Reflections on Talking with Jens Frank

K9 Detection Collaborative

What to listen for:

Robin Greubel, Stacy Barnett and Crystal Wing break down and reflect on their conversation with Jens Frank of the Scandinavian Working Dog Institute. Our hosts chat topics such as number of hides vs percentage of finds, imaginative hide placement, and beyond.

They discuss the need to expand our dogs' skill sets and fluency by offering them a variety of training scenarios. They highlight the value of setting hides differently for nose work and other disciplines, acknowledging that messy and negative marks are part of the process. They also explore the importance of controlling arousal in training high-drive dogs, discussing how certain activities and tasks can be used to manipulate these levels to achieve optimal results.

In the final segment, they dive into rewarding effort and understanding reinforcement, emphasizing the need to reward desirable behaviors and not out of pity or guilt. They also discuss the importance of understanding our dogs' drives and motivations when training. The episode wraps up with lessons from messy training, the power of observation, and the importance of deprivation as a positive tool for gaining our dogs' attention and focus.

Key Topics:

• 10 Hides in an Area (01:47)
• Creative and Strategic Hide Placement (07:49)
• Setting Hides for Different Disciplines (13:12)
• “People Don’t Want Messy” But it’s Part of the Process (15:54)
• High Arousal / High Drive Dogs (19:10)
• “What is Your Optimal Arousal for What You’re Trying to do” (27:59)
• The Problem with Rewarding Effort and Confidence (30:42)
• “What We Think is Rewarding, the Dog May Actually Think is Punishing” (37:38)
• The Importance of the Handler in the Equation (48:28)
• Acquiring the Right Tools for the Job (51:35)

Resources:

• Episodes 72, 73 Interviewing Jens Frank
• Scandinavian Working Dog Institute (SWDI) https://swdi.se/
• Here's a link to the App where you get lifetime access to the progression plans. You can also search for "SWDI" in your App Store: https://swdi.se/courses1/the-app

We want to hear from you:

• Check out the K9 Detection Collaborative FB page and comment on the episode post!
• K9Sensus Foundation can be found on Facebook and Instagram. We have a Trainer’s Group on Facebook!
• Scentsabilities Nosework is also on Facebook. Here is a Facebook group you should join!
• Crystal Wing K9 Coach can be found here at CB K9 and here at Evolution Working Dog Club. Also, check out her Functional Obedience Class here.
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