Of all training activities, author Lue Button finds scent work the most satisfying, as it calls for the highest development of canine skill and fosters the closest relationship between dog and handler. Born in Fargo, North Dakota, Button trained animals on her grandparents' farm and went on to study anthropology, speech, and physics, earning her M.S. degree in Physics from the University of New Mexico in 1974. She has been employed by the Field Test Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory since 1968, retiring in January 1990. Upon her marriage to Donald Button in 1971, she became chief trainer for Von Knopf Weimaraners, studying tracking with Walter Bush and later Wentworth Brown in Albuquerque. After a pivotal search mission with her tracking dog in 1982, Lue Button extended her dogs' training into all forms of scent work. She has taught numerous courses in obedience and tracking, and is currently training director of the Los Alamos-based Mountain Canine Corps.
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Practical Scent Dog Training
Another book by an author who discusses the differences between tracking, trailing and air scenting and their value in different scenarios ie competition v reality (finding criminals/avalanche victims etc). There are detailed lesson plans, which lump tracking and trailing together; air scent lesson plans are separate. Lue does say that whatever your discipline, tracking lays a strong foundation for all the other scent skills There is an emphasis on recording your progress ie what you did, what happened and what needs additional practice (she gives an example of how this might be laid out). I particularly like the chapter on the effects of age; humidity and temperature; air flow, wind, terrain; (love the term lofting) and pools. Consideration is given to how to train the dog to indicate (article or person) ie via vocalisation, position or retrieve. The chapter on tracking and trailing includes equipment needed and how to lay a track and lesson plans cover: first track and first turn; multiple turns; partially concealed article; person at end of track; blind tracks; cross tracks; multiple tracklayers; scent pools and obstacles; discrimination proofing; drop trailing and each is followed by a section on things to think about. A chapter on air scenting covers victims or evasive subjects. The section on evidence searches may not be relevant to all sports but useful in domestic terms! It also focuses on how to train dogs to locate (and how to deal with) gases and dangerous items eg knives etc. There is a chapter on disaster searching and how to start; with specific lesson plans on agility. It also touches on bad footing and vehicle disasters. The final section of the book concentrates on training your dog for the AKC TD and TDex tests with 24 hour tracks, 12 hour tracks, scent and physical obstacles, mixed obstacles, cross tracks etc. Lue asserts that atropine, antispasmodics, anaesthetics, antihistamine and belladonna depress scenting ability and caffeine and amphetamines temporarily stimulate it. This book is for the real scent enthusiast who may have interests in areas other than that of Working Trials and/or want to extend their dog’s skills in different arenas (competitive or otherwise) if, for example, it has retired from competition or cannot compete for various reasons. The vast majority of the content is not focused purely on tracking. If you are a “nose work freak” this is the book for you!
