Reading False Indications

Classify the false indication before you respond. The fix differs by type.

Saturday, 25 July 2026 · 11:00 EEST (10:00 CEST · 09:00 BST)
90 minutes · English · Live + recording included

Curated event, apply-first. Approved applicants receive an invitation to register. Hosted by Vadim Likholetov — see the home page.

A false indication is a diagnosis, not a verdict. Most handlers see the dog indicate where there’s nothing, decide the dog is lying, and answer with a correction.

But “false indication” covers three different failures, and they don’t share a fix. The dog can indicate where there is no target odor. The dog can indicate a real odor that isn’t the target. Or the dog can give a true indication that you judge false — because the area was contaminated and the error is yours, not the dog’s.

Name the type first. The response follows from the type.

This webinar gives you the framework to classify on your own dog.

The three types

INo target odor. The dog indicates where the target odor isn't present. Drivers: overshadowing, handling, motivation.
IIWrong odor. The dog indicates a real odor that isn't the target — contact, similar, or animal odor; failure to localize the source.
IIITrue, scored false. The dog is right and you mark it wrong — forgotten hides, contaminated objects, the human factor.

What you’ll get

Type I — indication with no target odor. The three drivers: overshadowing (the dog reads the object or the context, not the odor), handling (your control or pressure becomes the cue), and motivation (stress and a long blank search push the dog to offer something). How to tell them apart and what each one needs.
Type II — indication of the wrong odor. Contact odor, similar odor, animal odor left by a previous dog; failure to localize the source; weak scent discrimination. Why rewarding an odor mixture when you’re unsure builds this in — and how lineup maintenance and randomized reward take it back out.
Type III — a true indication you scored as false. Forgotten hides, contaminated target objects, hands that placed without gloves. The human factor. Most “the dog is unreliable” cases live here.
The diagnosis, walked live on registrants’ cases. You bring the false indication; we classify it as a group and pick the response by type — wait it out, retrain discrimination, fix area management, or apply pressure.

Who this is for

Operational SAR handlers fighting false indications in detection or tracking
Instructors and helpers who train and assess other people’s dogs
Sport SAR (IPO-R / IRO) competitors whose dog indicates where the judge sees nothing

Who this is not for

Pet-dog owners with no SAR or sport context
Total beginners — you should already have a dog working scent in some form

Format and price

Format	Live webinar on bbb.workingdog.fi (self-hosted BigBlueButton) · 90 minutes · English
Date	Saturday 25 July 2026, 11:00 EEST (10:00 CEST · 09:00 BST)
Recording	Included free, posted within 7 days. Watch live or watch the recording — your choice.
Price	€25 flat. Same price for everyone, no early-bird, no discount codes.
Refund	All sales final — the recording covers a missed live session.

How it works

Fill the questionnaire. Apply via the form below.
Vadim reviews your application within 3 working days.
If approved, you receive an invitation email with a payment link.
Complete payment to confirm your seat. Join link follows by email.
Join live on 25 July, or watch the recording in the week after.

Curated event. Not all applications are approved. Targeted at handlers and instructors with an active SAR or sport SAR dog. Apply with a real false-indication problem and you’ll most likely get a seat.

FAQ

I can’t watch live. When do I get the recording?: Within 7 days of the session, sent to the email on your application. Once it’s sent it’s yours — no expiry.
Can my training partner watch with me?: One application per handler. If you want a partner in the room, have them apply too — applications from the same club are welcome and reviewed together.
I’m not sure which type my problem is. Should I apply?: Yes. “Not sure which type” is exactly the audience — classifying it is the work of the session. Note it on the application.
Why apply-first instead of just selling tickets?: The case you describe goes into the live diagnosis bank. Curating the room means the cases worked through during the session map to dogs in the audience — useful for everyone, not just the asker.

Apply for a seat

10 questions, ~3 minutes. The case you describe goes directly into the live diagnosis bank.

Open application form

Privacy

Your application data — name, email, dog and training context, country — is used only to review your application, deliver event materials, and contact you about the live event and recording. Not shared with third parties. Not used for ads. You can request deletion any time at vadikas@workingdog.fi.

If we have to cancel

If the event is rescheduled for any reason, paid attendees keep their seat at the new date. Recording delivery commitment carries to the new date. If the event is cancelled outright (no reschedule possible), you receive the recording of an equivalent session — live or pre-recorded — instead.