Highly useful, TY!
Nosework Thread
- Thread starter Rits
- Start date
With very little practice we're headed to the scent work trial I go to every year. It's at a new place - a school - that we've not seen, so it will seem like a new place, but our favorite familiar motel and places to eat make it fun. Last year we got only 4 Q's from 12 runs, and I don't expect it to be much different for us this year. Hopefully the air conditioning works and the exterior runs are short & sweet! 102 predicted for Friday and high 90's for Saturday and Sunday. Hope to have a decent report to post next week, but most of all I'm hoping Reckless gets that final Q for her detective title!
As always, a 3 day trial is exhausting but fun. Sadly Reckless didn't get her Detective, missed one hide each day. On Friday & Saturday, none of the 10 dogs Q'd. I suppose if it was easy everyone would do it.
So, 4 trials a day, now at Masters level, Friday 2 Qualifying runs, Saturday 0 Q's - mistakes equally divided between me and Asha, then Sunday 4 Q's in all 4 element runs, completing another Master Element (Buried)! Then as we were packing up and out, the trial secretary handed me a paper and a huge ribbon declaring we were High In Trial for Sundays Master class! So yeah, keep showing up, your turn happens when it happens, but love for your dog shows up each and every day. I'm definitely happy with 50% Q's at this level! More details later, I'm pooped!
So, 4 trials a day, now at Masters level, Friday 2 Qualifying runs, Saturday 0 Q's - mistakes equally divided between me and Asha, then Sunday 4 Q's in all 4 element runs, completing another Master Element (Buried)! Then as we were packing up and out, the trial secretary handed me a paper and a huge ribbon declaring we were High In Trial for Sundays Master class! So yeah, keep showing up, your turn happens when it happens, but love for your dog shows up each and every day. I'm definitely happy with 50% Q's at this level! More details later, I'm pooped!
Congrats!
Honestly I'm thinking Detective will be easier than Masters. LOL, probably not but the tests the judges put you through is so much on the handler end! One of those "hard, but I love/hate the challenge" things. Since completing my Excellent level, the Interior element has been the hardest for us. Zero Q's in our last 2 or 3 trials - I'd have to look it up, but at least 5 - 8 runs. Interior Masters is 3 Rooms, 0 - 3 hides in each room, 6 max for the total hides and time set by the judge 1 - 3 minutes per room. If you NQ room 1, you don't even get to see room 2 or 3. Sunday was the first time I made it to room 3. We can wear a stop watch, which I did, because if you run over time that's an NQ also. I found 2 hides in room one and moved to room 2, found 2 hides and moved to room 3, Asha is working like crazy, she found two hides and I keep looking at my watch and have 45 seconds left, and in my mind the 0 - 3 hides I know there can be one more so we keep searching. I don't want to burn Asha out by asking for more search when there isn't another, but also don't want to miss a 3rd hide when so close... the tension is real, I call finish and it is correct. Later on I realize (and have told myself in every single Master Interior!) that mantra of "0 - 3 per room/6 max", but that had evaporated in the thrill/stress of getting to room 3. If I was consciously thinking and calm and remembered this, I could have called finish after the second hide in room 3 because that was 6 total!!! Would have taken 20 - 30 seconds off my time! That's how exciting/intense the game can get.
It didn't matter anyway, I still got my Q, which was my goal, but the surprise was the 1st place. And yes, it was HOURS later when I realized if I'd remembered the math I could have called finish much earlier.
It didn't matter anyway, I still got my Q, which was my goal, but the surprise was the 1st place. And yes, it was HOURS later when I realized if I'd remembered the math I could have called finish much earlier.
The other wild brain teaser was in buried. 16 containers, any arrangement, 1 - 4 hides, 5 minutes. Well, the judge had them scattered in the room without any rhyme or reason. Sometimes they would be in a circle or a cross or a U shape, but these were all over the place, no rows, no pattern! By the time I got 3 hides I couldn't recall which ones Asha had already found! It was nuts! With a possible 4th I kept her working but when she'd spend an extra look at a container, my mind was like "did we already call that one????" We did find a 4th but again the game is on the handler at this point and really changes things. Now after a few days rest and thinking, I'm super proud of being half way through our total Master title!
