OTCWF Intermediate Scent Work - Week 5

WOW!  What a night.

I want to add a little note before this blog to reference why this was such a great training night.  So at our first trial I didn't have my indication down.  I would just slow down, stay with odor, and look at momma.  Which was not as reassuring.  So the past week ( or by the time this blog goes up week and a half) we have been intensely working on my indication.  My chosen indication is the paw.  Momma always says I have been very paw oriented (vs a sit or down).  So we did the its your choice game with scent in the hand and momma would say search once I sniffed and once I pawed the source I got a click and treat.  Then we moved it to the mini container search in the kitchen.  Find the odor once I pawed I got a click and treat.  Going forward the only time I get a treat was when I found the odor and paw indicate.   Now onto class 5!

We began class with a warm greet for Mr. Clooney.

Our mommas let us get our wiggles out and play before class.  YIPPEE!!!!!

Que the montage!

Whew we played so hard my ear done flipped inside outs!

Time to focus!

Yes Miss Martha I am ready.

Then we got new toys!!!!  Centrifuge tubes to practice buried hides at home.  Note: With these we can't keep odor (QTIPS) in them (like the tins) as the oils will interfere with the plastic.  So we have to keep that in mind.  We got to choose our own colors.  I went with a pink and black theme to compliment my harness.  :)

Here is a little better pic we got when we got home.

Tonights practice we did interiors in the crate room.  My trainer had the room divided and momma had me search the first part....but there was nothing....then Miss Martha said "Oh no, its the other side of the cones".  BOL  Silly momma verify before making me search please.  Its so hard to find good help these days.  Once we were on the correct side of the room it was a no brainier.  Found it lick-ity split-ily.

After Interiors we worked handler discrimination.  We gave our gloves to trainer Kelly and she put them in boxes.  First round we had an empty box and a box with mommas glove.  Super easy.   Oh would ya look at Mr. Clooney's tail.  Its fierce!

Then we added a second empty box.  No problem.  Then Miss Martha really up-ed the ante.  We had an empty box, a box with mommas glove and a box with a brand new glove.  Oh this one worried me a bit.

I got up there and it was nothing.  I found mommas glove, click and treat.

Next we did vehicle searches.  One hide was on a hub cap and one hide on the tail hitch stick-ey out-ey piece.  First round with treats on the tin.  Then no treats on the second round.  Done and Done.

Last but not least simple birch oil in containers.  2 rows of 5 just like trial.

Now with each of these searches (interior, handler discrimination, vehicle and container) I stopped, sniffed longer, waited a 1/2 second then remembered to paw and oh boy momma was super happy bouts that!  I got lots of treats!  That extra practice paid off.  Now momma know fur sure when I have found the odor and exactly where I have found it.  No second guessing!  (Side Note from the momma: I had no idea or expectation that she would put the paw indication in to the class searches this quick and this efficiently.  I am beyond proud!!!)

Sniffs,
Lucy