Intermediate K9 Nosework, Week 5

It was less hot and humid on Thursday, so our class was able to take advantage of the weather and do some outdoor searches. In between runs Chandler entertained himself by repeatedly attempting to steal a rabbit fur covered squeaky toy that belonged to Volley. I watched him very carefully to be sure he didn't manage to eat a piece of the fur, like he did last week.

Run 1



As we were in a more distracting outdoor environment, food was included in this hide. Chandler was not distracted, so it was a quick find.

Run 2



No food. No problem. :)

Run 3



This search was interesting because Chandler actually missed finding the box on the first sniff. Instead he focuses on a different box nearby. I'm really not sure what was going on, unless the scent had somehow traveled and pooled.

Run 4



I think Chan is slowing down a bit as the temperature rises. This is a more leisurely find.

Run 5



I really have to wonder if Chandler peeked while the scent was being placed on the pipe. The only other possibility is that scent was being swept down the side of the building. I really wish I had noted which way the breeze was coming from.

Run 6



This was our first attempt at a car search. Given that we have neighbors that like to greet Chan while they are in their cars, I may have some difficulty teaching him not to place his paws on the car. This "no paws" issue may prove thorny, as Chan's favorite find indication is to paw at the box. I think he was a bit at a loss as to how to indicate there was scent behind the license plate.

Run 7



Here is our first attempt at searching the exterior of a building. The scent is hidden on the pipe just past the door. Once again, I think Chandler is at a bit of a loss how to indicate a find when he can't paw at it.


Run 8

Unfortunately, I didn't get footage of our last search. It was set up like an Odor Recognition Test. There were 12 boxes set up in a "U" shape in one of the training rooms. We had 3 minutes to figure out which box had the birch scent inside.

It took Chandler 14 seconds.

I'm proud of my boy. :)