Upping Your Distraction Game v.2

Distraction Challenges

Below you will find some distraction challenges you can use in your training plan to help prepare your canine for real world search environments. Each of these scenarios can be made easier or harder depending on where you and your canine partner are in your training journey. If you are not ready for the challenges below, check out Upping Your Distraction Game v1 for ideas on how to first introduce distractions to your training plan.

At the bottom of the page you will find a list of potential distractions you can use for your training.

All the snacks Everywhere All at Once

  • On a rubble pile or in a building search set out as many different food distractions as you are able to gather. Place the food items on the ground all over the search area. The target odor placement should require the canine to pass through the food distractions in order to reach it. The handler should remain at the starting point of the search if possible.

    • Select foods that are less enticing (salads, plain bread, rice, kibble)

    • Place spotters very close to the food distractions as a visual/pressure deterrent

    • Put the food on an elevated surface just out of reach of the K9

    • Use a large target odor source so it’s easier to find

    • Select particularly enticing and/or rotten foods

    • Leave the scenario setup for at least an hour prior to starting 

    • Require the handler to stay outside of the search area

    • Setup a diffuse or more challenging scent problem or add multiple hides to your problem

It’s so Loud Here

  • Run speakers, generators, or engines/sirens in multiple locations on the rubble pile or in the designated search area while the canine and handler are running their problem.

    • Place the speakers, generators, or engines/sirens outside of the intended search area

    • Reduce the number of audio distractions used

    • Practice an emergency stop and/or recall in the search area

    • Run it blind with other distractions in the area and brief your team on what you are seeing while running the problem

Who Invited All these People

  • Invite additional volunteers to training and place them between the canine’s target odor and their starting location. Place one or more volunteers directly on or in front of the canine’s target odor.

    • Use people your canine knows instead of strangers

    • Reduce the number of volunteers

    • Move the volunteers further away from the canine’s target odor

    • Ask the volunteers to talk, yell, move around, or move items in your search area while your canine is running

    • Have one of the volunteers attempt to emergency stop and/or recall your dog as if there is an emergency

Distraction Ideas for Your Scenarios

  • Food

    • Fresh

    • Rotting

    • Burned

  • Dog food and treats

  • Clothes

    • Teammates’ clothes

    • Strangers’ clothes

    • Baby/children clothes

  • Animal odors

    • Pet supplies

    • Urine/feces

    • Dead animals

  • Toys

    • Tennis balls

    • Reward toys

    • Stuffed animals

  • Disturbances

    • Dummy holes

    • Recent delayering spaces

  • People or spotter pressure

  • Flags or waving items

  • Flashing lights

  • Barking dogs or animal sounds

  • Other dogs working nearby

  • Farm animals

  • People or spotters talking or yelling

  • Running motors, engines, or generators

  • Sirens or alarms