Which phase is described as the moment the dog pins down the exact odor source?

• A. Search
• B. Indicate
• C. Reward
• D. Alert

Answer: (B)

When a scent-detection dog works, the process moves from sweeping an area to pinpointing the exact source of the odor. The moment the dog pins down that source is the indicate phase. At this point the dog uses a trained, specific signal—such as stopping at the exact item or placing a paw or nose on it—to show the handler precisely which object or location is emitting the odor. This is more precise than merely signaling that odor is present somewhere in the area, which is what the alert phase would convey. The indicate moment provides a clear, actionable target for the team to focus on and usually leads into the reward phase, where the dog is reinforced for correctly identifying the source. The initial search is the broad sweep that gets the dog to the vicinity, and the reward reinforces the successful pinpointing once the source is identified.