SAP: Step 3

EQUIPMENT:

• for this step you will be using all 6 glass shakers

Let's talk about the SAP TESTING PROTOCOL.

We are using the same protocol in TEACHING the dog how to use the Scent Wheel 

that we will be using in the actual TESTING of live seizure scent.

Introduce sample

1. by hand
2. scent wheel alone
3. scent wheel full w/gauze variables
4. scent wheel full w/donor non-event saliva sample

Congratulations!  Your dog now knows TEST A and TEST B.

Now we are going to teach the dog to search and indicate when there are variables on the Scent Wheel.

ADDING VARIABLES

This is the first step in explaining to the dog that he is searching for scent vs salt shakers.  (Just as we did in Scent Pots).

Place a new, empty shaker in a container across the wheel from the container holding the source ("hot").  The goal is for the dog to find and indicate the shaker containing the SCENT.

a. First teach the behavior with the wheel stationary.  Then gradually turn the wheel, as you did in previous Steps, until the dog can dependably ignore the empty shaker and find and indicate the hot shaker only.

b. Next, begin moving the empty shaker, keeping your source (hot) shaker in the same tin container, until the dog can successfully find and indicate successfully even with dummy shaker beside the hot shaker.

c. Now we begin adding empty dummy shakers one at a time until the dog can find the hot shaker on a full wheel that is turned between reps.

REMEMBER.  At the end of each training session you remove the shakers from the Scent Wheel and double bag them for storage.  The empty shakers can be stored together.  The hot shaker is always kept separate and apart.

C: with variations

Cross Contamination is our friend.

But we don't want to confuse our dog during the learning process.

NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO REFRESH YOUR TIN CONTAINERS.

Remove them from the wheel and put them through the dishwasher twice 

before putting them back on the wheel.

Repeating the C training process from the beginning.

THIS TIME, however, when we begin with the single "hot" source shaker,

we are going to move the shaker between reps.

The source shaker will reside in each of the tin containers

You will still turn the Scent Wheel.

And you will randomly vary the position of source shaker and dummy shakers on the wheel.

Do you see what is happening now?  

We are deliberately CROSS CONTAMINATING.

We are teaching the dog to find the source

even when residual scent will be found in all of the tin containers.

Take your time with this step.  

Whenever your dog makes a mistake (indicates a false positive)

move back to where he understands the job and work from there.

Because it's going to get more difficult soon.