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Don’t Train HD Until Your Dog Is Solid On Foundational Odors, Right? Handler Discrimination (HD) in AKC Scentwork and UKC Nosework is often considered an advanced, highly challenging discipline. Dogs can struggle with the nuances of human scent, leading to inconsistent alerts and handler frustration. What if I told you that by focusing on one simple, often overlooked factor – the “stink” – you can unlock your dog’s HD potential from a surprisingly young age, even when others find it incredibly challenging? Conventional wisdom suggests Handler Discrimination (HD) is an advanced discipline, often introduced later in a dog’s training due to the complexity of human scent. But with my young pup, Iliza, I started HD at just 8 weeks old.