As you approach the scent pad make sure you come to the spot where you started baiting the tail. Take a couple of pieces of food and drop them on the ground in front of the dog (and in the footsteps you have already laid). The dog will put his nose to the ground and search for the food. Begin walking with him. Stay right at his side. As he eats the food of the ground you may encourage him with a "Good, boy" or "So ist brav", but do not use the command you will be using for tracking, such as "such".
As you approach the pad allow the dog to move forward on his own. Do not enter the box yourself. Allow him to work the area for the food without influence from you. Let the leash go loose if he is working. Praise occassionally. Now you may also include the search command with the praise, eg. "good such" because he is doing what we want (so you are creating an association, not commanding the dog to do something he doesn't understand and may not do). You may change your posisiton but do not allow the dog to wander more than a foot or so out of the box. Do not yank him back into the box. What should happen is that if he wanders out he will quickly learn that there is no food out there and return on his own - which is exactly what we want. When he has gotten most or all of the food you may praise him and lead him away (not back toward the tail).
For about two weeks this is the only place (at the pad) the dog eats.
After two or three days, you may begin to gently pull on the leash with a constant pressure so that the dog pulls against you to stay with the food. When he shows opposition reflex (pulling in toward the food) release the pressure and let him work. Repeat five or six times per session, with the dog always being successful. Over time you may increase this tension so the dog must pull harder to stay on the pad and get his food. At the same time you will begin to see that the dog gets better at demarcating the scented area (the pad) from non-scented areas (everything else except the tail)-- because that's where the food is, i.e., he discovers this association during the repetition and consistency you provide. Your efforts to pull him away should always be met with his successfully staying in the scented area unless he shows disinterest in the food or is easily distracted and is not really focused on his job. If this happens, and it might, depending on his food drive, he doesn't get any other food that day and has to wait until his next outing. Always give plenty of water, regardless of the scent pad work.
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