Pendleton - Let the Games Begin

Pen is joining this project as a clean slate.  I've been introducing  basic foundation behaviors and working with socialization since bringing him home at 8 weeks.  He is now 18 weeks, has a good understanding of all we have been working on, will perform those behaviors, at his level both at home, in familiar settings and new settings away from home.  He  works willingly with familiar and unfamiliar handlers.  Because he is a puppy he is building working/training endurance so training sessions are short (five to ten minutes) with several sessions a day.  He also works in a group with the other dogs.  A big portion of every day includes play sessions both individually and with the other dogs.

Pen's breeder introduced him to different scents  at two days old but nothing deliberately since then.  It has been within the past few weeks  that I've noticed any serious interest in scenting, other than food.

I'm thinking that there are two areas I need to begin highlighting, nose games and an alert behavior.

Pen will be learning to interrupt stress events in marines with severe PTSD.  He may be working with multiple marines.

Here are some of my thoughts/concerns at this time:

• Is the scent from a stress event similar with all people or does it vary according to body chemistry?
• Can I collect samples from several individuals or do I need to initially only rely on one source?
• What is the most effective alert both during daytime and nighttime attacks?

I have several sources or scent  so can start stockpiling it for future use.   I would like to start scent games using stress scent.

Pen's alert behavior will be some form of targeting.



COMMENTS:

1.  Conversation between LS and RT

QUESTION/S:  Cathy will be teaching puppy Pen to recognize stress/anxiety odor.  She has 3 sources (Marines w/PTSD). She will be using clothing for sample.  Knowing that, I have questions relating to DADs and BG odor and highs and lows.  Do DADs recognize highs and lows in people other than “their” persons?  And, if so, then do you teach them to alert only to “their” persons?  Drawing upon your experience.......Pen will work with a variety of persons w/PTSD.  At least that is the plan.  How to adjust the training to generically recognize and alert to multiple people.  Now we’re thinking outside the box.

RT:  The scent is the scent. It ought to be a natural outflow that dog will alert to that scent anywhere on anybody- esp if you hide the scent on various  people.  For DAD, We just don’t reinforce any alerts for BG on other people -

Oh good.  That’s what I was thinking.  

That’s what I was hoping.

And for Pen, Cathy WOULD reinforce for scent on other people.

RT:  Yes- i think that explanation would be very straightforward