- Marker training (clicker) - For training the skills on this list!
- Some sort of indication behavior - a nose freeze is my current go-to
- Stay or wait, on a platform or not - for doing skills reps, the dog can wait on the platform while the handler rearranges the search. Also good for posing in front of all those ribbons and awards.
- Work with food in the handler's hand - this makes it quicker to reward, and trains the dog to ignore distractions in a search
- Work with a toy in the handler's hand - same as #4
- Play with a toy (all the way back to the car) - stress relief, prevents the dog from delaying finding hides because they don't want to go back to the car.
- Look! - For checking areas in the search that may have been missed
- This Way! - For calling your dog back into a search area
- Name (means turn to me) - I only use the dog's name if "This way!" isn't working, but it's really useful in real life
- "Good" - wait while a treat is brought to you, for rewarding at source and for rewarding stays in position
