Scent hide challenges

When placing hides to practice with your scent dog, it's very tempting to look for fun/interesting spots.  And if you are doing it for a fun, enjoyable activity for your dog there is nothing wrong with that!  But, if you are practicing for competition, it's a good idea to make sure to practice a variety of hide situations so your dog's practice is well rounded.  Some common ones include:

Threshold

If you don't practice hides that are right at the start of your search area, your dog may learn that it isn't worth it to search the first part of the area and will rush in and start searching partway into the area.

Higher hides

Practicing hides up to the height they may be in competition allows your dog to practice locating them in different situations.  You can also consider if your dog will be offering a freeze and stare from below, if they are comfortable putting their paws up on things, or if you may wish to lift them up onto tables/other surfaces to search if they are smaller.  Higher hides can be tricky, because the scent often doesn't fall straight down, which means it may be available to dogs further away from where the actual hide is.

Corners

Finding hides in corners encourages dogs to check them, and if you notice your dog tends to circle the room without checking the corners, practicing more corner hides can change that.  It's also good to make sure that you aren't inadvertently preventing your dog from fully reaching the corners of the room.

Low hides

 Hides on the floor/ground or in a crack can initially be challenging for taller dogs who don't naturally carry their nose low, and for dogs that are inclined to dig at low hides, as they risk exposing them.  Practicing these hides teaches dogs that they may be an option, and how to solve them faster.

Tight spaces

Some dogs aren't fond of pushing into tight spaces, and practicing hides in progressively smaller spaces can help them become more comfortable checking them.