My clicker trained dogs

I have three clicker trained dogs and am starting a puppy. My oldest is 9 and has titles in Agility, Rally, Herding and Canine good citizen. My next dog is a little wild woman and has titles in Rally and canine good citizen but I decided to put her in search and rescue so now she is a Cadaver dog in training.  My third dog has titles in Rally and is now in an agility class and he is also in search and rescue in scent discrimination trailing.  My puppy is going to be trained in cadaver as well.

Isaiah is 3 months old and he already has his sit, down and come on cue.  I am now working on his stay.  He has been tested on cadaver scent and appears to not be put off by the smell which means he should respond to the training.  As with my other cadaver dog I want to have a really good base of obedience with him before I actually start cadaver training.  It won't do me much good if I let him loose in a field to search for articles of cadaver if he won't come back to me.

I find it amazing when I run into people in the search and rescue field that don't clicker train or believe in clicker training.  How in the world did they ever succed in the training.

My first experience with cadaver training was in a formal class with 10 other dogs and handlers.  My dog was already clicker trained and successful at various cues.

I mentioned in class that my dog was clicker trained and the instructor said "oh I don't use a clicker on my dogs I don't think it is necessary".

At this time in the training we had not actually introduced our dogs to the cadaver scent.

We all went outside and one by one we walked our dogs past a container of cadaver scent.  The others praised their dogs when they showed any sign of curiosity to the smell. 

When I walked past it with my dog when she turned her head toward the smell I clicked and treated her. Then I was told to walk past it again and do the same which I did. 

The others did the same.  I then losened her leash and walked past the container further away to see what she would do.  She looked at the container and I did not click she then ran toward it and I clicked.  Again I withheld the click and she ran up to it.  I clicked and treated. I then had her putting her paw on it for her click.

The other dogs in the class were still being led up to the container and enticed to show interest in it.  My dog was running to it every time because she knew that was the game to get her the click and treat. 

The others in the class were amazed at the speed at which she picked up the game.  I was asked if she had ever done any scent work before and told them that she had not.  I think we made believers out of most of the other handlers in the class.