Last week we practiced a little nosework with Rinnie at home and she seemed to be struggling with finding the unpaired scent. No big deal, it was the first time we had used scent outside of the training classes, so we thought she might be confused. Then Thursday night at class she again did fine with paired finds, but really seemed lost with scent only. Now, Thurdsday I worked her since David couldnt be there, but she had worked for me before so I don't think that was the issue.
Sunday night we did some paired searches at the house and she did fine. Last night we did some more and she was great. So we tried a couple of unpaired searches. They were both easy searches, one just over her head on the hamper, the other at nose height, but in a place we have never used before and she nailed them both immediately, one where she ran by air scenting and spun around to go right to it.
She does have some issues with committing to the find when she can't get right on the scent, if she cant reach it. She hasnt figured out how to tell us that she has it. She will sniff toward it and circle around but she doesnt really give a clear signal that HEY its there. Maybe once she becomes more confident?
4 comments:
We have a nosework seminar in our community next month. Worth $150 per pair for an intro? Seems like something my wife and I could do with our cardis.
Nosework is something most people could do. I ma thinking that with a seminar to get you started you could do most of the training on your own.
There is nothing wrong with pairing. Even Ron Gaunt himself suggests pairing as long as you need to. There is no rush to get dogs on scent alone, and pairing insures that they get rewarded AT the source. Too many handlers are too slow to reward, so the dog is already off the find by the time the reward comes. By paring, and supplimental rewards you really are encouraging the dog to stay on the find, building longterm alert habits.
In the ORTs and trials you only get one chance to call finds. No mistakes allowed. You really want to get a good, solid stick-to-it when the dogs make a find. I still pair often, and reward heavy during finds even though my dogs go wild over their odors. The goal is to encourage a really solid alert, with the nose at the source 'til you get there.
Ron- The seminars are really informative. Ron, Jill, and Amy (I assume one of some of them will be there?) are the founders of the sport, and really, really awesome at teaching. Very much worth it to watch them in action.
I have been to 2 workshops with Ron, and have a seminar scheduled with Amy and Jill in Houston I'm seriously estatic about! Nosework is IMO the best thing to happen in dogs since agility, and ANY dog can do nosework, no matter how young, old, or if they are disabled. If their nose works, they can nosework!
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