Animal Training Academy Dr Nathaniel Hall; Rethinking canine olfaction: A fresh perspective [Episode 204]
Here are five crucial takeaways from the research that can be practically implemented by those engaged in the field of scent work:
- It may be beneficial to let go of pre-existing notions about canine olfaction and relearn everything from the ground up.
- Your human sense of smell, to a certain extent, might not be drastically different from a dog's.
- Make sure to enjoy the process.
- It is vital that your training environment aligns with your real operational setting.
- Ensure that the odor used for training mathced the one used in actual operational settings.
Dr. Hall is an Associate Professor of Companion Animal Science at Texas Tech University and the Director of the Canine Olfaction Research and Education Laboratory in the Department of Animal Science. He earned his PhD at the University of Florida, specializing in Behavior Analysis and canine olfaction. Following his doctoral studies, he continued as a postdoc at Arizona State University, investigating the optimization of training to enhance canines' detection of homemade explosives. At Texas Tech, his work continues to explore canine olfactory perception and how experience influences odour perception. His lab also investigates predictors and correlates of problem behaviour, behavioural predictors of working aptitude, and the relationship between behaviour and health using advanced statistical models.