To improve Ursa’s focus on the search, Dave had Sue tease Ursa with his ball, like she had done earlier with food.

When we took a break, I ran Justice home and came back with Spirit, who was going to help Dave do a demonstration of training for the Handler Discrimination Class, which involves the handler putting a scented glove in one container and the dog finding it. Since Spirit hadn’t worked containers for a while, I ran her on that novice containers setup as a refresher. Katina didn’t take any photos of the Handler Discrimination demo.