Keep Moving
/If you’ve been doing nose work for any amount of time, you’ve likely heard someone tell you to “keep moving” when you handle your dog. Back in the day, it’s definitely something I coached people to do. But what does that mean? Why do it? And what does it even look like?
Desperate to provide a solution to clients whose dogs were false alerting, what people began to notice is that it was happening as soon as the handler stopped and stood still. And so, the idea to keep moving was born.
I’ve seen it manifest in many different ways over the years. There’s the march in place version, the leave your dog behind and keep walking version, the potty dance version, and many more. The problem with any of these is that it sends a mixed message to the dog, creating conflict which can distract, confuse, worry or just plain annoy the dog, when all we really mean to do is work together as a team. Instead of supporting the dog in the search, we’re busy being all weird and artificial, hoping and praying we don’t get the dreaded “NO.”
There’s so much more to it than “keep moving” though. I can’t speak for the dog, but having focused on connection, communication and relationship building with dogs for many years now, this is what I do know:
Orienting towards each other fosters communication between dog and handler.
Orienting towards the dog is loaded with expectations that treats are coming.
Standing in or moving with the dog in heel position is often a very rewarding place for the dog to be. It’s loaded with expectations of food reward.
Facing the dog potentially prevents him from being able to use the space the way he needs to, causing him to look at you instead.
Eye contact is a powerful connector. It usually opens the door to a deeper conversation… and more treats.
Whatever we’re orienting towards tells the dog it’s important.
All of these cues we’re throwing without meaning to can distract the dog from an independent search. He isn’t lying. He is simply responding to what makes sense to him.
With those ideas in mind, I now offer a more organic approach to handling the nose work dog:
Let your dog lead the search. When he’s searching, stay behind his butt and off to the side, so you can see what his nose is doing, and he can keep track of you. That means slowing down when he slows down and picking up the pace again when he does.
Face the same direction as your dog, with a relaxed leash when moving with the dog. It sends a message that you’re on the same team and confident in his abilities.
At some point during your search, your dog will turn and orient towards you as he continues to search. When he does, get out of his way. Yield space by stepping to the side, pivoting so you both are facing the same direction, and then giving him a moment to lead again while you fall into place behind him and off to the side.
Practice this approach when you’re out on a walk together and see what you think. Have someone video you if you can. Discovering the nuances in communication between you and your dog without the presence of odor will make it much more straight forward for you when you’re in the trenches. Best of luck in your nose work endeavors!