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:) When I first got Q i had a dream that i could maybe teach him to sniff out some ambergris for me....this would alllow me to retire and live off the procedes. OK it is a dream ;)
We do have professional ambergris hunters here who follow the high tides with tracker dogs and 4WD's but I doubt if they would share any information with me. :D It is their living after all. They are out at all hours and tend to be very secretive about it.
So far....Ive got Q to sniff out the stuff when placed in a little medicine bottle with holes in and putting him out in the garden whilst i hide it in the house somewhere.
With the command SEEK he will find it where ever Ive hidden it. Under cushions, sofas and in cupboards. Its a very strong smell. He gets bacon rind when he finds it which he loves.
Hiding it on the beach is different...I can put Q in a long stay and walk backwards 50 metres or so and hide the bottle with ambergris in it along the way in the sand. But Q can see where I'm putting it so that idea is not really working. Ideas on how to do this?
I'm sure we are almost halfway there :D ambergris is currently going for $25 kiwi dollars a gram :D We also walk at high tide and I often give the command SEEK just to see if he can sniff any out but no luck as yet. :D
Hi Dklock
Thanks for that...dogs can be trained to pick up any scent although im thinking that my dog is probably more of a sighthound than a scenthound. I think it depends on the day ;D But dogs can pick up trails weeks old so you never know hehe.
Well even if he doesn't become an ambergris hound, it must be fun trying! If you could find out how they train dogs to find truffles, it would probably be a similar process.
Yes ;D Its very good fun Rednails...maybe he is still a little young? We do have truffle hounds here I will go and have a google.
merry xmasmerry xmas
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Princess and Red wish a very Merry Christmas for Q, and I wish one for all.
:Dmerry xmas Rgreen, Red and Princess
Your probably want to research the sensitivity of a dobermans nostril to certain elements.
& Also police dogs are trained to seek out specific smells in controlled instructed areas. Digging something in the beach and thinking your dog can locate it doesn't make sense. He would need to track your scent to where you buried it. I dont know if he would be able to distinguish any location of a smell in such a open environment.