One Weekend - 3 Titles (2)

I didn't feel as confident about this title as I did about other (interiors), mostly because we haven't worked on her indication lately and while they usually don't, they can use boxes at level 2 and beyond.  Fortunately in class Tuesday, they did three container searches set up like element trials.  Gimme did really well on all her searches today.  I admit I was a little concerned to start with because she wasn't interested in the practice boxes – I think she sometimes finds them boring.  She was interested in them yesterday, but this was the second day and she'd already seen them there.

In any case, this success made Gimme the first Dalmatian to achieve a Level 2 element title and the first to achieve a Level 2 Container element title.  

Sunday – Container Level 2 

Container Search 1 – This search was a dozen large pieces of luggage in a grassy area, with four picnic tables, the bags where snugged up to the picnic tables.  There were 2 hides and Gimme did a good job of finding them quickly.  I was ready to leave and noticed the timer was still holding the stopwatch up in still-timing pose, which reminded me to say "finish". (yeah me)

Container Search 2 – This search was a dozen medium size bags in a smallish office area, with various chairs, filing cabinets and bookcases.   The bags were around the edge of the room with just one hide.  We had the option of doing this search off leash, but I didn't, because I didn't know what the search area would be like until they opened the door (remember we don't get any walk-through at element trials).  This would have been okay to do off leash, but she found odor so quickly there was no reason to take her off once we started.  Gimme located it pretty quickly.  Again I noticed the still-timing pose and remembered to say "finish".

Container Search 3 – There were 15 identical black bags with blue trim, laid out in a conference room – with 3 odors.  I knew we were in big trouble from the startline.  Gimme was practically hovering at seeing this search, she could have glowed in the dark.  Her search style was barely contained mayhem.  She interacted roughly with almost every bag.  She was pawing and scratching excessively at both odor and distraction bags.  I remembered to keep moving around her when she stopped at a bag, which is how I knew when it was odor vs. distraction (she won't leave odor).  She found two hides on her own.  Then I looped her around the room once more and she kept going back to hides she'd already found, so I took charge of the search.  I started walking the bags, cuing "check-it" at each bag and just past halfway around she settled on one.  Seeing the still-timing pose, I said "finish".  I was certain we'd be faulted and was glad to know you can only receive one fault of the same type in a search.  I said to the judge, "I assume you faulted her for the aggressive indication".  She said no, and said she'd explain after the fourth search.

Container Search 4 – This was a very small room, about the size of a walk-in closet, with 8 plastic shoeboxes on the floor, full of pens, pencils, crayons and the like.  Gimme stopped at one box, but didn't indicate, so I started moving her toward the end of the room.  She decided on her own not to bother checking the room and went back to indicate the one she'd shown interest in.  In a room so small its pretty clear when there is only one odor source and she was very definite in her indication.  Again I remembered to say "finish".

The judge explained she would have faulted us if she saw that kind of rough indication in an interior search, but not on bags.  She was entirely too generous.  I certainly would have assessed a fault no matter what element it was.  Gimme was pretty close to out of control.  Fortunately I don't usually see rough indications in other elements, so I wasn't worried about the afternoon trial.  Then again, as Gimme's reaction to the field of identical bags showed, one never knows with my wild little Demolition Gimme.