On October 29th we did all our nosework searches in the dark. We've done this every year just before Halloween. We dress up the dogs in glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets and there are some glow sticks around the area. I've had videos turn out in a minimal way before, but this year the camera wouldn't even focus. Actually there was more light this time because they had two strings of lighted jack-o-lanterns and skeletons. I think they provided enough light to "confuse" the camera, so we didn't get anything usable.
In any case, Gimme did fine, as she always has. She just motors around and finds the hides, then tries to get my attention. As we repeated the searches, I learned to "read" her necklaces, so I could sorta tell what she was doing.
On November 5th we had a fun series of interior searches. We had to break up all our treats into tiny pieces, so we'd have enough. The idea was to continue rewarding our dog for 30 seconds and we were being timed. Naturally Gimme thought this was a great idea.
Interior 1 search video - This first search of just one hide was in the foyer. Gimme went right to the tub, but it took her a bit to decide exactly where the hide was. Most of the time for this search was spent rewarding Gimme.
Interior 2 search video - This search was in the front of the room, separated from the back two-thirds by ex-pens. Gimme found the hide in less than 10 seconds. Again she enjoyed the prolonged reward strategy.
Container 1 search video - This search was on leash with one hide. Gimme noticed the thing on the cable, which will later be part of a high hide search. She was the only one to notice it without the hide actually being there. She found the container hide soon after.
Interior 3 search video - There is just one high hide in the front part of the room. Gimme immediately runs to the other end to check the boxes where she last found a hide. She finds the hide in 55 seconds. We were still supposed to prolong the rewarding as much as we could and as close to the hide as possible, so I had her put her feet on me.
Interior 4 search video - Again just one high hide, but in the back part of the room. Gimme found it very quickly, 20 second faster than the prior high hide search. This is the one she saw during the container search. The only dog in class with comparable skill level is August and his nose is already a foot closer to the high hides.
I was glad to see Gimme doing so well in class despite motherhood. She usually does well despite her condition, but sometimes I see a little less focus. I love to see her having fun.
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