I'd been down with sinusitus (sinus inflammation) for several days, so Gimme was desperate for class and I was decidedly sub-par. I was going to call Dorothy and tell her I wouldn't be there, but Gimme told me, "If we don't go to class, I will lose my mind and you are not going to like it." Clearly we know who is the boss of who.
At the time of this class, I thought Gimme lacked focus because she was so excited to finally get out and do something and so was overrunning her nose. Since then I've realized Gimme is having trouble with the pollen again this year. The pollen count is verrrrry high and she's had some issues with tracking.
Container 1 video - There was no hide in this interior, but after checking all the boxes she alerted anyway. I think she was just desperate to give me something. I should have moved as if to walk away before accepting her indication - I know she'll go with me if she's faking it.
Container 2 video - Notice how quickly she goes toward odor in this small space and how definite her indication is. Also she also doesn't seem interested in even checking the other boxes - just as if she knows something. Hmmmm...
Dorothy tells me not to move boxes back into place with my foot in a trial. I run the risk of getting scent on my foot and then spreading it all over the search area.
2 indications video - I've put these two indications into one very short video. I notice two differences in how she alerts. Can you see them?
Container 3 video - She overruns her nose, but being on leash and with me keeping her in the search area (boxes along the wall), she's able to find a hide. Then she missed the last one on the line. She was able to find it when I slowed her down, but you'll see her indication isn't as definite as the other one. Those boxes are really tight, so there isn't as much scent available.
Container 4 video - For this search there were boxes on and between chairs in a circle. Gimme usually prefers to search high. She finds the hide pretty quick, and then doesn't want to even check the rest. I have her check them anyway.
A point Dorothy made that isn't on the video, is that if you run into a situation where you aren't sure if you've called a hide, it's better to call it again. The only time it'll get you in trouble is if you know how many hides you have and think you are done.
Container 5 video - This time we have a line of containers along the sidewalk. She finds the first hide (right off the startline) immediately. When I swing her back down the line, she finds the second hide readily. If you watched carefully you might have seen her pay just a titch more attention to it than to the others - which I see on video but did not see in real time. She definitely walked the last container. Dorothy thought she was going to fast, I think she just wasn't getting much scent. She gets it when I slow her waaaay down, but even then she goes back and forth between it and the one next to it before making a decision.
These exterior searches were really tight/busy search areas. There was also a "bonus" hide somewhere between the search areas.
Exterior 1 video - Gimme finds the hide very quickly. It was definitely a challenge to manage the line... I dubbed it a leash-not-handling exercise.
Exterior bonus video - Finding this was a piece of cake. I didn't think to ask what the point was for a bonus hide between search areas. I suppose it was to see if the dogs were still searching between searches, or perhaps to demonstrate they are, whether we are aware of it or not.
Exterior 2 video - The next search area is right over the jumble of pipes and Gimme wanted to go there. She finds the first hide pretty well - kinda cute how she sticks her whole head down in the pipe. But, then wants to leave the search area, when there was still another hide. She is able to find the second hide when I bring her back in. I think her willingness to leave hides is connected to her hay fever - she's just not getting as much scent information as she is accustomed to.
Exterior 3 video - Note how she is willing to leave right off the bat, as if she isn't getting any scent. She does a really nice job finding the first hide when I get her into its vicinity. Unfortunately the camera cut off and you miss the second hide, which was at the far end of the large pipe. She checked it once, but had to go back to it to be sure.
Container 6 no video - This is her best search of the class, which unfortunately we didn't get on video because the camera battery died. They took all the container hides and all the containers and placed them in one big circle. Gimme did well with all 6 of them, though she did have a little difficulty deciding on the black box hide (the boxes with the tight seams)
I've started Gimme on bee pollen, but it's too soon to see if it will help with her hay fever...
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