Intro to Nose Work - Classes #1-3
I had heard about a sport called Nose Work right here on YT. It sounded like a good match for Thor, because he is very reactive around other dogs and unfortunately, this reactivity precludes him from any Agility work.
However, in Nose Work, each dog gets to work the floor on his own, while the other dogs are kennelled in a waiting area. Semi-insanity can even be a good trait in Nose Work, because here, the dog is running the show. Sports like Agility require that your dog follow your lead. In Nose Work, your dog tells you where the scent is, so as long as he doesn't try to bite people, all types of neuroses are tolerated.
Class 1
I have no idea what to expect. I'm told to bring some type of food that is not only tasty, but novel. I stop on the way to class to pick up a McDonald's hamburger.
When I arrive at class, I'm surprised to see that the six other humans in the class are all women, including the instructor. Is Nose Work a "girly" sport?
I also see that Thor is the only dog without an awesome carrier in which to rest in between sets. I have him in a petite Celltei carrier, and it looks like I dropped my purse on the floor by accident. Other humans trying to wrassle their dogs into their awesome carriers accidentally knock into his bag. This displeases Thor immensely.
We start the class by sitting in plastic seats, and the instructor begins. First she tells us that the cacophony of doggy distress in the background is good - it shows "drive." She tells us that the dogs should be chewing their way out of their crates because they want to be on the course so badly. Thor is off to a strong start, as he is barking his little head off.
Then we begin for real. The instructor takes out a bunch of cardboard boxes of various shapes and sizes, one of which is marked with an "F", for "Food". This is The Box that will always hold the prize. This is easier for the dogs then hiding it in different boxes and muddling the smell trail.
Naturally, Thor is the smallest dog in the class. I'm struck by how beautiful all of his classmates are. Thor is of course the cutest one, but the other dogs are giving him a run for his money. We have two retrievers, one golden, and one black lab. There is one Belgian dog that looks like a German Shepard with long hair. We have an adorable schnauzer, who at a mere twelve pounds is the next smallest in the class. And we have a cockapoo named Digsby.
In this class, everyone brings a different treat for their dog. Each dog gets a turn, which means that he is taken out of his crate and brought to the area with the boxes laid out. Either the instructor or the owner holds onto the dog while the other person (owner or instructor) tries to get the dog excited about the boxes. This is done by rubbing the boxes together, pretending to eat food out of them, making yummy noises, etc. When the dog looks interested in finding something to eat, he is released, and left to find his treat.
Thor is so small that all the boxes are put on their sides so he doesn't actually have to put his head in. He's clearly put off by the flaps of the box, and at sticking his head into the bait bag. After 30 minutes, I realize that a cold McDonald's hamburger, besides being really, really bad for him, actually doesn't smell all that much. It's just a grey lump.
The class lasts 90 minutes, and I leave a bit out of sorts. Thor's only strength appears to be barking while in his crate. Once actually on the course, he is the worst in the class, and I am not showing any particular talent as a handler. In addition, all the dogs barked and cried the entire class, and I'm wondering what Thor will remember: the ten minutes out of the crate, or the 80 stuck inside it?
Class 2
I decide beforehand to switch to smoked salmon as our lure, as it is a healthier treat, and it stinks to high heaven.
We arrive to see that some of our classmates have brought boyfriends / husbands to the class. They alternate who handles the dog during the run.
We do more of the same from Class 1: first the instructor gets the dog excited, then we do. We try a run with the dog on leash, and a run with the dog off. Most of the dogs, Thor included, are still a little shaky on the basics. The retriever in particular wants to meet and greet more than she wants to eat. The lab by contrast is a furry missile of food detection. She does not sniff out her treat so much as she destroys everything in her wake, leaving the treat nowhere to hide.
Digsby the cockapoo does surprisingly well. He actually seems to show some technique, and finds the food box quickly each time.
The Belgian Shepard dog does okay, but apparently not as well as her owner expects, because after each run, the owner gives a reason as to why her darling, brilliant, perfect dog is not at the top of the class.
Thor and I have each improved in our own way. Thor is willing to brave the box flaps to get his salmon, and I am complimented on my patience, which is nice, as I often feel that my patience is tried with Thor. But I had no expectations going into the class, and both Thor and I are happy to let him meander around until he sniffs out his reward. I leave feeling better about both of us.
Class 3
Everyone is getting the hang of it now. The instructor compliments us all on how well our dogs are doing (sincerely? I'm not sure). As a reward, we get to do our first blind test! The instructor lays out six identical looking boxes in a row with holes punched in the top. Neither the human nor the dog knows which box holds the reward. The instructor tells us to watch the other dogs to see if we can pick up the signs that the dog has found the right box.
Digsby the cockapoo picks out the right box in a jiffy. His owner doesn't realize how good he is, and doesn't call "Alert" the first time he ids it. He patiently sniffs all the other boxes, and then comes back to the original box. This time his owner sees it.
While Digsby is a gentleman sniffer, the lab continues to channel Dogzilla. She punches the box with her nose and manages to eat her treat, plus a good amount of cardboard. She clearly has great drive, and indeed has to be dragged off the course when she's done, just as the instructor wants for all our dogs.
Thor starts sniffing the boxes, and I jump the gun on calling alert. When he gets to the food box, I can see the difference between him casually sniffing the first few boxes, and purposefully checking out this much more interesting one. We correctly Alert on this one.
Keep reading here! http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/blo...asses-4-6.html
However, in Nose Work, each dog gets to work the floor on his own, while the other dogs are kennelled in a waiting area. Semi-insanity can even be a good trait in Nose Work, because here, the dog is running the show. Sports like Agility require that your dog follow your lead. In Nose Work, your dog tells you where the scent is, so as long as he doesn't try to bite people, all types of neuroses are tolerated.
Class 1
I have no idea what to expect. I'm told to bring some type of food that is not only tasty, but novel. I stop on the way to class to pick up a McDonald's hamburger.
When I arrive at class, I'm surprised to see that the six other humans in the class are all women, including the instructor. Is Nose Work a "girly" sport?
I also see that Thor is the only dog without an awesome carrier in which to rest in between sets. I have him in a petite Celltei carrier, and it looks like I dropped my purse on the floor by accident. Other humans trying to wrassle their dogs into their awesome carriers accidentally knock into his bag. This displeases Thor immensely.
We start the class by sitting in plastic seats, and the instructor begins. First she tells us that the cacophony of doggy distress in the background is good - it shows "drive." She tells us that the dogs should be chewing their way out of their crates because they want to be on the course so badly. Thor is off to a strong start, as he is barking his little head off.
Then we begin for real. The instructor takes out a bunch of cardboard boxes of various shapes and sizes, one of which is marked with an "F", for "Food". This is The Box that will always hold the prize. This is easier for the dogs then hiding it in different boxes and muddling the smell trail.
Naturally, Thor is the smallest dog in the class. I'm struck by how beautiful all of his classmates are. Thor is of course the cutest one, but the other dogs are giving him a run for his money. We have two retrievers, one golden, and one black lab. There is one Belgian dog that looks like a German Shepard with long hair. We have an adorable schnauzer, who at a mere twelve pounds is the next smallest in the class. And we have a cockapoo named Digsby.
In this class, everyone brings a different treat for their dog. Each dog gets a turn, which means that he is taken out of his crate and brought to the area with the boxes laid out. Either the instructor or the owner holds onto the dog while the other person (owner or instructor) tries to get the dog excited about the boxes. This is done by rubbing the boxes together, pretending to eat food out of them, making yummy noises, etc. When the dog looks interested in finding something to eat, he is released, and left to find his treat.
Thor is so small that all the boxes are put on their sides so he doesn't actually have to put his head in. He's clearly put off by the flaps of the box, and at sticking his head into the bait bag. After 30 minutes, I realize that a cold McDonald's hamburger, besides being really, really bad for him, actually doesn't smell all that much. It's just a grey lump.
The class lasts 90 minutes, and I leave a bit out of sorts. Thor's only strength appears to be barking while in his crate. Once actually on the course, he is the worst in the class, and I am not showing any particular talent as a handler. In addition, all the dogs barked and cried the entire class, and I'm wondering what Thor will remember: the ten minutes out of the crate, or the 80 stuck inside it?
Class 2
I decide beforehand to switch to smoked salmon as our lure, as it is a healthier treat, and it stinks to high heaven.
We arrive to see that some of our classmates have brought boyfriends / husbands to the class. They alternate who handles the dog during the run.
We do more of the same from Class 1: first the instructor gets the dog excited, then we do. We try a run with the dog on leash, and a run with the dog off. Most of the dogs, Thor included, are still a little shaky on the basics. The retriever in particular wants to meet and greet more than she wants to eat. The lab by contrast is a furry missile of food detection. She does not sniff out her treat so much as she destroys everything in her wake, leaving the treat nowhere to hide.
Digsby the cockapoo does surprisingly well. He actually seems to show some technique, and finds the food box quickly each time.
The Belgian Shepard dog does okay, but apparently not as well as her owner expects, because after each run, the owner gives a reason as to why her darling, brilliant, perfect dog is not at the top of the class.
Thor and I have each improved in our own way. Thor is willing to brave the box flaps to get his salmon, and I am complimented on my patience, which is nice, as I often feel that my patience is tried with Thor. But I had no expectations going into the class, and both Thor and I are happy to let him meander around until he sniffs out his reward. I leave feeling better about both of us.
Class 3
Everyone is getting the hang of it now. The instructor compliments us all on how well our dogs are doing (sincerely? I'm not sure). As a reward, we get to do our first blind test! The instructor lays out six identical looking boxes in a row with holes punched in the top. Neither the human nor the dog knows which box holds the reward. The instructor tells us to watch the other dogs to see if we can pick up the signs that the dog has found the right box.
Digsby the cockapoo picks out the right box in a jiffy. His owner doesn't realize how good he is, and doesn't call "Alert" the first time he ids it. He patiently sniffs all the other boxes, and then comes back to the original box. This time his owner sees it.
While Digsby is a gentleman sniffer, the lab continues to channel Dogzilla. She punches the box with her nose and manages to eat her treat, plus a good amount of cardboard. She clearly has great drive, and indeed has to be dragged off the course when she's done, just as the instructor wants for all our dogs.
Thor starts sniffing the boxes, and I jump the gun on calling alert. When he gets to the food box, I can see the difference between him casually sniffing the first few boxes, and purposefully checking out this much more interesting one. We correctly Alert on this one.
Keep reading here! http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/blo...asses-4-6.html
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