Our prior class was the night before Halloween, so as is tradition, we searched in the dark. I do find I pay more attention to the noises she makes.
Interior 1, Search in the Dark video - It's pretty fun to "watch" the dogs. There is a little light in the room, but mostly you can only see glow sticks. There are a lot of glow sticks on the floor and the handlers and dogs all wear them.
Interior 2, Search in the Dark video - Dorothy moved all the hides. During this search Gimme started going faster and she bumps into the table supports twice. She does a good job finding the hides.
Interior 3, Search in the Dark video - This time Dorothy moved all three hides close together, creating a complex converging odor search. The other two searches were about 2 minutes each. This search, which was much more difficult, she solved in 45 seconds.
This week in class, we were back to the short line handling stuff. As I've said, I don't like it. I don't think it's a good technique for us. Now that the class has split into two groups, I'm in the earlier group and the other three dogs are steady and/or moderate speed dogs and it works better for them.
Gimme moves fast and changes direction unpredictably, with no hint whether she's just turning or reversing course (often right into me). This means I'm stutter stepping all over. Even using a longer line than Dorothy thinks is right, I'm still moving awkwardly to stay out of her way. I find it noisy and I can't help but think it must be distracting for Gimme. Normally we are supposed to avoid distracting the dogs, so this doesn't make sense. Note the difference in how I move about in the first two searches versus how I move in the last search (off leash).
I've done two things to make this sort of work for us (until the instructors move on to another topic). I am using more line than Dorothy thinks is "just perfect" for us - she didn't say anything this class. And I'm actually working the leash with two hands, sliding it through and letting it play out through my left hand. So I can work it shorter and keep the tension, without being in Gimme's space or in her way. I didn't get any comments/suggestions, so it must be close enough to what they want (or they're giving up telling me what to do).
Interior 1 search video - I know I was sliding the line back and forth through my left hand a lot - I felt it. Still it's not really noticeable in the video. Key point to me is the lack of dirty looks from Gimme.
BTW I didn't' realize I needed to charge the camera battery, so there are some gaps in the videos. We miss the first 15 seconds of search 2 and the last hide in search 3.
Interior 2 search video - One thing I love about Gimme is how much distraction she can ignore when she's working scent. She paid no attention at all to Paul and Janice when they were talking loudly. She's really very efficient in this search, especially given the need to drag me around with her.
Interior 3 search video - This time Gimme gets to work off leash, which she much prefers in a chaotic environment. This search isn't any faster than the others because of a converging odor challenge between the big stool on its side and the little stool in the bathroom. Gimme got really frustrated and obsessed a bit about the hide on the big stool, but when I don't accept it (when she doesn't leave it, I just walk away) then she follows me. After she finds the nice high hide on the ladder [camera dies right then], she goes directly to the bathroom and its hide. Almost makes me wonder if all three hides weren't converging somehow. The ladder seems too far away, but given how she acted, I don't discount the possibility.
I think part of her frustration was an impending false pregnancy. Just two days later, she whelps a baby bat and now she's fully into her false pregnancy. She is always so much more emotional (and hungry) then. She's a good girl and still persists to solve puzzles, but she does try to persuade me to give her extra treats now and then.
In the end she always persists - she's such a great worker and I am so blessed.
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