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About Contact

Indication Motivation  | Hunter's Heart (Intermediate Scent Detection) 

Train your dog to indicate target odor with a bombproof indication using rewards. You'll harness your dog's natural drive to chase prey to build value for chasing a toy (or food stuffed toy) or delicious food. Turn indicating into a game your dog wants to play!

Here's what you get:

  • Most students choose sit/down, or freeze and stare (focused attention) as their Trained Final Response, but ask us about other options e.g. bark or subtler behaviors.
  • Worried you can't get your ball back? Try our 5-Balls Game.
  • Want a faster protocol using food? Bring on the food stuffed ball or free food on the magnetic plate. Many dogs start indicating at week two using this simple but effective method.
  • With 2 methods to choose from, pick the way that suits you! Building drive every session, your dog will love our motivational approach, whether you use food or toys. We break down every step and show you how to succeed with your unique dog, then generalize to different environments.
  • Troubleshooting with the instructor is included in the price.

Show Me - Maximize Indication Motivation, Intermediate Scent Detection | Hunter's Heart

  1. Introduction

    9 lessons
    1. Welcome
    2. How This Course Works
    3. About Your Instructor, Dr. Carla Simon, MD, BSc, MBA
    4. Prerequisites
    5. What Is an Indication?
    6. Optional Reading: Pros and Cons of Indication Training
    7. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
    8. Experienced Handlers May Modify the Indication to Suit Their Goals
    9. Why You Should Let Your Dog Choose Sit OR Down

  2. You Need to Make Some Decisions

    1 lesson
    1. Pick Your Indication Training Method

  3. Method #1: Indicating a Handler Scented Target Plate or Glove

    7 lessons
    1. Select Your Target Plate or Glove
    2. Loading the Glove with Free Food
    3. Chasing Food in the Middle Game
    4. Handler Cues Down at Glove In Middle Position
    5. How to Apply Handler Scent to Your Glove
    6. The Glove Becomes the Cue (Handler is Silent)
    7. Glove Ahead of the Handler

  4. Method #2: Indicating a Toy, or Food Stuffed Toy

    1 lesson
    1. Method #2 - Using a Toy

  5. Session 2.1 - See Toy, Offer Sit and Stare

    8 lessons
    1. Lucy Demonstrates, See Toy, Offer Sit and Stare
    2. Homework #1 - Introduce Indicating the Toy
    3. Consistency is Key
    4. Learning in Fits and Starts
    5. About Generalization
    6. Generalizing Homework: Play the Hand-Ball Game
    7. Confident and Ready for the Next Step?
    8. Warning: Your Dog Should Not Indicate Any Other Toy!

  6. Session 2.2 - Lower to the Ground

    2 lessons
    1. Demo #2 - Lower to the Ground
    2. Homework #2 - Lower to the Ground

  7. Session 2.3 - Toy on the Ground, Cover with Your Hand (Offer Down)

    3 lessons
    1. Demo #3 - Toy on the Ground, Cover with Your Hand (Offer Down)
    2. Homework #3 - Toy on the Ground, Cover with Your Hand
    3. Troubleshooting: Impulse Control

  8. Session 2.4 - Toy on the Ground, Get Out of the Picture

    5 lessons
    1. Demo #4A - Remove Your Hand
    2. Homework #4A - Remove Your Hand
    3. Demo #4B - Stand Up & Drop/Kick
    4. Mistake Protocol
    5. Homework #4B - Stand Up & Drop/Kick

  9. Session 2.5 - Duration: Focus for 2-10 Seconds

    3 lessons
    1. Demo Video #5 - Add Duration
    2. Five Real-Life D's You Need to Train
    3. Homework #5 - Add Duration

  10. Session 2.6 - Mistake Protocol and Generalization

    1 lesson
    1. Homework #6 - Start Generalizing

  11. Session 2.7 - Handler Motion

    4 lessons
    1. Demo Video #7 - Minor Handler Motion
    2. Session 7 Homework
    3. What to Do If Your Dog Struggles with Staying
    4. Moving the Food Out of the Lotus Ball

  12. Session 2.8 - Walk A Lap Around Your Dog

    3 lessons
    1. Demo Video #8 - Walk a Lap Around Your Dog
    2. Homework #8 - Walk a Lap Around Your Dog
    3. If Your Dog Struggles, Walk Around the Table

  13. Session 2.9 - Moving Dog Approaches Toy and Indicates

    2 lessons
    1. Demo #9 - Approaching Toy
    2. Homework #9 - Approaching Toy

  14. Session 2.10 - Distractions Part 1

    3 lessons
    1. Demo #10A - Mild Distraction e.g. Hat on Floor
    2. Demo #10B - Moderate Distraction Toy Dinosaur Making Noises
    3. Homework #10 - Introduce One Mild Distraction

  15. Session 2.11 - Find a Partially Concealed Toy by Sniffing

    3 lessons
    1. Lecture #11 - How to Conceal Toys
    2. Demo #11 - Find Partially Concealed Toy by Sniffing
    3. Homework #11 - Find a Partially Concealed Toy

  16. Session 2.12 - Find a Hidden Toy

    3 lessons
    1. Demo #12 - Find a Hidden Toy
    2. Homework #12 - Find a Toy Hidden in a Box
    3. Progression for Hidden Toys

  17. Session 2.13 - Indicate a Piece of the Toy

    2 lessons
    1. Demo #13 - Find a Piece of the Toy
    2. Homework #13 - Find a Piece of the Toy

  18. Session 2.14 - Find Source When 5 Converging Toys

    6 lessons
    1. About Converging Odor
    2. Setup for Converging Toy Training
    3. Why Sourcing is Harder than Odor Recognition
    4. Foundation - Find 5 Converging Toys
    5. Demo #14 - Indicate 5 Converging Toys
    6. Homework #14 - Indicate Converging Toys

  19. Session 2.15 - Proofing Reward Placements

    1 lesson
    1. Homework: Proofing Reward Placement

  20. Session 2.16 - Lineups (aka Container Searches)

    4 lessons
    1. About Lineups and Container Searches
    2. Constant Handler Motion
    3. No Handler Motion
    4. Homework #16 - Practice a Lineup

  21. Session 2.17 - Distractions Part 2

    6 lessons
    1. Reach for Toy and Pause Arm Before Throwing
    2. Place Distraction Behind Dog's Rear
    3. Indicating on Top of Small, Neutral Objects
    4. Indicating on a Pile of Toys
    5. Petting Your Dog While Indicating
    6. Other Dogs in the Search Area

  22. Session 2.18 - Transition to Target Odor

    1 lesson
    1. Homework: Pair Target Odor with Toy

  23. Congratulations!

    1 lesson
    1. Congratulations!

  24. Bonus: Introducing Interiors and Exteriors

    2 lessons
    1. Prerequisites for Exterior Searches
    2. Introducing Exterior Searches

What our students are saying... 

EK

“Carla has been working with me to train my dog in Scent Detection and her methods have turned our exuberant but frenzied English Cocker Spaniel into a focused worker.”

LS

“Really amazing protocol! Thanks Carla for your help in this I enjoy the game and so does he.”

SS

“I think this course is awesome and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it".