What was the NQ if you don't mind me asking, for learning purposes of course!
Kinda a long story, but Asha had started a "thing" with containers - lines of like boxes, only one containing a hide - started alerting to wrong ones, "this one? this one? this one?" but never in any other scene, just look alike boxes. Which is ALWAYS in novice. So before I trusted her on every single alert now I began to question her telling me the truth. So I worked on her reinforcing her decision on her alert by saying in body language keep looking. She would usually go back to the real source and alert again and get the reward. So on Saturday in Interiors she quickly alerted on a wheel castor of a shelf and I ignored it, thinking it was
too quick and drew her to keep looking which she did and then she went back but instead of the wheel castor she alerted about 20" away under the shelf where there was a box. I wanted her to go back to the wheel but she stuck on the box so I called alert on it. I was wrong, the source was on the wheel. The odor had pooled under the box, where at the source by the wheel there was nothing solid (it was a wire shelf so the odor could rise & dissipate). Pooled odor gets stuck & gets stronger but source (the actual hide) is always stronger & that is the only thing they should alert on. Anyway, if I had called alert on Ashas first indication, not only would it have been correct (a Q), it would have been very quick, possibly a placement ribbon. But I questioned her and when she went back I'm guessing she knew the wheel castor wasn't right (I ignored her alert) so she went to the next best, which was the odor pooling under the box on that bottom shelf. Keep in mind, all dogs are different and you have to learn your own dogs behavior! I should never have invited her to keep looking when I knew her only guessing games were in look alike boxes, not an open room.
I LOVE nose work and so does Asha. I'm still working on IGP and will continue to, but we'll keep doing this as well.
Got our times since posting this - That first place ribbon? It was in containers - look alike boxes in a row, on Sunday, she swept through them, stopped at one and looked at me and I called alert.
Less than 5 seconds. Trust Your Dog!
This is something that is easy to do with online training and continue on your own, especially if your dog is naturally good with it & food/toy motivated. There is some science involved - the way odor travels, swirls & pools or dissipates, so that learning is advantageous, especially as you move up. I've only had a few in-person lessons. Asha was the only Doberman there of 40 - 50 dogs. It may be in her particular genes, not all Dobes, but I do know her family as several SAR and HRD and FH2 tracking dogs, but I'm betting more Dobes have this talent than their owners even imagine. Go for it
@Rits! I'm no expert, but I'm sure open to conversation with interested parties.
It's so rare to see Nosework around here that I had to hop on it. I know you can train yourself at home but I really wanted to do this right because I've always been interested and it's good for her to do these things away from home when we can since we already do rally at home. 
and a BIG CONGRATS!!!! Love your campsite too.....looks like it was a great day.
