# PSD "Imprint Odor"



## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

When imprinting odor for PSD (NARC/EXP) what is your preffered method of imprintation and why? How long does it take you to consider the dog finished prior to going to work? I understand the dog is continues to learn/grow on the street, but when is he out of training and working the street?

Do you imprint one odor or mulitiple odors? Why? Why not?


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## Jim Nash (Mar 30, 2006)

Jody Butler said:


> When imprinting odor for PSD (NARC/EXP) what is your preffered method of imprintation and why? How long does it take you to consider the dog finished prior to going to work? I understand the dog is continues to learn/grow on the street, but when is he out of training and working the street?
> 
> Do you imprint one odor or mulitiple odors? Why? Why not?


We've done both . Not much of a difference either way . We still like seeing the dog work on the individual odors to see that there are no problems . Because of that we mainly go the individual odor route . 

If we are working a dual purpose class it's a 4 week class about 5 months after the 12 week patrol class they went through . If it's a single purpose class it's 8 weeks .


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## Michael Santana (Dec 31, 2007)

Boxes (4-hole variable). Atleast 5 odors combined to start. After initial imprinting, I will seperate the odors to ensure the initial imprinting was succesful with each odor during actual plants/hides. 

For most dogs, I work in plenty of "wall time" between initial imprinting and plants/hides. As I have found that it is easier to bring in a clear and consistent final response with the wall. Which "transfers" well into the more realistic hides. 

Depending on the type of dog, odor, and function, I work pattern with the wall, and then the hides. I have different "tricks" for different patterns.

Towards the end of the "final response teaching phase" I make sure I throw in plenty of odors that the dog needs to be "proofed off" of. Such as, the narc bags, containers, tape, and any other contaminents that the odor may have, and could have been introduced to the dog. Although, obviously we try to keep these to a minimum.

The initial imprinting on the boxes takes me a few sessions over the course of a few days, and a couple of more days on the wall. I like to "play it by ear" with each dog. I don't like them giving them time to get bored or complacent, I like keeping this as fun and exciting to the dog as possible. 

Once I feel the dog is ready to move on we go ahead and start placing plants, nothing blind yet. If the dog shows weakness with any of the odors or just odor in general, we go back to the basics, and start him over. 

Eventually I like working A LOT of blind hides. Like boxes, I have found that there is nothing like blind hides for learning THAT dogs behavior, and making me better at training detection. 

Sorry if this seems rushed. I'm at the MWR and running out of time. lol.

Disclaimer: This is the way I like to do things and have found succesful. It is not the only way. I am not closed off to learning different ways. I love cupcakes.


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## Matthew Grubb (Nov 16, 2007)

I start by doing throws with those "odor balls" on a string. When I see strong odor recognition I then goto the BSD with distractions and will start shaping the trained response.


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## Harry Keely (Aug 26, 2009)

Start with balls for narc and towels for Exp with black powder in it just throwing both and have fun, extending the throws out of site to see hunt drive. Then move to boxes with a bsd, then moving on to garages, lockers, cars, outside areas, adding loud sounds and distractions and proofing the dog that the dog is defently on odor, etc...... I like doing one odor at a time to see if there is any issue with a specific, although either the dog wants it all or nothing as I find.


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

I've heard recently that the ball/rag with the odor when imprinting is starting to go away. It's worked great for years but I guess someone came up with something new.


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

metal pipes work well and you can boil them in distilled water to use again.


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

Howard Knauf said:


> I've heard recently that the ball/rag with the odor when imprinting is starting to go away. It's worked great for years but I guess someone came up with something new.



What are they using now?

I like what works. I like making the dog hunt for odor paired with his toy, prior to teaching his alert. Towel, ball, PVC, etc.. What are people going to? What is new to dog training??


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

There's been a move to put out odor, have the dog on lead with no direction to search, and when the dog finally sniffs the odor to investigate a sit command is given, then a toy reward either ball or tug. Seems kinda low energy to me but that's what's going on in a nutshell.


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

The ol toy with the odor is a goner then?

Will, you deleted your post. Now my reply looks just stupid. lol


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

it was for me.


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

will fernandez said:


> it was for me.


 How long ago?


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