Greetings ,

Welcome to the January Issue of The Chiron Briefing

As we step into a new year, I hope you and your canine partners are energized for the opportunities ahead. December was a productive month at Chiron K9, with substantial progress made on the new workbook, The Detection of Buried Targets by Canines: Methods, Skills & Training Protocols (working title). This upcoming resource is shaping up to be a comprehensive guide for handlers and trainers who want to deepen their understanding of subsurface detection work.

January is already off to a strong start. We are instructing at the U.S. War Dogs Association Working Seminar. This event brings together an exceptional community of canine professionals and showcases the very best in working dog capability, education, and collaboration.

The New Year brings with it new challenges, new innovations, and, importantly, new opportunities to advance detection dog capability. We have an exciting slate of projects underway—spanning research, fieldwork, and operational development—as well as a global lineup of workshops throughout 2026. I’m looking forward to connecting with many of you in person as we continue to build skills, share knowledge, and strengthen our international detection dog community.

Wishing you and your dogs a successful, rewarding, and enjoyable start to the year. Here’s to making 2026 a year of progress, curiosity, and great training.

-Paul Bunker and the Chiron K9 team

Texas Tech University’s Canine Detection Odor Randomizer

One ongoing challenge in detection dog training is avoiding unconscious patterning by handlers, trainers, and even well-intentioned training plans. To address this, the Texas Tech University Canine Olfaction Lab has developed a free, online Odor Randomizer tool that I regularly recommend and teach during workshops.

This tool allows trainers to randomize odor placement across multiple trials and systematically search positions, control target odor prevalence, and introduce weighted probabilities for different odors. By doing so, it helps create training scenarios that are more robust, defensible, and resistant to expectancy bias.

The Odor Randomizer is particularly valuable for:

Detection training and proofing

Research and validation exercises

Blind and double-blind setups

Standardizing training plans across teams

Supporting evidence-based training protocols

Best of all, it’s open-access and easy to use, making it a practical resource for both operational teams and researchers.

You can access the tool here:
https://grand-unlined-craft.anvil.app/

Tools like this move our community forward by encouraging better experimental discipline, cleaner training data, and more reliable canine performance—and I’m pleased to see them made freely available to the detection dog community.

Why We Choose the OutFox Canine Headgear

A couple of years ago, we trialed the OutFox Field Guard and were genuinely impressed by the product. It’s a clever, practical solution for any canine in challenging environments. While deployed in Wyoming, Poppy, the English Springer Spaniel, got a grass seed in her ear. I had her taken to a veterinarian within 24 hours, but the damage was done, and the seed had perforated her eardrum. Luckily, the vet was able to remove the seed, and she recovered fully. But as you can imagine, an expensive lesson! We have a problem in the brush areas of Texas that mean grass seeds and **** can find their way into the canines ears. So we trialed the OutFox Field Guard with several of our canines, and I was impressed. 

What stands out:

• The design is innovative: the Field Guard protects a dog’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth from hazards like foxtails, barbed grass seeds, and other dangerous debris — a real plus for dogs that spend time in the field. 
• The canines accepted the OutFox easily and continued their normal detection behaviours without hindrance. There was no pawing at the OutFox, which I expected to happen. 
• The canines were still able to search effectively, detect, and respond to target odors with no detriment to their standards. 
• In terms of value, having had one canine at the vets due to grass seeds, it's worth every penny and every worry, vet visit, or injury it can prevent during deployments. 
• Folds small and easy to carry in a deployment backpack.

Overall impression: The OutFox Field Guard stands out as a thoughtful, effective, and dog-friendly protective solution. It demonstrates how innovative design can dramatically improve a canine’s safety in the field. 

The Detection Dog Lab

Foundational + advanced detection lessons

Research-based discussions

Training protocols & real-world case studies

Exclusive content and educational videos

Live meetups, Q&A sessions, and virtual coffee hours

A member map to connect with local handlers and build training groups

Join us today and become part of a global detection dog network!

The Detection Dog Lab - Join Here

A recent study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science evaluated whether marker training—using a conditioned signal, such as a clicker, to indicate a correct response—improves the learning and performance of detection dogs compared with traditional reward-only training. Marker training bridges the gap between the moment a dog performs a correct behavior and when it receives the primary reward, providing immediate feedback that strengthens learning.

In the experiment, 28 detection dogs were divided into two groups: one trained with a clicker marker and the other trained with only primary rewards (a ball). Dogs trained with the marker learned the odor discrimination task in fewer trials, showed more precise alert behavior, and demonstrated greater resistance to extinction when rewards were withheld. They also maintained better alert focus during search tasks.

The findings suggest that conditioned markers can enhance the efficiency and accuracy of detection dog training by strengthening the association between the target odor and reward.

Ultimately, it aligns the timing of reward delivery and ensures clear communication about the required criteria during training.   

HERE

Force-Free Gundog Training: The Fundamentals for Success - Jo Laurens

As a long-time detection and conservation dog trainer, I found Force-Free Gundog Training: The Fundamentals for Success by Jo Laurens to be one of the most thoughtful, practical, and ethically grounded training guides I’ve read. What stands out immediately is how closely the author’s philosophy mirrors mine — emphasizing trust, positive reinforcement, patience, and partnership rather than compulsion or force.

This book offers clear, step-by-step guidance on foundational training skills: odor imprinting, steady recall, steady holds, controlled searches, and progressive exposure to distractions. Each section is logically organized and easy to follow — whether you’re working with a retrieving breed or a scent-work dog. For anyone working in conservation, environmental detection, or wildlife tracking, the principles translate seamlessly. The emphasis on consistency, reinforcement timing, and handler awareness helps build dogs that are reliable, motivated, and resilient — not just conditioned to respond to intimidation or pressure.

I especially appreciated how Laurens addresses long-term welfare and motivation: the book encourages building a strong handler-dog bond, and fosters dogs that want to work not because they’re forced to, but because they love the work. This mindset is vital for conservation detection work, where deployments can be long, repetitive, and emotionally demanding.

Overall, Force-Free Gundog Training is more than a gundog manual — it’s a training philosophy grounded in respect, science, and practicality. I highly recommend it to anyone training dogs for conservation, detection, fieldwork, or recreational use. It reinforces what I already practise, and offers valuable insights that can elevate any dog-and-handler team’s performance and welfare.

Looking to advance your skills in detection dog training and handling? Chiron K9 provides tailored mentoring (virtual and in-person), practical workshops, and expert conference presentations worldwide. Whether you’re seeking one-on-one guidance or group learning opportunities, our programs are designed to help you grow with evidence-based practices and real-world experience.

Thank you for reading this issue of The Chiron Briefing. If you enjoyed it, feel free to share it, forward it, or send me suggestions for future topics. Until next month—train well and take care.

Paul Bunker & the Chiron K9 team