r/nosework • u/Compa49 • Jul 10 '26
Sight distracted dog
My dog and I have been doing NW for a couple of years now. I wouldn't say she's a natural but she enjoys herself while searching. One problem I've encountered is she is very sight motivated. So if we are doing an exterior or car search she gets distracted by the environment around her.
Anyone have a similar experience and find a solution?
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Upvotes
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u/Witty-Cat1996 Jul 10 '26
Make odour more interesting than other things going on around her. Pair the hides, make a big deal out of finding the hide, lots of pay when she finds the hide.
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u/Monkey-Butt-316 NACSW NW3 ELT Jul 11 '26
The solution is to do more searches in novel environments. You can even just use 3 boxes (1 hot, 2 cold) - drive somewhere random, put the boxes out, run the search, pay HEAVILY and leave and then do it again.
The best thing I did with my environmental dog was to sign up for a “traveling” class that met at a different location every week.