Modern Approach to Training: Part Two: TRACKING by Working Dog Magazine ®

Issue 3 | May/June 2017 | $9.95

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Modern Approach to Training PART TWO: TRACKING By Lazaro Cabrera

he heart and soul of this phase is about the dog’s olfactory skills. Over the years, tracking has been recognized as the bread and butter for any single- and dual-purpose police K9 handler. Many have made tracking out to be much more complex and boring than it really is. In fact, if you clearly understand what was discussed in part 1, such as the two forms of learning – classical and operant conditioning – Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and the effects of dopamine, it is like shaping any other behavior in dog training. Let’s begin by reviewing the formula: desire for a reward + create hope + pressure = success! The first step in tracking or in shaping any behavior is to understand what state of mind the dog must be in to have clear communication while shaping that behavior. One also needs to understand two steps are involved in tracking: the track itself and the indication of the articles in the track. It is important to separate these steps so that if the dog receives either step in a stressful manner during training, it will not taint the overall picture or create an undesirable look when the steps are combined. In addition, separating the steps makes it easier for the dog to understand. In the industry, we call this free shaping or approximation training.

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The Track In the beginning phases of tracking, we need concentration and not drive. Having hunger, a predictable reward system, and small amounts of pressure creates concentration. Drive is created through hunger, an unpredictable reward system, and no pressure. In tracking, we’re going to make sure we have a dog that is hungry. Then, in the beginning, we’re going to associate crushed vegetation and food or the traditional scent pad. We’re going to do this by scuffing the grass in a small square pad and scattering food in that pad. Once this is done, we will bring the dog to the scent pad on a short leash and allow the dog to eat from it. Before I release the dog to search the scent pad, I turn his collar so that the D-ring is on his chest and run the leash underneath his front right quarter. The short leash will limit the amount of space the dog can explore to find the food, allowing the operant behavior to occur much faster. I have recently been using a more modern approach, the flex pole, to introduce the dogs to tracking. I go into the grass in one direction and anchor the flex pole. I lay a 360-degree food track around the flex pole and exit the same way I walked into the grass to anchor it. I carry the dog to the flex pole, clip him onto it, run the flex pole line underneath his right front quarter, and command him to search. (See video 1) Keep in mind that these steps will all become “signals” linked to the “work” and finally the “reward” to bring the desired goal-directed behavior as mentioned by Dr. Robert Supolsky from Stanford University. Ultimately, you will see that food does not need to be on every step in the grass because it is about the dog’s anticipation for a reward, and not about the reward itself. Finally, know that if you lay a track with 100 paces and put food only in 50 percent of those paces, the dog’s level of dopamine will shoot through the roof because now you are adding “maybe” to the equation. (See video 2)

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DESIRE FOR A REWARD + CREATE HOPE + PRESSURE = SUCCESS

After doing this exercise several times and seeing that the dog clearly understands what is expected of him, it is time to move forward on the track. I do this by creating a heel-to-toe track in a straight line to have the food laid out in close proximity. I deliver said food by carrying a PVC pipe and dropping the food through it. This will allow me to lay a long track comfortably without stressing my lower back and having the food land properly in the scented footprint. Many people attempt to deliver the food on the scented footprint, but the food lands outside the footprint. Remember, we want to classically condition the dog that the reward comes from within the odor, not outside the odor. Paying attention to detail in the beginning phases will reduce the number of headaches in the end. Unlike in obedience where we use a variable reward system to create drive, in tracking I dispense my food in a predictable fashion, placing one kibble per every footstep, using variable positioning. This will classically condition the dog to search the entire footprint, therefore forcing him to be more methodical and slow in his forward motion. I still have the dog on a short leash to prevent minimal casting (the dog deviating from the track from one side to the other). As the dog starts to track forward, I give direction with my leash, applying light pressure with my wrist as he locates each reward. (See video 3)

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This leash action creates two phenomena. The first is that once again the dog starts to understand that pressure is the bridge to the reward so that in my later phases when he makes a mistake and I apply pressure, the dog does not shut down on me. As the dog becomes better at this heel-to-toe tracking, I start to spread my stride in two directions – to the front and from side to side –creating a normal human stride. Once I start laying tracks with normal strides, I make sure that I begin exposing the dog to tracks with problems: upwind, downwind, crosswinds, all types of turns, stepoffs, aging the track to different times, and delivering food sporadically throughout the track. I also start decreasing the impression of my footprint on the ground. During this time, I begin to introduce one more component that will assist as a bridge to rewards as well as in the generalization process when changing from grass to gravel to hard surface tracking. This component is referred to as hydrating the track – pouring distilled water in a sprayer with very sweaty clothes used during training that day. The person laying the track must use his or her own hydration blend so that the entire odor of the track is consistent, with no cross contamination in odors. As I start to reduce my food in the grass and hydrate my track, the dogs want to cast when they come to a footprint where there is only hydration. Do not allow this behavior to lure you back into wanting to place food on every step again. I see many people throughout the country concerned about this casting. Stick to the system, and the dog will become increasingly truer to the track on grass as hope continues to build. Make sure that you do not stay too long in grass. Move to gravel as soon as you see your dog clearly understands the exercise.

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Once again you might see the dog’s slight confusion simply because the picture has changed. This is where the generalization process starts to take place. Although the disturbance of the gravel surface has replaced crushed vegetation, there are still common denominators, such as food and hydration. As my training evolves, I am constantly switching the picture for the dog so that he does not stay locked in one, therefore making it harder to “unlock” him later. At this point, I accomplish this by variably laying my tracks only in gravel, from grass to gravel, and every once in a while, a track in grass. Note that as my dog becomes more proficient in tracking, I increase the length of the leash from 6 feet to 10, 15, and 30. While on gravel, as this picture becomes clearer to my dog, I again decrease the impression of my foot until I’m not leaving a footprint. This will force the dog to depend on his olfactory skills, rather than visual skills. As I spread food throughout the track, I make sure that my hydration becomes the bridge to my food so that later my dog can track for long periods of time without food on the track. This works because he has been classically conditioned to know that the hydration will lead him to a reward. Finally, it is time to move to hard surfaces. Here I apply the same philosophy previously mentioned in my gravel tracks. The only difference is that the impression on hard surfaces is controlled by the hardness of the ground. The odor used on the track is controlled by the level of hydration and the amount of sweat left behind by the person laying the track. You must understand that because of the terrain and wind currents, the odor on the track will not stay as concentrated as one laid on grass. This is why the dog will cast back and forth on the track. To teach the dog that odor is going to travel to other places besides the ground, I apply the hydration to plants, foliage, vehicles, tires, curbs, and environmental structures. These objects will act as extensions of the track. During this tracking system, it is important that I mention that in addition to scent pads, I will also introduce a target odor to the dog prior to the training track to teach him to discriminate other odors. This is where the dog learns to discriminate between different odors, a process known in the industry as scent discrimination.

To proof my dog in tracking, I take one final step, ghost tracks. I bring my dog to a sterile environment where I know with certainty no one has walked, and I ask him to track to see if he takes me on a ghost track. If he begins to take me on a track where I know there is nothing to track, I correct him (positive punishment) and put him in the car. Through time, this will teach him that it is not in his best interest to attempt to fool me by taking me on a ghost track. If he checks the area and takes me nowhere, I reward that correct behavior by taking him to a true training track, and rewards will come from within that track. These rewards can be food on steps, articles on the track, and/or toy rewards on the track. The final stage is to have a dog that can proficiently track for long periods of time without finding food on the track. To do this with minimal conflict, this is where my articles become valuable to the dog.

The Articles There are two ways you can teach your dog to indicate on articles: a passive final response or a retrieve.

The Passive Indication I teach the passive indication by placing the dog in the down position in front of a Manner’s Minder – a remote-controlled food-dispensing machine.

Premier Manner’s Minder Remote Reward Dog Training System

I place the article on the tray of the Manner’s Minder and start delivering food. At one point, I stop delivering the food, and I wait for the dog’s ears and facial expression to become engaged in the tray where the article is located. Once I see this behavior, I deliver food. Through time, the dog starts to deliver this operant behavior more frequently. This desired behavior is the “mark” behavior. Once the dog understands this behavior, I introduce a new source of food: me. Instead of having the Manner’s Minder deliver the food, I deliver it from over his head when he gives me the mark behavior. If the dog looks up at my hand over his head, I simply keep the food in my fist and do not deliver the reward until he gives me the desired mark behavior. I then transfer the exercise to grass, then to gravel, then to a hard surface. This will prevent the dog from staying locked on the Manner’s Minder. (See video 4 & 5) Once this behavior is complete, I bring the behavior into my tracking picture. Ultimately, the dog now understands that when he comes across an article on the track, he is to give the classical reflex reaction of downing and marking the article with extreme focus.

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The Retrieve

Self-

Actualization morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts

Esteem

self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others

Love/belonging friendship, family, sexual intimacy

Safety

security of: body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health, property

Physiological breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion

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I teach the retrieve through a “force hold system” using a working dog treadmill. I lure the dog onto the treadmill with food, or I place food on the treadmill so that when the dog comes to the treadmill, the food is in place, and he operantly wants to jump onto the treadmill. Once the dog is on the treadmill, I start to create focus drills. Every time he looks at me, I deliver a reward. I then place a dominant dog collar around his neck and deliver food. In time, the dog will eagerly want to wear the dominant dog collar so that I can reward him. I start teaching the force hold with a PVC pipe because I am going to need to use pressure (positive punishment), and I don’t want the dog to associate any other article with pressure later. I begin the force hold by simply applying slight pressure or by drawing the dog toward me with the dominant dog collar. This pressure will cause him to open his mouth to breathe. At this point, I place a PVC pipe into the dog’s mouth and mark the behavior by saying yes. At the same time, I release the pressure of the collar and offer the dog a variable reward. By doing this, I have removed one of the physiological needs mentioned in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (oxygen) to manipulate the first behavior required in the force hold.

As the dog begins to understand, I start to expect more from him, such as having him hold the PVC pipe for a longer period of time before giving him the release marker. (See video 6) Once the dog begins to reach out for the PVC pipe on his own, I know he now understands that holding the pipe in his mouth will ultimately produce a reward, and I no longer need to give direction with the dominant dog collar. At this point, I can begin introducing the articles that I am going to be laying within my track. Once the dog has learned to hold the articles in his mouth correctly and consistently, it is time to make the treadmill move while he holds the article. This is necessary so that when I throw or place an article in the grass, he understands that he is to retrieve the article and hold it in his mouth while coming toward me to deliver the article into my hands. (See video 7) Now that your dog understands both steps in tracking (the track and articles), it is time to combine the steps. You can do this either in grass, gravel, or hard surface. Remember that the dog should perceive articles as small bridges to your final destination, which is locating the ultimate piece of evidence or apprehending a fleeing suspect. Please keep in mind that this is an article, and there is only so much I can explain in it. Know that problems within these steps are likely to occur. Should that happen, and it has not been explained in this article, please feel free to contact us at psdk9@aol.com or by calling (305) 274-0057.

REFERENCE VIDEOS 1. youtube.com/watch?v=nhzUQzQhGUI&list=UUdCNvUWC_vU6KUSOzp3hKAg 2. youtube.com/watch?v=axrywDP9Ii0 3. youtube.com/watch?v=JGnB5B_RwD4&list=UUdCNvUWC_vU6KUSOzp3hKAg 4. youtube.com/watch?v=nnzwk26Y3Bs&list= UUdCNvUWC_vU6KUSOzp3hKAg 5. youtube.com/watch?v=RBn8-PfM25w&list= UUdCNvUWC_vU6KUSOzp3hKAg 6. youtube.com/watch?v=ubcoLN3QllQ&list=UUdCNvUWC_vU6KUSOzp3hKAg

Lazaro “Laz” Cabrera is the training director at Police Service Dogs Training Center in Oxford, Florida. Laz has a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and 15 years of service as a law enforcement officer. He is also a certified law enforcement K9 handler, FDLE instructor and USPCA National Judge. He travels to Europe several times a year to personally test and purchase each dog that comes through the Police Service Dog program. His knowledge reflects his unique ability to honor and interpret his client’s needs. Laz has completed advanced training in various aspects of law enforcement that he has been able to apply to years of practical service as a law enforcement officer and K9 handler. He has earned a reputation as a highly skilled, personable trainer with a keen understanding of the working dog industry. His innovative methods have helped him to incorporate his own creative style and he has dedicated himself in developing a legacy of excellent working dogs. Website: psdk-9.com

7. youtube.com/watch?v=Hza8yb44OjU&list=UUdCNvUWC_vU6KUSOzp3hKAg

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