# Building confidence



## eggo520 (Oct 28, 2007)

Any of the SAR folks here have suggestions for building confidence in a young dog, especially when working away from the handler? This is what I would like to work on with Holly this summer.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

You know I imagine the dog either is or is not going to be confident and not much you can do about that. 

In terms of ranging. All I can say is a lot of folks spoil their pups by putting too much obedience on them too young so the dog depends on the handler for guidance. 

Lots of offlead walks in the woods, let the puppy explore to the range of what will be your working comfort zone in the future. Do it at night too - that zone tightens up in the dark. Well that is what I did with my one pup [and I did use the ecollar in the woods but never on SAR training] and she would range WAY out - 1/2 mile at one point while on scent and worked a nice permiter around me while not. My other adult dog acquired as an adult naturally ranges - I actually wish he worked more tightly for cadaver work.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

First off congrats on your recent certification from Holly's little brother Jethro.









I actually cheated by having two dogs at once. One matured more quickly and learned every lesson rapidly. These two dogs always got a long GREAT and had a healthy, good nature, competitive relationship. I started taking the two of them (Phoenix and Tika) to the wood line behind my house and just chucking a kong as far as I could into the brush. They both went looking and I would guess the first 30 times or so Phoenix ALWAYS came back with the kong. But the first time Tika came back with it you could SEE everything I had worked on with both of them for 3 years just CLICK with Tika. She was SO proud of her accomplishment. I did this for two reason. To work on her focus for the task at hand and also to work getting her to use the hunt drive I knew she had. After her first "victory" she steadily built up her average in successes to where she was almost 50/50 with Phoenix. 

Just overall confidence training like perhaps an agility class would help to.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

I guess I should also state that Tika was slower to mature and would loose focus and return to me. Working these drills with Phoenix really did seem to boost her confidence and make everything click.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Funny did not think about it but on our walks we always took a toy and chucked into the woods as far as I could throw.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

That does sound like a good idea. 

Congratulations again on a job well done Emily!!


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

So was this the recent test in Florida? Knew some folks who were there. Have the NAPWDA cert but not the NNDDA. Congrats.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

It was in Texas.


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## eggo520 (Oct 28, 2007)

Thanks everyone for the congrats!







I have been wanting to post a bragg but the problem is finding time to get a picture of Holly with her certificate









Nancy, our certification test was Sunday in Beaumont, Tx. I was really pleased with how well she did given the totally new environment. I've never thought about throwing a toy into the woods, that's pretty cool. Someone else told me to set out a single source, let her find it, then have BIG party. I know handler reaction has a lot to do with a dog's confidence, so I'll probably try this too, even though I'll look like a nerd clapping and dancing around all crazy-like









Ruq, I have been laughing my head off at Jethro's adventures! What a character he is! I have to ask how you manage your whole brood...I thought having three dogs was a challenge! Can't wait to see the J litter progress as they grow up...especially Jet!


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

Emily, like Amaruq said, Agility gives a dog a lot of confidence. Maybe do some Agility classes with Holly if you have time?


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## eggo520 (Oct 28, 2007)

I would love to get involved in agility with Holly and especially with my Lab, Bella (thus far the only dog in my house without a "job"). But do you think that confidence would translate to search and rescue? Maybe confidence is more of a maturity thing than anything else?









I am also "toying" with the idea (pardon the pun) of working with those reward boxes you see police trainers use. You know, the ones where the dog sits in front of it, the handler hits a remote control and the ball pops out of the box? It teaches dogs to be less focused on the handler and more on the source. Anyone have experience with these?


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: editor2 I'll look like a nerd clapping and dancing around all crazy-like



Then you're doing it right!


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Question

Are you wanting your dog to independantly range away from you to scan for scent or for her to leave you when she hits scent?

I actually am trying to get my dog to range in tighter on searches; he has no problem leaving me and pretty much ignoring me when he does hit scent.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: editor2I am also "toying" with the idea (pardon the pun) of working with those reward boxes you see police trainers use. You know, the ones where the dog sits in front of it, the handler hits a remote control and the ball pops out of the box? It teaches dogs to be less focused on the handler and more on the source. Anyone have experience with these?


We have played with those. Like them. Expensive. Have to proof off of them. Not too good for mutiple source training.

Another option is to have someone ELSE have the ball - dog may be looking at you when the ball [thrown by another] bounces off of source. A teammate also blindfolded her dog who got to looking at her too much. 

And of course by now, unless you are introducing a new source or some new condition - work more unknowns than knowns. If YOU don't know where it is, then your dog can't read you.


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## eggo520 (Oct 28, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Nancy JQuestion
> 
> Are you wanting your dog to independantly range away from you to scan for scent or for her to leave you when she hits scent?
> 
> I actually am trying to get my dog to range in tighter on searches; he has no problem leaving me and pretty much ignoring me when he does hit scent.


This is a good question. Holly already does pretty well working away from me. But she definitely has a distance limit (only goes so far before turning around and waiting for me), so I'd like to try and increase that this year. I guess ultimately I'd like to see her confident enough to work a large area without wondering where I am all the time. One trainer that I met (VERY advanced dog) could stand by her vehicle, send her dog out and the dog would search, alert and wait for her to come find him. While I don't care about going quite THAT far, I would like for Holly to feel like she can concentrate on searching without wondering where I am at all times. Does that make sense?


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

Man, that is one thing she is not like her sister Gala at all.







Gala is so independent, she could care less if I'm near or not.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Well the dowside to me is if my dog *was* working a large area I would want him close enough to know where he was working and observe his body language while he was working unless he hits a big scent and takes off. A lot of times we work an area and I note gaps I have to go back and cover the gaps again.

But I understand - you want her to work independantly but GSDs seem to want to want to know where they are spatially with you. Even when mine ranges way out - it is typcally in a large arcing circle or semicircle and when I move he will "stay with" me even if it is a good distance away. I don't know that that is a confidence thing; I think that is a herding dog thing. A lab might give a rats ass.


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## ladylaw203 (May 18, 2001)

> Quote:This is a good question. Holly already does pretty well working away from me. But she definitely has a distance limit (only goes so far before turning around and waiting for me), so I'd like to try and increase that this year. I guess ultimately I'd like to see her confident enough to work a large area without wondering where I am all the time. One trainer that I met (VERY advanced dog) could stand by her vehicle, send her dog out and the dog would search, alert and wait for her to come find him. While I don't care about going quite THAT far, I would like for Holly to



Hey there! I wish I could have shown you my dogs while you were here,but time....... anyway. ALL of my dogs work offleash at a distance,bomb dogs included. Very simple to train the dog to do this. It is in the way that you set up training scenarios. Start the dog with his "cuz" being thrown far out while you hold her. Then send her out. Next step is to set up a couple of aids out in a field. Send her on her search command. Actually, at this point, this is how you should set up your scenarios. The reason she is hanging close is partially because of setting up aids close. Pattern training. Make sense?


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## eggo520 (Oct 28, 2007)

Definitely. That is always one of the challenges that we have here is finding large enough tracts of land to work dogs at length. I guess I will have to concentrate on increasing Holly's nose time to get her used to longer searches, then rewarding her like crazy when she does find her source. I think that, like you said, she will grow more confident as she ages, too. She knows what she's doing...I just want HER to know that!


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## Donald Bessey (Feb 21, 2009)

I agree with Nancy I want my dog to range close enough that I can watch and see if she shows interest in any direction and that she's covering the area well. When I get back to cp I want to be able to report any interest the dog shows that might point to another area outside of mine. When she catches scent she then is free to follow it and refind me if she locates the subject.


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## shayla (Oct 5, 2013)

i took my german shephard in at 8 months of age she was very nervous but as made some improvement . i bring her every day down my friends garage to see is dogs and other people that come and go but the strange thing is i went into hospital for operation other day i had my friend and great uncle to look after her who she is fine around when i am there but because i was not there she would not go near them for some reason maybe because she was nervous when i had her i have had to be so soft and gentle with her to let her know i am not going to do her any harm i think through that she as become to clingy any ideas how i can get her out of that she i now 2 years and 7 months


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