Page 48 - Chow Life - 2016 Winter

Agility Made Easier

The Performance Chow Chow
by Loiuse Wilson, CCCI Performance Chair

A TAIL OF TWO NOSEWORK TRIALS

I entered Bronwyn in our third Nosework 1 trial and bookcases which she investigated (where the scent had
prepared for it for weeks with two different trainers. drifted) and then she turned around, walked 2 feet and
On Saturday November 7th, 2015, we got up at 6:30 alerted on a small classroom chair. That took her 67
am and stopping only for a breakfast to go and lunch seconds! Then we were directed back to our car.
for later in the day, we (that includes my husband About 30-40 minutes later, we were directed to the
Jerry - you know - the “good one”). We arrived at the outdoor search. She walked right in and I let her lead
Montessori School location at 8:45 and checked in. me as she checked out the area, the wall and briefly
Met and greeted friends and pottied Bronwyn. looked at the picnic table, continuing to snurffle in
At 9 ish we were led through the “walk-through.” the leaves and acorns until the three minute time limit
The first, element on our tour was the interior search. was reached. She never indicated that she had located
It consisted of a classroom for primary grade kids and picked up the scent. One of the volunteers told me
was full of what you would expect in such a site. Then that a number of dogs had reacted the way Bronwyn
we visited the outdoor site, which was under oak trees did and later I was told that the area had contained
and the ground was covered in leaves and acorns. raccoon droppings, so I realized that she was in
There was a picnic table and retaining wall in the search “critter” hunting mode during her search. I will need
area as well. I was concerned, because Bronwyn has to train her in venues of that ilk before our net trial.
been known to “mark” in outdoor venues. Turned out We then broke for lunch and I chose to continue with
I need not have worried about that! The third venue the trial as a learning experience as we had already
was the container search. It consisted of 12 closed failed in terms of getting the Nosework 1 title. After
cardboard boxes laid out in a circle arrangement, with lunch, we were directed to the auditorium for the
some of the boxes inside the circle. This was located in container search. Bronwyn walked in and sniffed some
an auditorium. The final site was for the vehicle search of the boxes on the perimeter and stopped to indicate
and was located outdoors in an area between buildings. she had found the scent item and she had! That took
There were three vehicles, including a pickup truck. 16 seconds! And she was not the fastest!
At 10 am the trial began. We were in two groups. After another interval of about 30-40 minutes, we
The A group was numbered 1 through 22 and the were directed to the vehicle search area. Bronwyn
B group was walked straight over to
numbered 23 the truck and sniffed
through 43. down the far side. She
Bronwyn was showed some interest
number 23, so we in the wheel well and
were the first in sniffed under the truck.
our group. We I knew from prior
were directed to experience that scent
the classroom for item must be on the
the interior search. other side of the truck
We entered and I or on the rear and she
gave the “search” was picking up drifting
command. She scent rather than the
walked straight actual item. Sure
across enough, we rounded the
the room rear end of the truck
to some and she indicated on the
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