Nosework (4/1)

We got in two short training sessions between my accounts.  The first one was behind Shopko and when I went out to get her, I didn't realize the big 18-wheeler had just pulled in.  So sure enough, just as we walked by (about 40 feet away), he released his air brakes and Gimme and I were both startled by the loud hiss.  Her bounce back was nearly instantaneous (probably 1 second).  Gotta love that!  He released the air three more times while we were working there, the second time she looked, third time flicked an ear and fourth time no detectable notice.

In that and the next session we were working on Gimme's understanding of heel.  For awhile now I've been unable to convince her that we can take more than two steps of heeling  (we used to be able to go quite a distance).  We've also developed a problem of her popping up out of her sit the instant after the click.  It FINALLY occurred to me that I'm doing all the clicking on the halt/sit, so she doesn't see the value in heeling itself.  And of course, I knew the answer for the sitting was rapid fire clicking/treating before she can get up out of that sit, I just needed to do it. 

So our first little session started with the rapid fire and she very quickly figured out to stay planted.  Then I ended that session with clicking for the moving part of heeling.  Seemed to be going beautifully.  You can imagine my surprise when I came out after my second account to discover Gimme had since decided that there was no automatic sit with halt.  You can just never be sure if what you taught them is what they learned, eh.  At first I thought I just didn't have her attention, but then realized she was stopping with a stand in perfect heel position and just waiting for me to get on with the business of moving.  So I had to go back to cuing the sits each time and within 4 treats they were coming automatic again.  Then went on with clicking the halt/sit and moving randomly. 

Again, it seemed to be going beautifully.  Ya gotta wonder what she's gonna think up for tomorrow.  I sure wish I had a better resource locally for obedience instead of having to figure this out by myself each time.  Ursula says Gimme is the kind of dog who will require me to become a better trainer.

In nosework class tonight, Gimme was back to her usual focused self (the instructor even commented on it).  She did a great job.  All the dogs are progressing so nicely.  Our buddy Grafton is getting more confidence all the time about poking his nose into things; he's more methodical than Gimme.  The blind dog is gaining more confidence and drive all the time.  We had an interesting discussion about things her person could do to help her be safer, especially with her faster and more persistent searching.

Tonight the instructor introduced hides that weren't all in boxes and a threshold hide right inside the door.  That hide was in a box, but most of the others were in weird places.  On the leg of a room divider, on the leg of a chair knocked over on its side, on the under seat support of another chair on its side, on the wheel base of a mop bucket, on the base of a cone and on a 2x4 nailed about 3 feet up on the wall. 

It took each of the dogs a minute or so to realize they should check out something besides just boxes.  But once they did it was interesting to watch them light up as they discovered new possibilities.  The 2x4 on the wall was the last challenge and it was interesting to see how each dog worked through it.  Gimme got it fairly quickly once she slowed down enough in that area to catch the scent.  Can't help but think her recent find of a 2.5 pound roast on the counter gave her an edge. 

I've started introducing her nosework search cue "where-zit".  I wanted it to be distinctly different from the cue I've used in tracking, which is "track-on".  She also wears a different color of harness; blue for nosework and pink for tracking.  We've already committed to another six weeks of classes and were told tonight to expect to start vehicle searches on the second night of that six weeks.  There is an ORT after the first of the year and a nosework test relatively close to us in June of next year.

Nosework is loads of fun and I highly recommend it to anyone who can find a decent instructor.  I've been going early and watching about half of the class before us.  Gimme wants me to add that she recommends it too.