How to make your own odor-impregnated Getxent tubes

Creating your own impregnated Getxent tubes is easy, cost-effective, and customizable to the specific training needs of your detection dogs. Follow these simple steps to get started!

What you’ll need

• Blank Getxent Tubes
• Gloves 
• Sealed container for impregnation
• Getxent glass vials for storage
  
• Metal tweezers
• Real target material
• (Stainless steel wire - US CH/DE FR IT BE)

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prepare your workspace

• Work in a clean, scent-free area to avoid cross-contamination.
• Put on gloves

Tips: use powder-free nitrile gloves + polyethylene gloves for an extra layer of protection against contamination.

Step 2: Choose your container for impregnation

Select a container that is odor-free, airtight, and with the smallest possible volume that can fit both the odor source and tubes.

Examples of setup:

1. Double containment small glass jar inside a bigger one: have a look on the video
2. Glass jar with metal wires to suspend tubes above the odor source
3. Impregnation kit with TADDs have a look on the video

Tips:

• Use glass and metal containers without rubber or plastic seals avoiding unwanted odors from the container.
• Clean metal wire with paper towel and ethanol and let dry before use
• TADDs and glass jars have their own odor, so don’t forget to offset this odor during the dog training.

Step 3: Place the target material in a sealed container

• Put the target material in your container for impregnation
• Place the blank Getxent tubes in the same container

Tips: While direct contact with the target material is safe, keeping the tube separate maximizes its absorption surface. If the tube touches the target, simply extend the impregnation time to achieve the same result.

Step 4: Wait for the impregnation to complete

• Leave the container sealed for your desired amount of time: see our recommendation below
• The tubes will absorb the odor passively  through air

Tips: increasing impregnation duration will increase the concentration of odor in Getxent tube

Step 5: Store your Getxent tubes

• Once the tubes are impregnated, remove them from the container using tweezers to avoid contamination.
• Store the tubes in Getxent glass vials, properly labeled with the odor type and the duration of impregnation

Tips:

• Store each tube individually with its own reference, so you can easily track the duration of use during training.
• Getxent vials are cleaned to be odorless

Ready to train!

• Use the impregnated tubes during training sessions to reinforce your dog’s detection skills.
• Replace tubes once it reaches a duration of use equivalent to the duration of impregnation

Tips: use several impregnated Getxent tubes per hide, if you want to increase the odor concentration. 

Remember:

• 1 hour of impregnation equals 1 hour of continuous use.
• 48 hours of impregnation means your tube will release odor for up to 48 training sessions of 1 hour each.

Troubleshooting tips

Odor seems too weak?

Try leaving the tubes for a longer time in the impregnation container or use several Getxent tubes per hide. 

Need different odors?

• You can prepare multiple sets of tubes with different odors. Just make sure they are clearly labeled and stored separately.
• Use one setup for each odor and It can be reused for new blank tubes.

Impregnation duration

The impregnation duration depends on:

• The setting used for impregnation
• The concentration of odor required for your training

General case

In general, it follows the rule of thumb:

Getxent tube odor concentration = impregnation duration (days) x target odor concentration

Recommendation to start