# Drako, Day 5 of Training



## Wayne Conrad (Jun 8, 2009)

Just wanted to get out a couple of video's on Drako. He was introduced to tobacco odor last tuesday and cell phone this AM. When I st up the training exercise this morning I set out a cell phone in a box just to see if he would hit on it. Sure as heck he hit dead on !! He is smart and fast. (For a dog that had no drive !!!! )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-9w4pnDNUE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmeu9H5xp1A


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## Kyle Sprag (Jan 10, 2008)

Looks great, does the handler know where the source it hidden?


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## Wayne Conrad (Jun 8, 2009)

Negative. It is important tht the handler does not know and lead the dog to the odor. Is is also important that the handler learns how to read his dog and note changes when he is on odor. In fact, the handler did not know the dog was alerting to a cell phone. He thought all the plants were tobacco. Earlier in the day I introduced cell phone odor to Drako. Was not sure if he had odor or not when I set up the execise. This was the first find on cell phones for Drako. By the end of the day he was hitting on every one I planted.


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## Kyle Sprag (Jan 10, 2008)

Wayne Conrad said:


> Negative. It is important tht the handler does not know and lead the dog to the odor. Is is also important that the handler learns how to read his dog and note changes when he is on odor. In fact, the handler did not know the dog was alerting to a cell phone. He thought all the plants were tobacco. Earlier in the day I introduced cell phone odor to Drako. Was not sure if he had odor or not when I set up the execise. This was the first find on cell phones for Drako. By the end of the day he was hitting on every one I planted.


Looked like the handler was not reading the dog so well, you sound like a good coach. I think they will do very well! The dog looks very motivated.


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## Wayne Conrad (Jun 8, 2009)

Gonna take a bit to get the handler used to the dog. Will spend another couple of weeks with the team and they should be fine. The handler was a dog handler in the navy back in the early 90's handling a bomb dog so he does have some experience. All in all I think the two will make a good team. Drako is just one of those dogs tht loves to work. Got Drako from Debbie Skinner after the dog was abused by former owner who said the dog had no drive !! Would love to have seen what Drako would have been like had he not be abused.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

This is really nice to see. He is getting his new job, and doing well.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

How good it would be if the dickhead who abused him ended up in the slammer and somehow had a phone slip up his ass.


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## Kyle Sprag (Jan 10, 2008)

Mike Scheiber said:


> How good it would be if the dickhead who abused him ended up in the slammer and somehow had a phone slip up his ass.


 
LOL, the same thing crossed my mind! Not sure what that means........=P~


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

That's great! Very pleasing to watch. I find this type of work very interesting - actually, any type of official job a dog can do I am interested in learning about.


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## David Ruby (Jul 21, 2009)

Wayne Conrad said:


> Just wanted to get out a couple of video's on Drako. He was introduced to tobacco odor last tuesday and cell phone this AM. When I st up the training exercise this morning I set out a cell phone in a box just to see if he would hit on it. Sure as heck he hit dead on !! He is smart and fast. (For a dog that had no drive !!!! )
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-9w4pnDNUE
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmeu9H5xp1A


Is that the dog that was malnourished and pretty much declared unfit to work and without proper drive by the previous owner/trainer? This probably means nothing to you from a stranger and a green newbie, but I think it's cool as heck that you rescued a dog that was written off (not to mention malnourished and neglected from the sounds of it if I'm thinking of the same dog) and turned him around to be a true working dog, and apparently a pretty promising one at that.

-Cheers


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## Candy Eggert (Oct 28, 2008)

Wayne this is wonderful news for Drako. I can see that you've paired his reward at the source, but do you have your handlers reward "over" the source? With my young dog, I would pull (well kinda, he's a big boy) him over to the source with his tug and literally pull his face down in to the source and tug with him there. With him it just made that scent a much higher value, quicker 8) 

The best to you, Drako and his new handler! Wishing you many finds in the future.


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## Wayne Conrad (Jun 8, 2009)

Yes this is the dog that the fool back east said had no drive !!! Drako is one of the best dogs I have found, (But then again I say that about them all !!). My daughter laughs and describes Drako as "Happy all over". I really love this dog and made sure he went to a handler who will take good care of him. The two took to each other right off the bat. 

As far as his reward goes........ Once he sources odor I will throw the tug at his nose. Right now I am pretty much giving it to him pretty fast. The theory is he searches......... He finds and sources odor........ He alerts by biting and scratching. In the dogs mind when he does this his toy will "Pop" out and he gets to play. Never thought of dragging his nose over to the source but it is something to think about. As time goes on I will make him work harder and harder for the reward to build him up. I want to make sure I do not stress him out early in the training. Too many trainers are in a rush and fustrate the dog. I will take my time and get it right. When I get done with Drako he will be a Mean, Lean, Contraband Sniffing machine !!!


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## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

Real cool. I enjoy scent work the most, its even cool to watch, not saying I am good at it but it is fun superhuman stuff.


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