Nosework (1/23)

These searches were a return to the basics, paired-hides in open boxes.  We were told not to pay unless the dog went back to a hide they'd already done.  In the past every time we've done this, I've noticed when we went to the next stage with unpaired hides, Gimme would check them and finding no treats, would move on without indicating.  I don't like this side affect, so I asked if I "could" add more treats when she was cleaning out a paired-hide location.  I didn't bother to explain why I wanted to, since it would result in a response from the other instructor disagreeing with me. 

Container 1 video - Gimme did move off and not get my treats twice, but overall she stuck around for them and was looking at me expectantly.  This went well and was a fast search.

Container 2 video - For the first search, all the hides were on the perimeter and there was nothing in the middle of the room.  The dogs all worked the perimeter.  So this time, the hides were still on the perimeter, but stuff was added to the middle of the room to see if it changed the dogs' search behavior.  There was some checking of the middle - every dog checked the pool, where we had "pooling odor" (pun intended).  Gimme sniffed toward the bathroom, but moved on without checking it.  She's done that before, "saving" a bathroom hide for later.  In this case, she always passed the bathroom from then on.  Dorothy mentions and you can see it in the video, she starts in the bathroom and then, turns to see if I'm coming and then moves on.  Its like she got distracted by checking on me and then forgets to finish the bathroom, and thereafter thought she had done it.  When she gets the drift off the nearby chair, then she goes in and nails the bathroom hide.  I was far enough away and didn't see her stop at the bathroom threshold, so if this happened in a trial, I don't know if I would have taken her in or not.  Interesting.

Container 3 video - For this search, we were to work on leash and let the dog pick a direction, clockwise or counter-clockwise and then stick with it.  Also the hides were now unpaired.  Gimme was the only dog in class that didn't check-and-move-on as I'd noticed before, showing my approach was right.  All the other dogs check-and-move-on and it was frustrating for those dogs and their handlers to have to readdress indicating and waiting for pay.  Gimme did a really nice job with this search.  The big hubbub about the bathroom hide, which you can't see on video, is how a treat got wedged under the flaps of the box where they were folded in.  Gimme was absolutely certain we couldn't move on until she got the morsel.  Of course in a trial I would never toss treats, so this isn't an issue.  This is the second time Gimme's gotten her head stuck in a box - its a good thing she doesn't get upset about such things, eh.

BTW her false pregnancy is continuing - she's doing well overall, but is obsessed by motherhood.  She's settled on PurpleDog as her baby, but hasn't completely left her other toys out of the family.  She has about a dozen other toys that she keeps moving around to be part of the litter.  There is a pile in her bed under the computer desk, a pile on the couch and a pile on our bed.  She moves them around from time to time, but its PurpleDog she is most obsessed with.  He's the one she always has with her and takes with us when we leave the house.  She's doing well with all her walks and classes and practices, despite having all these kids she's responsible for.  When it seems most to be an issue is when we are moving back toward the car from a walk or class, then she's in a rush.  When we are driving and getting close to home, then she gets loudly fussy and wants to be home RIGHT NOW!  She carries PurpleDog in her mouth for the last five miles, races in the house and checks on all the others in their three nests and then wants to settle down close to me.