# Communication Comedy



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

I am quite sure that everyone in dogs knows that communication with quarry, helpers, handlers and so on can be a challenge and lead to less productive sessions because of communication snafus.

We have a bunch of good avalanche debris at work from some recent explosives control work making for great training sites.

I asked a fellow ski patroller to burry a couple of human scented articles for me in some fresh avalanche debris at the end of work yesterday and then I would come in the next day to do the search with Farley.

Most ski patrollers at my work have helped out with the dogs and have been taught the proper way to bury live quarry and articles. I handed the fellow a plastic shopping bag bursting at the seems with two articles inside. We store the scented articles in plastic bags to keep the scent in. I mentioned that I wanted one article burried deeper than the other, and gave him some approximate burial depths for each. He called me on the radio 15 min later to tell me I was set up for tomorrow.

Today I searched the dog on the site. Farley starts digging hard (his indication) in an area downhill from me. I see him start to work at pulling the article out of the snow (also desirable in our profile). As I ski down to him I notice he also has a mouth full of plastic bag.

The helper had burried both the articles still in the one plastic bag. ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) 
A note will go in my log book reminding myself not to get lazy about explaining EXACTLY what I want, and not to ASSume that all my workmates know what to do to help set up a search [-X [-X :mrgreen: :mrgreen: 

The articles had been poking out the top of the bag when I gave it to the ski patroller, so the dog was still able to smell it and had a fun and productive search....but I could have kicked myself non the less


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

My appologies. After re-reading this post, I can see how it would
a) not make any sense to most and
b) not really be funny to anyone else

Wish I could delete it.


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## Edward Egan (Mar 4, 2009)

Hah, I got it and had a chuckle!


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

No, that was a pretty clear description! (I started reading and just KNEW what would happen, LOL) 

I'm curious. Do you know for a fact that your dog would not be able to smell the articles through the plastic bag?


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Good explination!
Do the helpers wear surgical gloves when they hide the articles?
The best detection demo I ever saw was from an arson dog. 
A 2x4x6" long had 2 drops of an excellerant put on it. That was put in a plastic bag, then wrapped in duct tape with a brick. Then it was dropped in a flooded basement and sat for about an hour. It took the dog most of 2 mins to find it.


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

I definitely got it! I just had nothing to add other than "been there!"


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Bob Scott said:


> Do the helpers wear surgical gloves when they hide the articles?


No, though they are usually wearing ski gloves. Our dogs are not scent specific.


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