5 Day Trained Final Response Challenge
Day 5: DISTANCE

Here we are on the last day of the 5 Days to a Rock Solid Trained Final Response Challenge. In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, you have still shown up and remained dedicated to training one of the most vital skills of your search dog’s training – their trained final response. We are grateful that you joined us in this challenge and are excited to have the opportunity to work with handlers like you.  

Now let’s get started on today’s training. Day 5 is all about distance and making sure that your dog is confident and motivated to perform all the elements of their trained final response we have covered this week only at further distances away from you. Unless you are working your dog on a leash or in a tight space, they are likely searching 50 feet, 50 yards, 150 yards, or further from you depending on the environment. And depending on the search, they may not only be further from you, but out of your sight all together. 

In Day 5’s training we are going to show you how to systematically build your dog’s confidence performing their trained final response at target odor at further and further distances.

Tools In Your Toolbox

Over the last 4 days we have shared some tools with you to help improve the clarity of your communication with your dog and the speed in which your dog has success. Let’s take a quick moment to recap as they each will be extremely useful in today’s distance training.  

  • Based on your dog’s experience and history of success at a particular distance, having a clear definition of what their TFR should look like will ensure that your reward timing is spot on. Revisit your Defining Your Trained Final Response Worksheet from Day 1 to guide you in defining your expectations at these new distances.
  • When you start to reach distance where you dog is not completely confident, it is common to see a delay in their trained final response. Using the Reward on the Nose technique from Day 2  to mark your dog’s decision to range that far away from you and sniff the correct target odor is a great way build your dog’s confidence. It will ensure that on subsequent runs they will be more confident to not only range to locate target odor, but to perform their TFR at this new distance.
  • Keeping their motivation high requires your dog to find opportunities to earn their reward. Delivering their favorite toy or treat at a distance poses some challenges. This is a great place to employ the use of a marker as outlined in Day 3. A marker will allow you to communicate to your dog that they are correct and that their reward is coming soon.
  • While adding distance is not a new behavior per se, it is a new variable and a harder criteria to meet. As we discussed in Day 4, when you increase the difficulty of one criteria, lower the others. Remember the fastest way to get to your rock solid TFR is to train one piece at a time and then combine them once each are solid.
  • And don’t forget to randomize your distances so that you keep a mix of short motivational runs with your longer distance runs. Continuing to only push your dog to work further and further is a sure-fire way to squash their motivation. We covered how to evaluate if you have you have the right mix for you dog in Day 4. 

 

Setup Instructions

Today's drill again only requires one prop. As your dog will be at a distance from you and intervention will be difficult, prop durability is very important should they try to access source. 

Find an open distraction-free area that will allow you to safely set your prop at a challenging distance for your dog. 

If due to COVID-19 restrictions you are unable to train in a large enough space, use your yard for now. Build confidence at the furthest distance you have available. You can return to this training whenever you are able to work in larger areas. 

STEP 1: Decide the furthest distance you are going to work your dog today. Divide that distance into thirds.

STEP 2: Send your dog from 1/3 the final distance. This distance should be something your dog is very confident at. If not, shorten your total distance until the first run is going to be motivational. For this drill, make sure your start point is down wind from target odor to help pull your dog the distance. Send your dog and allow them to perform their trained final response at a level they are completely confident at, then reward.  

STEP 3: Move your starting point back so you are 2/3 the total distance from your target odor and run your dog again. Remember each time that you increase the difficulty of the distance, consider how you will lower the criteria in other aspects of their TFR. This may mean you ask for a shorter duration or not worry about specific body orientation. You may even choose to just Reward on the Nose. 

STEP 4: Reset your dog and this time start from the final distance. Before you send your dog, make sure you are clear on exactly what level of TFR you are asking for. Ensure your expectations will provide your dog the opportunity to be successful and gain their reward at this new difficult distance. 


TIP #1: Using thirds is a general rule of thumb for you as a guide when setting up distance exercises. Based on your dog’s performance and the space you have available, you may choose to increase your distance in smaller increments.

TIP #2: If at anytime you see your dog’s motivation and confidence drop instead of rise, stop. Do not progress to the next distance without first backing up and providing your dog the opportunity for motivation with a closer run.

Puppies & Young Dogs

When working a puppy, we shorten the distance we ask them to cover compared to our more experienced dogs. The goal should always be to set the puppy up for success and build their confidence and motivation. In addition to managing the distance, you see on later runs in this series when Indy has to search a little harder, Deana lowers her criteria for the number of barks and even chooses to pay on the first bark. The benefit of this decision is a puppy who, despite just being challenged, is highly motivated to run the exercise again.

Experienced Dogs

Especially for very long distances, you can see the advantage of starting down wind from target odor to help draw your dog the full distance. Also notice on the third and final run that there is a slight delay before Oma barks. To build her confidence at this distance, Kathleen marks and rewards the very first bark instead of waiting for a series of barks. On subsequence runs at this distance Oma will now be more confident to quickly perform multiple barks



This systematic approach also works for building confidence out of sight as Sunny and Nick demonstrate in this video.

Video Contest Rules

At the beginning of the 5 Days to a Rock Solid Trained Final Response Challenge we promised you would have the opportunity to show of all your hard work and progress in our BONUS VIDEO CONTEST. The winner receives a free registration to our Distraction Training Online Course. This is the perfect opportunity to either introduce your dog to the final D - Distractions or brush up their skills before workshops begin again.

CONTEST RULES

  1. Upload a video of your dog performing their trained final response in the comments of this post. 
  2. Videos must be posted by midnight eastern Monday, May 18th.
  3. One winner will be randomly selected from all the video entries.
  4. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, May 19th.


Now grab your dog and get filming! We can't wait to see all the wonderful progress you have made towards that rock solid trained final response!