Nosework class (3/43)

Around noon, Gimme and I joined a couple other students to run some searches for Dorothy, for use in her webinar. Gimme did a great job and had a lot of fun, since they were pretty easy searches. Dorothy said she'd share the videos, but I haven't seen them yet. <pout>

This first part of class was about indications - does the dog communicate their find. Gimme always does, but sometimes too vigorously (especially with containers), so I tried to get in quickly with a reward. She really did a nice job... batted a couple boxes aside, but didn't paw or stomp them.

Container 1 video - Gimme worked really fast, she indicated in ten seconds, without bashing the box. She tends to get more and more forceful with repeat container searches.

Container 2 video - I forgot my camera, so Dorothy taped our runs with my phone (Paul thought of it). You miss Gimme zooming off the start because she had her finger in the way. I was really proud of Gimme for catching the threshold-first-box hide - she normally zooms by really fast and outruns her nose. She indicated in about 2 seconds. For a couple seconds she noses around the box near the second hide (fringing), but then moves to the correct box on her own. She's such a smarty.

Container 3 video - This time she does bypass the threshold-first-box hide, but gets right back to it. Then she goes on to find the second hide. Her indications were so clean.

These last two searches were about high hides. Gimme loves high hides. There were three height choices and we started with the highest, then went lower for the next search.  Gimme was the only one to do the highest choice first.  Two others did it as their second high hide search.  Since Gimme already did it, it makes it easier for them, since she would leave scent clues.

Interior 1 video - This hide was 8 feet high and on the external point of a wall, making it even harder. Right at 1:06, you'll see her nose tip up as she passes by the hide location. Then she starts doing a bunch of searching in the area of the hide. She does move away for 8 seconds before coming back. I take this as her making sure about what she is smelling. Once she's back it takes just 12 seconds to go right up the wall. She was so very proud of herself and got a lot a treats for her efforts.

Interior 2 video - For our last search I chose the 6 feet high search. She scans the room and when she's ready goes right to the ladder and puts her feet on it. She's really very good at high hides and enjoys them.

She likes high hides so much, during one period of her early training I needed to toss treats on the ground for her to find while we were walking, just to encourage her to check for low hides too. I put a lot of effort into making sure she understood low hides pay too. Now she uses her nose to guide her decisions.

She's brilliant. Just sayin...