Sniffing with a purpose

I'm always trying to find new things and challenges for Bugsy to do. He just isn't the type of dog who is going to be happy going for gentle walks and lying around day after day.
So with the help of someone who is active in Search & Rescue work I've been experimenting with some of the exercises they use to train cadaver dogs.
Yes I said cadaver dogs.

For now we are starting with some nail clippings in a glass jar that has holes on the top. I'll be getting some hair clippings this week from the salon to use as well.

We've done a few exercises with the nail clippings and its truly fascinating stuff.
I've taken the cap off a few times and just let him smell them. I did this several times on a walk to the fields we run in.
After which I hid the glass jar in the field and sent him to 'find'
He went off with vigor and had the scent but there were so many wonderful scents (he always finds plenty of rabbit poop in this field) and he was clearly working hard to find the scent.
I thought I'd stretched him too far on the first one, but fortunately he has lots of drive so he kept working until he found it!!
We had a party when he did LOL
The party is with a toy that we only use as a reward for finding - we do some tug or some fetch whichever he prefers.

We did a few more finds that day and I even got him to sit when he found it instead of picking it up. This is a significant change in what I ask of him - our usual game of 'find it' is completed by him bringing the object to me.


A few days later I decided to up the ante. I placed the jar in our yard and left it for 15 minutes. It was a windy day so I thought that this would be a good warm up challenge. At this point I am wanting him to succeed so that he enjoys the game and wants it to get tougher.
I sent him to 'find' and due to the wind it was interesting to watch him hone in on the scent. You can tell when it gets strong for him, his pace quickens and you can see the light bulb moment!

Finally on that day I hid the jar in our yard and we went for a long walk. We were gone for about 90 minutes when we came back I told him to 'find'. He looked at me like huh?
Ugh.
I told him again and he seemed to go 'oh I remember' (since the moles are active at this time of the year he usually follows his walk by hunting moles in the yard so he had headed off to do his mole hunting)
The wind had really dispersed the scent and you could see him struggling but working hard.
After making me nervous that he wasn't up to this challenge he caught the scent and was on the jar immediately!
great job Bugsy!!!!

It absolutely amazes me that a few nail clippings in a glass jar with a perforated top give off enough scent for him to find it after sitting out for 90 minutes on a windy day. And I haven't given him a quick whiff to remind him what he's looking for!
Ain't no doubt about it - dogs are amazing and I am lucky to have a willing partner in Bugsy, he makes it pretty easy to get excited LOL