Nosework (4/11)

Tonight was all about corners.  Joyce set up two tables diagonally and about 8 feet from the walls.  The usual desk is still against the far wall.  (tables/desk purple rectangles)  The funny looking "x" shaped thing is an expen folded to free stand with a container on top (to mimic a table).  The blue rectangle is where we all sit to observe.  The grey and green squares are chairs.  The red is the door we enter through with the dogs.

Our first three searches... it started with odor on a chair in the upper right corner under the table (grey).  After that we moved the our dogs to the door area while the chair was moved to the upper left table.  Then for the third search as we moved over by the door, Joyce moved the odor chair to the expen contraption.

Our job was to observe the dogs and see if they went into the corners or if they rounded corners.  Keep in mind that corners are more than just the four corners of the room, they can also be formed by furniture and other things.  Gimme is pretty good about getting into the corners and checking out the walls.  She found all three hides pretty fast.  And I might add, was very pleased to get Grandma's leftover meatloaf for her reward.

For our second search, Joyce moved the odor off the chair and put odor out in two places -- on the expen contraption and on a rolling mop bucket.  She also moved two chairs close to the corners - about 3 feet from each wall.  Our goal, while the dog was searching was to see what we could do with our own movement, to encourage our dog to go into the corner behind the chair.  This doesn't mean that we walk into the corner.  Instead you use your movement as slight pressure or to draw the dog with parallel movement.

Of course, I didn't have to do any of that, since Gimme checked out the corners on her own.  She also found both hides so quickly that it was like we didn't get our money's worth.

I'd left her harness on her, thinking there might be another hide and then forgot to take it off her for the drive home.  Gimme knows her harness means searching and she yodeled her objections all the way home.  So while she was outside, I set up a corner hide in my bedroom's walk-in closet.

I thought it was a very hard spot to get to and would give her a nice challenge to solve.  Right!  Took her all of five seconds to find it and indicate it.  I guess she has a very different idea of challenge than I do.

BTW we have signed up for a special Master Vehicle seminar in March with Josh McCorkle.  I've met him as a judge at both matches and trials (he was one of the two for that recent NW3 trial).  They guy is very nice and thinks the world of Gimme and her attitude.  His other qualifications are that he has been a law enforcement officer since 1998 and an explosives detection K9 handler since 2004.  Josh and his K9 partners have specialized in vehicle searches for 9 years at the WA State Ferry terminals, looking for explosives in many thousands of vehicles over the years.  I'm pretty excited - should be a LOT of fun and very informative.