Nosework class (2/38)

Several people were getting ready for trials this weekend, so class consisted of one search per element.

Vehicle search video - You can see Gimme is pretty much uninterested in the white vehicle. In fact she's not really interested in the black van either - until we start toward the back end and she gets in odor.

Interior search video - Gimme was quick to find the hide. I let her persist with the one box because she really would put her head deep in a box for an inaccessible hide. Remember the falling boxes search, where she shoved into a pile of boxes to get to the hide and there were boxes falling on her head? I don't see the difference in her behavior here with her head deep in a box of stuff and the falling boxes hide. I really was thinking about calling "finish" when the instructor called "time". As easy as it is for me to talk, you'd think it wouldn't be so hard for me to say one little word.

Container search video - Gimme goes into searches so fast she often overruns her nose to start with (just like she overruns almost every corner in tracking). She'd gone by the hide before but didn't notice it until I encouraged her to "slow down a little bit".

Exterior search video - The breeze is blowing from behind us at the start line and Gimme was going fast when she first passed the shovel, so she didn't catch odor until we were coming back the other way. She caught odor on the bucket easily. I wasted time bringing her back up the middle because I wanted her to check the two drains. She wasn't interested in them, so I could have called "finish" 30 seconds sooner. I've noticed before that I subconsciously wait to get to wherever I'm walking before I call it.

I really waste a lot of time in searches making sure she checks everything before I call finish. I need to learn to read her, "there's nothing here" demeanor. I can see it in video, but not as much in real time. Of course there is a fine line between there not being anything else and whether or not she's gotten into odor.

We also have trials this weekend. Friday and Saturday we are entered in the AKC trial at Argus. Gimme still needs two legs in novice buried element, which we've been training. She's in advanced for containers, interior and exterior. Then on Sunday we got into the NACSW level 3 interiors element trial. 

Wish us luck for all.