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: if possible, the tubes should NOT touch the target material directly for maximizing the tube performance

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