Nosework Thread

[Ravenbird]

At 5 seconds you can see she caught a bit but was up wind. Then 20 seconds must've been down wind cause she instantly started sourcing.

You know how to read the nose! I love the science of it all... I'm just smacking my head how many people watched that video (LOL 1,444 last time I looked ) and just thought why would someone post a vid of a dog trotting around? LOL. Thanks though. Aged for an hour before we came back to it, plus it's a Kleenex - first time to search for an article that was not standard, plus haven't done any NW of any kind for over 3 weeks. Sometimes it's the little things that make our day!

 

[Rits]

Sometimes it's the little things that make our day!

It's always the little things! Train parts and pieces here and there then it all adds up when it's time to all come together. Just love these working dogs and their incredible abilities.

 

[Ravenbird]

omg, I'm so proud of Asha. We went to a public playground park yesterday to do some nose work hides. Set up the first round with 7 hides - sounds like a lot (and it is), but the plan was to go in a large loop and take each section of 1 - 3 hides as an "area" and just do them all at once so we didn't have to keep going back & forth to get the dogs from the vehicles (there were 3 of us), plus the time to keep re-setting hides. ANYway, just as we were about to start, 2 vans full of children parked and unloaded about 20 kids about ages 6 - 10. They ran squealing in delight all over the park. The adults sat at picnic tables and pretty much ignored them. I almost bowed out, but decided it would be good for Asha (and me) to just DO IT. I put the e-collar on, better to have it and not need it (I didn't). Short story, she did fine. She kept her mind on her work with just a few stops to look & observe the noise-makers, and I just repeated my search-word to keep her at task. The video is 4 minutes, I cost her 30 seconds by not calling her alert at about :30 on the video because I thought the hide was about 2 feet away from where she alerted. Turns out she had it right and I didn't, so that was my bad. With the volume up, you can hear the kids, and there's a bell they keep ringing, plus the traffic going by. Tons of distractions and my girl aced it. We have a trial coming up in August for AKC Advanced Scent Work, so I'm really really happy we did this.

 

[jazzies mum]

Wonderful job Asha! Actually wonderful job both of you! Having Asha so focussed on the job is a real achievement and just goes to prove that Dobermans thrive on having a purpose.

 

[Ravenbird]

Having Asha so focussed on the job is a real achievement and just goes to prove that Dobermans thrive on having a purpose.

Thanks, this is her natural talent with very little training - she loves anything to do with using her nose. It's taken a long time to get her through being reactive, so that's what I'm so proud of here!

 

[Rits]

I didn't get a chance to watch this earlier, there wasn't any cell service at the show grounds... What a GOOD girl Asha!! Working through all those distractions, especially ones she normally would respond to? That's amazing!!! You guys are rockin the nose work ! One tip that my instructor gave me was to keep moving your feet. Dogs notoriously cue off of our body language and often false alert because we stop like something is supposed to be there and then they start believing it. Then it can evolve to looking at our face to see "is this it?" "this?" "how about this?" vs going directly to the source on their own and indicating. I hope that doesn't come off wrong! Y'all are way ahead of us and are doing amazing! Makes me so happy for you both! I'm saving the NW for when we are done with the obedience and show stuff, and then the actual fun stuff begins

 

[Ravenbird]

One tip that my instructor gave me was to keep moving your feet. Dogs notoriously cue off of our body language

Over the winter I did a really fun set of challenges where we did CRAZY stuff while the dog was searching so we could observe behavioral changes. Like reciting poetry out loud while the dog searched, another being perfectly still and another marching in place or holding your hands over your head. CRAZY stuff. Lots of people submitted their videos and some dogs were affected & didn't search as well, or took longer. Asha gave me some odd glances, but was not bothered by me acting weird as much as "would you stop talking, I'm trying to concentrate here!" LOL. It wasn't just for handlers to act different, we also got instructions to do different things with different hides and everything can be done easier or harder for the level of NW your dog is at. You can purchase the online booklet here: Winter Sniffy Fun 2.0 Challenge eBook

I'm saving the NW for when we are done with the obedience and show stuff, and then the actual fun stuff begins

I kept saying that, but we keep throwing it into the training because she loves it so much. Then that trial appeared and it's only a 3 hour drive instead of a 4 - 6 hour drive, so I entered up.

 

[Dasz88]

Over the winter I did a really fun set of challenges where we did CRAZY stuff while the dog was searching so we could observe behavioral changes. Like reciting poetry out loud while the dog searched, another being perfectly still and another marching in place or holding your hands over your head. CRAZY stuff. Lots of people submitted their videos and some dogs were affected & didn't search as well, or took longer. Asha gave me some odd glances, but was not bothered by me acting weird as much as "would you stop talking, I'm trying to concentrate here!" LOL. It wasn't just for handlers to act different, we also got instructions to do different things with different hides and everything can be done easier or harder for the level of NW your dog is at. You can purchase the online booklet here: Winter Sniffy Fun 2.0 Challenge eBook


I kept saying that, but we keep throwing it into the training because she loves it so much. Then that trial appeared and it's only a 3 hour drive instead of a 4 - 6 hour drive, so I entered up.

I love this idea!! Going to try and incorporate doing some weird things with Gilly!

 

[Ravenbird]

I love this idea!! Going to try and incorporate doing some weird things with Gilly!

Hope I can find a new update on your work with Gilly and some photos!

 

[Ravenbird]

So since that video post on July 2, I think I can count all our nose work practice on one hand, and we leave tomorrow for a 3-day trial. Not the way I like to go into things, but time just got away and I've been working on other things, blah blah blah. I keep reminding myself that it's Asha's bag, so just let her do her thing and try to call it properly. Where the heck does the time go? All 4 elements each day in Advanced class: containers, interiors, exteriors & buried (this time under water). J & Reckless are up to Masters now & that's where it gets harder on the handler reading the dog than the dog searching. Same elements with unknown number of hides, including zero! and you have to call when you think you're done. Really happy to be in a lower level right now! We plan on having fun no matter what.

 

[Rits]

So since that video post on July 2, I think I can count all our nose work practice on one hand, and we leave tomorrow for a 3-day trial. Not the way I like to go into things, but time just got away and I've been working on other things, blah blah blah. I keep reminding myself that it's Asha's bag, so just let her do her thing and try to call it properly. Where the heck does the time go? All 4 elements each day in Advanced class: containers, interiors, exteriors & buried (this time under water). J & Reckless are up to Masters now & that's where it gets harder on the handler reading the dog than the dog searching. Same elements with unknown number of hides, including zero! and you have to call when you think you're done. Really happy to be in a lower level right now! We plan on having fun no matter what.

You guys will do great! Sometimes that's just the way it goes and you find that you really didn't need to fuss and train so much. Might be better this way!

 

[Ravenbird]

You guys will do great! Sometimes that's just the way it goes and you find that you really didn't need to fuss and train so much. Might be better this way!

Thanks @Rits! The big mantra in NW is Trust Your Dog!

 

[Ravenbird]

So it went pretty well - 6 Q's from the 12 runs. I'm proud of Asha, not just for the scent work, but for the enviromental challenges. Whew. Crated indoors in a pretty tight space - 70+ dogs and as many or more people. Asha has never done that before. Day one, pretty uncomfortable with it all, but good. day two, more comfortable, day three more growly if people/dogs got too close to our space. Wish she could just be comfortable and neutral... Anyway, I knew but confirmed that my work lies in false alerts. We had this problem a year or so ago & I thought it was better, but nope. Especially containers. But that's all talk for another day. The best moment(s) is she got her 3rd Q in Advanced Exteriors on Saturday so I moved up to Excellent level for Sundays run and not only Q'd but got first place, and in a really fast time.

I can't tell you how exhausted we were, but the photo of Asha crashed out on the bed says it all.

 

[Ravenbird]

And RECKLESS! The 8 year old Dutch - Look at her - all at Master level! I have a video of her Master Interiors that's just awesome.

 

[JanS]

The best moment(s) is she got her 3rd Q in Advanced Exteriors on Saturday so I moved up to Excellent level for Sundays run and not only Q'd but got first place, and in a really fast time.

Nice - congratulations to her and Reckless!!

 

[Rits]

Congrats on the Qs and new title!!! I'm glad she got better in the trial environment (mostly) but take the win. It looks like she's doing better in the hotel too? Well, maybe when she's exhausted?

 

[Ravenbird]

I'm glad she got better in the trial environment (mostly) but take the win. It looks like she's doing better in the hotel too? Well, maybe when she's exhausted?

Yes - to be discussed in that other thread. She only exploded at 2 people, both on Sunday. One was a man who came to our crate area - he had the only other Dobe there, and came over to say how pretty Asha was, but he walked directly up, stood about 5 feet from the crate & was looking at her. She'd grumbled a bit at people who were hanging out talking to us, but never barked. This guy, she went on full explosion at this guy. And funny thing is before this, he was crated near one of the doors where we had to wait when our turn was coming up and every time she saw him she growled. He was pretty heavy set and had a bit of an unkempt way about him and she just didn't like him. The other one she exploded at was, ahem, the judge. At the waiting area to do exteriors we were in a room with the door to the outside, and she comes around the open door and shouts Come On Out! and Asha just flipped her lid, full bark mode. I have the flimsy little nylon harness on and kinda picked her up off her front feet to walk her to the door toward the lady, saying NO/Quiet and she just kept barking until we got right up to her. Then she just sniffed her legs and was fine. I apologized to her and she waved it off. That was right before she won that Excellent level exterior in 49 seconds. The motel went great. Slept with flat collar & leash Thurs night, flat collar only Fri night & naked Sat & Sun. Grumbling at car doors & voices, but no explosions.

Is this kind of crowded crating about right for most events? This was SW only event and we had to crate inside as it was way too hot to crate out of the car. We were along the wall, there were two rows in the middle and another row along the wall 3/4 around the room. Ashas crate is where there's a blue bag sitting on top of it against the wall.

 

[Ravenbird]

I've joined the online Winter Sniffy again - weekly challenge & video. Again, got all my work revolving around the SAR trial in Feb. so nose work has taken a back seat - I think since that trial in August we may have done NW about 2x per month. Yikes... Yesterday the challenge (they are all set to where you can make them easier or harder depending on your dog) was TALKING while the dog searches (I hate that! But did it anyway.) It seems pointless, but dogs read their handlers emotions and if I'm nervous about talking while being filmed, the dog will pick that up. Anyone interested in doing this, it's free but it's on FB. Once a week challenge, you don't have to video or post it, it's just fun stuff. More than anything it opens my eyes to placing hides with more of a purpose and observing the results.

Exterior was supposed to be simply talking while the dog searches and one hide in whatever elements are there. Asha's biggest challenge was the wind - blowing straight across the porch - and I placed the hide on the edge of the downwind side so all the odor was blowing straight off the porch and gone with the wind - literally. And between me yapping aimlessly and her not able to source it out, this turned into a longer search than usual.

Interior I was to block the hide so she had to work a "puzzle" to get to it. I put the hide to the back of the chair cushion, put a chair on top of that chair so she couldn't put her nose on it, then chairs in front of that chair so she had to squeeze in to point to it. She loves blasting through stuff, has zero environmental issues so it was a no brainer for her. Complete with cat photo-bomb.

 

[Dasz88]

Love this Ravenbird! So cool to see another dobie at work! That was some heavy wind outside, I can see how if was blowing the odor right off the edge of the porch! She got it though! The second search was nothing for her! Dobies need a lead filled heavy duty wall as a block, otherwise they're going to bust through!

Is her trained final response the same for sar work and nosework? Or do you have different ones for different disciplines?

 

[Ravenbird]

Is her trained final response the same for sar work and nosework? Or do you have different ones for different disciplines?

All different... NW (essential oils) is to bring her head around and look at me. Articles with human scent is a down.

Here's an article search from last August. We have since then worked on not mouthing the article and downing with it between her front legs. She has so much enthusiasm she just throws herself down in the general vicinity and you can tell on that last one it was way off to her left side. We're a little better now, but she's just nuts and crazy to do anything once she learns the "trick" and I always have to reel her in. Also this was when I was still teaching her this by loading rewards for the find, dropping the food over her head between her front legs so she would stay put. We don't straddle anymore, I go to her side, pick up and show to the judge - this is a trial thing - the article. I exaggerate the holding up the article because when I first started doing that Asha would bounce up at it. We've now gotten to where I can pick it up, show the article, and her stay down until I release her to find another or to sit & be leashed up to exit.