The Negative is not so Negative
What?
The Negative is not so negative. A negative is not a bad thing!
Whether you are working in detection or tracking receiving a negative from your dog is a good thing. It is the dogs way to tell you they lost scent or no scent in an area. That is what they are suppose to do. They are communicating with you.
In detection it is how they tell you there is nothing in an area, it is clear of source.
In tracking there is no more scent or a depleted amount of source in one area.
What can be negative in these situations is the handler's response to the negative.
First, did the handler see it, or do they know what it looks like? Can they read their dog? If you do not know what your dog is telling you how can you respond to it?
Second, does the handler trust it? You must trust it to respond to it in a way that moves the search forward. For example, working detection searching a room. Your dog goes into a corner sniffs around thoroughly and leaves it moving forward to the next area. Do you trust there is nothing in that corner? Many times I see a handler take the dog back in that area and overwork it till the dog reacts by sitting- which the handler takes as an indication or final response. Instead of what I see it as- the dog trying to give the handler what they want. In the dog's head they are thinking there is nothing here, but if you really want me to sit ok I will. Yes, for you more experienced handlers there are times you head back to search the corner, yet your experience and trust in your dog lead you there, not your not trusting the dog they will sniff source and leave it without a final response.
Then last is the handler's frustration with a negative. How many people in tracking have I coached through an intersection where the dog keeps giving negatives on all directions? Many, all of you trackers. And some, handlers became very frustrated. This of course goes straight down the line to the dog. I say celebrate that negative. The dog is trying to find the direction with the most scent, the trail. Respond to them by working with them, breathe, no room for frustration. The dog is doing what we have asked them to do- find the trail, stick to the most scent.
Yes, I celebrate the negatives, because the dog is communicating with me, just like they do when they are pulling me down a trail saying "I am on follow me!"
A negative is not a bad thing. It does not mean the dog will not find source or complete a trail. Not being able to read a negative, or trusting it, or getting frustrated can be the bad when receiving a negative from your dog.
We are training the dogs to find the most odor and stick with it. We are training you to trust what your dog can do, learn to read your dog, respond to what you read, and leave the frustration behind.
Remember, a negative is not so negative.
