Fair Searches for Little Dogs Webinar

Would you assess the search differently if you considered where odor is available at your dog’s height?

How odor moves through the area, and how much time passes between setting the hide and running the search, can affect the dog’s opportunity to encounter it. Odor available to a taller dog may not yet be available where a little dog can investigate. Hide height alone cannot tell us whether that opportunity exists.

This consideration applies across sizes. When we primarily work dogs of a similar size, we can overlook challenges our setups present to smaller or taller dogs.

Judith Guthrie and Jenny Hamilton will examine how to account for these differences when setting and assessing searches. We’ll discuss odor availability, hide placement, timing, physical access, footing, and obstacles.

We’ll also look at sourcing and communication when the dog cannot reach a hide, and how handler position can affect the dog’s options. The goal is to preserve meaningful search challenges while considering what the dog has access to and what we are asking them to do.