Page 42 - BRAVO-3 | ISSUE 2 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

WhenIfirstbegantoseriouslydoubtmydogsabilitytofolowtrailsinexcessof24hoursIlookedattesting modelsusedbyscientistsandoneofthemostbasicisthe“doubleblind”test.Thisiswherethetesterdoes notknow thesourceoroutcomeorinthecaseoftrailing,thetrailortraillayerlocation.AtthetimeIfirst thoughtofthis,roughly2000,Iwasconvincedmydogcouldruntrailsinexcessof24hourswithease.When ItookmyfirstdoubleblindtestIdiscoveredthatmydogwasviableathisbestoutto12hours,butthiswas rare.AsIprogressedwithmytesting,IfoundthattheaveragedogItrainedwithrarelyfolowedtrailsin
of4hoursreliably.ThiswasasmackinthefaceandIrealywasforcedtocontemplatemyworkup tothatpoint.Moreimportantly,IhadtoadmitthatwhatIhadbeendoingwasprobablynotcorect.This introspectionwasextremelydificultandImustadmitthatmyfirstthoughtwastoignoretheobvioustruthand continuetoworkthewayIalwayshad.Iwasafraidtoadmitthetruthandfacearealitythatcoulddestroythe foundationofseveralyearsofwork.IwasnotsureifIcouldhandletheembarassment.Wel,Ibitthebulet andchangedmytune.Moreimportantly,Ibegantotrainandtestdoubleblindroutinely.WhatIdiscovered
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. Thereisnothingmoreliberatingthangivingincompletelytothechaosofnotknowinganything.TodayInever
u s e m a rk e d tra ils a n d o n ly k n o w w h e re th e tra il la y e r w a lk e d w h e n I a m tra in in g p u p p ie s o r n e w d o g s . If th e dogmakesamistakeandgetsoftrail,itwillearnonitsowntocorectitselfandinturn,Ibecomebeterat readingit.Thismeansincompletetrailssometimesandthereisnohappyending.Isthisnottherealworld anyway?Isthisnotthecasefortheyoungpredatorlearningtotrailgameforfood?Itis,andfailuremustbe apartoftraining.Ifweonlytrainforsuccessthenwearetrainingourselvestobedelusional.
B e c a u s e I tra in a n d d o u b le -b lin d te s t m y d o g s , th e y a re b e t te r n o w th a n e v e r b e fo re , a n d I a m a b e t te r handlerbecauseofthem.Ibegantospreadthewordofdoubleblindtestingandtrainingin2002andatthe time,therewererealynoconvertstobehad.Iwasapariahandscofedatinmanytrailingcircles.During thattimeframe,thereweremanytrainersandgroupsadvertisingcertificationfortrailingdogsontrailsupto tw o w e e k s in a g e . T h e a v e ra g e s e e m e d to b e 3 -7 d a y s . F a s t fo rw a rd to 2 0 1 4 a n d n o w it is d if fic u lt to fin d groupsthatcertifyfortrailsover48hoursbuttherearestilafew.Theyhavechangedabitovertheyearsdue
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thepressureofmyintroductionofdoubleblindtestingmethodstothetrailingworldsolongago.Most wouldneveradmitIwasrightbuttheygrudginglyadaptedtothepressure.Stil,themeasureofalmostalof thehandlersandtrainers’abilitieswasagedtrails.24hoursstilseemstobeabartorisetoinorderto maintaincredibility.Theinterestingthingisthatnoneofthesehandlersortrainerscouldrealypassadouble blind 24-hour-old testifthey had to do itpublical ly and withoutcontrol ling any ofthe testing factors themselves.Theonlywaytheycanseltheirtrainingstyleisbyadvertisingtheycandosomethingothers
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tdo.Theyaregiventhelabelofforwardthinkersorpeoplewhotrainoutsidethebox.Thisisnotrealy thecaseatalandanyonerealyinterestedintheirtrueabilityneedonlysetuptheirowndoubleblindtest andhavethetrainertrytorunitwithoneoftheirowndogs.
Ihavebeenmakingthesechalengesforyears.And,tothisday,therearestilmanywhowilscream thatI am bringingsearchandrescuedown,thatIam abuly,thatIam simplytryingtoselpeopleonmyway becauseIdon’thavetheabilitytodowhatthesetrailingwizardscando,etc.,etc.Theinterestingthingisthat tothisdaynotasinglepersonwhomockedmehascomeuptotheplateandtestedpublicalyevenwhenI oferedtopublicalyannouncethatIwaswrongalalongandthatIwouldpaythesuccessfultrainer/handler fortheirservicesiftheypassedmytest!
So,thenextstepintheevolutionofthetrailingworldcameaboutwheneveryoneistalking“Doubleblind” or“Blind”testingandadvertisingthisonYouTubevideosandwebsites.Itseemsithasbecomeenvogueto bedoubleblind.Theproblem isthepeoplewhoaresayingtheyaretestingdoubleblindandhavingsuccess ontrailsover24hoursoldare,forthemostpart,simplydoinglipservice.Theynomoretestdoubleblindnow thantheydidbefore.Itisfareasiertolieaboutitthantochange.Afteral,therearealwayspeopleoutthere whowanttobelieveinthefantasybecauseitisapretycoolcrowdtobeinwhenitismadeupofspecial
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