As we find ourselves sequestered to our homes, cut off from work, friends, society, this social distancing can lead to boredom but those of us with dogs must persevere. We can't begin to explain to our scent work partners why we are not meeting up with our comrades in parks and Granges and shopping centers to play. Left to my own devices and in hopes I don't mess up Winnie too badly with the lack of a qualified instructor by me side for coaching, instruction and advice, I am setting up games and searches at home. I am fortunate to have gone to seminars taught by NASCW founders Amy Herot and Jill Marie O'Brien, and leading instructors too many to list and have learned nose work exercises I can set up at home. I am also fortunate to have the most forgiving partner, Winnie who in spite of my lack of knowledge always seems to excel at nose work due to her shear love of the sport.
This search is in our corral, there are four sources of odor on the vertical pipes of the panel dividing the two pipe pens: first vertical pipe has odor about two and a half feet off the ground, second pipe has odor at ground level, the third is about a foot and a half up the pipe and fourth is two and a half feet up. The wind is blowing from right to left, away from the source vessels out into the pen.
Winnie approaches the area and catches odor on the outside of the gate, and works her way to the source on the first pipe. She then goes low and seems to be working the ground as she catches odor from the ground level low source on the second pipe in, she even works around the pile of mini-horse poop, the distractor. : D Before Winnie gets to the low source (Birch), she seems to catch the odor from the higher source (Anise) on the third pipe in and works that one. After successfully finding the source on the third pipe in, Winnie goes immediately back to the ground to source the odor on the second pipe in, the odor she had been working when she was pulled to the third pipe and solves that puzzle quickly. Is there more? Winnie goes along the opposite side where odor must be dancing and swirling from all four sources and works her way forward. She catches odor when she is almost at the far end and works across the pen. She goes left when the odor is to the right but based on the wind flow it makes sense. Winnie is not to be fooled, the odor on the fourth pipe teases her but she chases it back, and bingo, the source almost hits her on the nose. Winnie is a remarkable super-duper little sniffer.
I must apologize for the poor quality of the video, I am as bad a videographer as ever, and when videoing Winnie searching I mostly look directly at her so sometimes the camera isn't even pointed at the dog.
I am dedicating myself to grow and learn in any way I can during these unusual circumstances. I wish for everyone to take care, mind, body and soul. Stay healthy and keep up the good work. Our doggies depend on us and are always satisfied when we do the best for them we can. If all we can do is walk with them, or toss the ball, or get down on the floor and wrastle, it all means everything to them. Puggleup and keep on trucking.
Glad you two are hanging in there during these crazy times. Stay safe and healthy
Winnie is absolutely adorable. Thank you for sharing this. Dalia and I are missing our classes, though we can have fun just the two of us.