Our focus this week was on inaccessible hides. Conventional wisdom is to always end a series of inaccessible hides with one very accessible hide. If you don't, the dogs can learn to stop trying to source the hides. Gimme did this once when our prior instructor worked inaccessible several weeks in a row and didn't end with accessible hides. It took me a month to undo the damage.
Interior 1 video - This search was just one inaccessible hide in the middle and toward the back of all those chairs. As usual Gimme immediately found the toy. The instructors always volunteer to pick it up, but I want her to learn to work through it (AKC uses accessible toys as a distracter in searches, which I saw in both exterior searches at the last trial). Gimme caught the drift of the hide in the chairs, but kept scanning the rest of the room, looking for something easier, "low hanging fruit". I could have rewarded her a lot earlier, but she is experienced and confident enough to persist. So, I tend to wait until she commits and indeed, she was very committed at the end. Good girl!
Exterior 1 video - I was instructed to walk her by on the sidewalk and she if she caught it. The first obvious interest was in the red-capped pipe. She swung up toward it on our way down the sidewalk, but her interest was much stronger as we came back, into the breeze. Her body language is very clear when she is definitely in odor. Again, I was waiting for a commitment. I want her to tell me, "Mom this is the best I can do", which she did.
Exterior 2 video - The hide was originally about 2 feet higher on the wall, but one of the less experienced dogs worked first and the instructor moved it down for him and never moved it back up. For the other dogs moving over the log and walking on the pipes next to the wall was a big deal - little Miss Parkour Grand Champion thought it was easy peasy. She finds the hide within seconds of getting near the wall.
Exterior 3 video - This was the accessible hide and Gimme ran her nose right over it as she started, but was going too fast and then wanted to check the whole area. She made this a much bigger deal than the search warranted.
For all the new information I have about her sore toes, there is no sign they hampered her during these searches.
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