Duration at Source

Before we even consider adding a trained indication, we need a dog who will reliably search for, locate, and stay at the source of the target odor, even under distractions. Most notably, on an alert or indication, we will generally be approaching the dog to verify the find and/or to reward, so we need the dog to remain at source upon our approach with the reward. In order to achieve this, we must start by rewarding instantly at first, then adding a split-second delay, before the dog fidgets or turns away from the source. If your dog has a tendency to paw or bark at the odor and you like that as an indication, then you can stash the idea for later but work on clean duration at source for now.