Nosework (2/2)

We had nosework class on Wednesday night and it was great.  She did a fine job of finding the hides on the vehicle.  She's really very intent about the car and more deliberate than she is in a whole room search.  She's been tending to put her feet on the car, which isn't something they should do, so Joyce showed me how to discourage it with leash handling and without using a verbal cue.

The dogs in this group are doing so well that we were introduced to the level one odor a week early.  The way you get the dogs to find that scent is by repeatedly pairing it with the scent of food.  I love the smell of birch - who knew...  I'd love to use that smell for room freshener... but I guess that is out of the question.

Yesterday I did the second session of scent discrimination with multiple tins (not on tape).  I saw an interesting thing that I thought I'd seen in the previous session.  However, after reviewing that tape I realize it wasn't the same at all.  Gimme only brought me an unscented tin one time during the first four repetitions.  But then the fifth try, she basically brought me every tin other than the one I wanted.  I'm not sure what to make of that.  My thoughts of what it could be:

• the scenting is hard work and four tries was too much, except I don't really think she is picking them by scent yet
• maybe she was already tired when we started, since we'd gone walking on the fort
• or she was doing a bit of "are you sure you don't want this one, or this one, or..."

I know she saw me put them down, so that should have been a big clue.  I'll try it again on Sunday when she will be more rested.

We are back to walking on the Fort Lewis training areas.  They've had area 22 open and it has a nice open area where we can walk in plain view.  The bow hunting and grouse hunting season continues, but those are both hunting sports where they tend to be closer to the prey and so would see that we ain't critters.  I still plan to make Gimme and me neon-orange vests before next season.

It was fun walking out there again.  And it was clear from her behavior that Gimme finds that much more fun than the place we walk near home.  I'm sure walking on the wild side is more to her liking.