Understanding False Alerts.jpg
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Understanding False Alerts.jpg
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Scent Sessions: Foundation Training.

£15.00

Solid foundations do more than just foster confident searches; they ensure reliability. This Scent Session examines how gaps in early foundational training subtly influence false alerts, often unnoticed by handlers. When dogs are not consistently reinforced at the true odour source, they don’t fail; they adapt.

Our dogs could begin taking shortcuts, responding to pooled scent, lingering odour, or visual cues rather than focusing on precise olfactory cues, where the source is strongest. This session challenges common beliefs about early success and explains why speed and apparent clarity can sometimes mask underlying fragility in the foundation.

Solid foundations do more than just foster confident searches; they ensure reliability. This Scent Session examines how gaps in early foundational training subtly influence false alerts, often unnoticed by handlers. When dogs are not consistently reinforced at the true odour source, they don’t fail; they adapt.

Our dogs could begin taking shortcuts, responding to pooled scent, lingering odour, or visual cues rather than focusing on precise olfactory cues, where the source is strongest. This session challenges common beliefs about early success and explains why speed and apparent clarity can sometimes mask underlying fragility in the foundation.

In this 20-minute Scent Session, Dr Robert Hewings shares insights into how insufficient solid foundation training can lead to false alerts and inconsistent signs. When dogs don’t get strong, source-specific olfactory reinforcement, their behaviour can sometimes drift. Instead of confidently indicating the exact source of a scent, they might tip off to the edges of the scent, areas where the odour has pooled or hung around, or even obvious hiding spots. These behaviours aren’t mistakes; they are learned responses shaped by what they’ve been reinforced for. This session helps us understand why these shortcuts might seem useful in the short run, but can quietly weaken reliability over time. When reinforcement isn’t consistent, understanding can become muddled, leading to confusion, hesitation, and reduced confidence for both the dog and the handler. You’ll learn why every indication must be clearly linked to real odour detection, and how maintaining source-specific reinforcement improves clarity, consistency, and trust. This session is part of the Understanding False Alerts series and can be watched on its own or alongside the full set. When the foundations are solid, dogs won’t have to guess; they’ll know.