Odor Foundations 3: The Vanna Effect

Service Description

Odor Foundations 3: Handler Communication & Multiple Hides Location: Week 1 &2: Tractor Supply Week 3&4: UTC Shops **Duration:** 4 Weeks • 2-Hour Weekly Classes The dogs know the game—now it's time for the handlers to become great teammates. During this third phase of Odor Foundations, our focus shifts to handler mechanics, presentation, and allowing the dog to solve the puzzle independently. Handlers will learn when to guide, when to step back, and how their body language, movement, and timing directly influence the search. Think of yourself as the guide—not the detective. Like Vanna White revealing the letters on *Wheel of Fortune*, your job is simply to present the search areas, not tell your dog where the odor is. Learning this balance creates confident, independent detection dogs that trust their nose instead of relying on handler assistance. As teams progress, searches will become more complex with the introduction of multiple odor hides. Dogs will begin learning the **"Find More"** behavior, teaching them that discovering one source does not necessarily mean the search is complete. ### Throughout this course teams will focus on: * Handler presentation and movement * Reading the dog's changes of behavior * Understanding how much information your dog actually needs * Knowing when to help—and when to stay out of the way * Building independent problem-solving * Developing efficient search patterns * Introducing multiple-hide searches * Teaching and reinforcing the **"Find More"** behavior * Increasing search duration and stamina * Building confidence in both handler and dog through new environments and search scenarios By the end of this course, handlers will better understand how to support their dog's search without interfering, while dogs develop the confidence and endurance needed to locate multiple odor sources independently.