Last week we were supposed to have nosework class earlier so everyone could get started on their Thanksgiving weekend. Joyce got held up in traffic, even after allowing an extra hour, she was still an hour late. The three of us that stayed got a free practice for our dedication.
Gimme did very well. Joyce is giving her some level 2 challenges and for the most part she does very well. Gimme is certainly bold and confident and doesn't have any problem pushing in. I however, may have to get better at reading her, since on some inaccessible hides, she won't be able to indicate source by pawing.
There was one hide that was inaccessible and she went back to it several times before giving up. I'm just so used to her pushing in where no other dog would, but in this case the odor was weak as well. Joyce pointed that out and that I should ask permission to move some stuff, which I then did. By then Gimme was giving me the proverbial middle toenail, so I had to persuade her to come back and check it again. So I will need to start setting up some inaccessible hides for her and then really rewarding her in a very special way when she pushes to get to them.
This coming Saturday is our Anise ORT in Ridgefield. Cross any body parts you can spare that she does well. Fortunately the ORTs are all patterned the same, as a simple box-container drill. So I just have to do my job right and chances are very good that Gimme will do hers.
I spent Wednesday night through Friday morning at my parents' house and was able to help Mom with some last minute preparations Thursday morning. Then did the bone picking for Dad's homemade chicken and noodles. Rhonda was helping him and Mom suggested that I see if she would like me to get the bones picked. That worked great since she'd been up all night making homemade rolls for our family of 50 people. Rhonda got a late start on the rolls because she spent all day Wednesday helping Dad make the noodles.
After that I went out to the motor home and spent over an hour cutting up cucumbers, carrots, celery, zucchini, red bell peppers, broccoli and romaine to make salad for 50 people. I get the same job every year because I still make the best salad in the family.
Gimme was so funny. She spent the whole time sitting on the other bench seat across the table from me. In this situation, Gimme has a very clear concept of what is hers and what is not. If a piece I cut was 1) misshapen, 2) dropped and missed the individual bowl, landing on the table, or 3) dropped and rolled off the table to the floor - it belonged to Gimme. The ones that hit the floor, she jumped down and snatched up herself, before getting back in her seat.
Otherwise she sat across from me very patiently watching and waiting. If criteria 1 or 2 was met and I failed to deliver, she would lift up one paw and place it on the edge of the table in the most ladylike reminder. She never stood up, put two paws on the table or tried to help herself. She just put that paw up as if to remind me, saying, "Uh excuse me, I believe that is supposed to be mine." She was so cute and so proper, that I finally set out a plate to put her pieces on.
I have no idea where this comes from. Its not even remotely like anything we've ever done before. Next year I'm getting a picture.
BTW for those who know of my auto-woes... I have purchased a nice Ford Taurus wagon, which my crate just fits into. It is two years and 46,000 miles younger than my Saturn was and costs right at what I got for the settlement. I'll be picking it up Wednesday night. We'll be doing our first road trip on Saturday for the ORT.
OBTW since I started writing this - got a call from a person I know from eons ago in dog training. She's injured her back and is entered for the ORT and wants to know if I'll handle her dog. So I may be handling Gimme and a german shepherd. Hopefully she can drop in on nosework class Wednesday night and we can get together probably on Thursday for a practice. The dog sounds like she might be almost as much fun as Gimme, almost.
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