To understand when your dog is distracted in their scent work searches, it is important to have a very clear idea of what that looks like in every day life.  While we watch our dogs sniff stuff everyday, it is not often that we really get close to them as they are doing it.  Check out your dog the next time they are on a walk and stop to sniff something interesting.  What does it look like when they sniff another dog’s pee?  How does this differ from when they are on odor?  It is vitally important that you are clear on these differences.  In general, dogs kind of peck more when they sniffing at distractors, however this can change dramatically in different situations.  In the first clip, Iona is smelling dog smells, in the second clip, she is crittering (lizards).  Check out the differences in her body position and head carriage.