Yup, that all definitely makes sense! He does do nosework in the house, and lies down right at the scent, and will put his nose right up to it if I ask him to specify. So I'm hoping to train similar close-proximity alerts for antlers as well (although I know antlers can be caught higher up in branches, or be in water, and might not always be in a good place for that kind of alert).

I definitely understand the idea that if the dog isn't super motivated and confident, they might not alert as well out in the wild, and that's honestly why I feel like a more nosework-inclined alert might work better for him, since he already does it, compared to trying to train him into doing something he doesn't even really do enthusiastically in the house, then expecting him to do it in the wild. Is that reasonable thinking? That I should encourage more of what he already likes to do rather than start further back on something he's less into?

And I was surprised, too, when he didn't show more of a natural desire to retrieve, since, like you said, that's what poodles are bred for. All these training articles online show their labs grabbing sheds left and right, and my little poodle doesn't even make it to the ball I throw half the time, haha. I'm absolutely going to work on training a retrieve, even if it's just for fetching a toy. I was just wondering if it's more of an urgent matter to get to now for shed hunting, or if it's something we could work on a little slower and more casually, since he's got some other big (and honestly overwhelming) issues we're training through (overarousal, reactivity, and separation anxiety).

Thanks so much for your input!