Vehicle 1 search video - There were no hides in the first search and the area included all of the van and the front bumper and far side of the big truck. Then we were to move onto the adjacent exterior area for a recovery hide. I was vaguely vehicle shaped so we were to handle it as if it was a vehicle. Gimme spends just over a minute on the two vehicles, then finds the recovery hide in sixteen seconds. Confirming a point Dorothy often makes - if odor is there, they'll zero in on it pretty fast.
Vehicle 2 search video - This time there were hides on the vehicles. Note how quickly Gimme stops herself for the hide, unlike zooming by it during the first search. Also watch how Gimme goes by the second hide and back toward the van then is catching the scent from the truck bumper. There was a small breeze, partially blocked by the van. From the way Gimme acted, I think it might have created an eddy where it came under the van toward the truck bumper. Interesting. She spent as much time finding two hides and being rewarded as she did eliminating the blank search area from consideration. It took her 30 seconds to find the hide in the second area. It had been moved, the breeze was different, and she spent time on lingering odor from the prior search.
 |
| Front Seam - Driver's side |
These two pictures show where the hide is for the last search. The hide was in the vehicle's door seams, placed by opening the door and putting the hide inside, right next to the seam - so the dog was only getting the odor where it drifted through. Needless to say I had to be very fast to keep Gimme from pawing on the paint job.
 |
| Rear Seam - Passenger's side |
Vehicle 3 search video - Note how Gimme's expectations keep drawing her to the wheel wells. I paid her really early on the first hide. The second hide not as early, but still earlier than usual. Then we went back to the first hide again and I let her get closer to source. It was somewhat stressful for me to have her searching for hides in the painted part of the car. Whew! After the car we did the recovery hides again, but because the camera battery died, it wasn't captured on video.
That's the one thing I really don't like about the new camera. The battery actually has to be removed from the camera and placed in a charger, which then gets plugged in. I preferred being able to just have a cable from the camera run to a USB port on the computer for recharging. I may have to look into getting a backup battery I can keep in the car.
Tomorrow we are entered in Rally Novice at the Puget Sound Dalmatian Club specialty. Gimme has one leg and this show is really small, especially early when the performance classes are running. I haven't done Rally in many years (Gimme got her first leg August 2011). This is a perfect chance to get a leg and hopefully then another next year to complete the title. Cross your fingers. Today I learned there is a Rally Intermediate class following the Parkour class I teach on Thursday. As an instructor, I get a big break in the cost. So I may attend that class and maybe we can someday get the next level Rally title, if we can find enough really small shows.
This Saturday and Sunday we'll be at a UKC Nosework trial. With luck we'll get the Novice Vehicle leg we're missing, which will net us two new titles. You know how much I love gathering letters to add to Gimme's name.
No comments:
Post a Comment