Page 31 - Spring Newsletter2024

trainers laugh at his ability to stand It’s a joy to watch. As Keeshonds are
beautifully on anything that remotely clever, we have realised Steve will try
looks like a platform for anyone to to cheat and try to see which direction
admire how absolutely gorgeous he the person hiding has gone, but we’ve
is, my dog is so vain. He approaches got wise to this and he now has a
everything with lots of enthusiasm delayed start where he doesn’t see
and with some food reward will do his the person who is hiding run off. He
best to get it right for me. has to pick up the person’s scent from
the scent article and lead me to
Mantrailing is completely different, find them. His tracking style is full
the dog makes the decisions on which of gusto, once he picks up on the
direction to go, the handlers are just scent, he tends to run to find them,
there on the other end of a long lead I find myself enthusiastically running
following behind, there is a bit more behind him, with Lis in my ear saying
to it than that but in essence it’s roles ‘no running, just let the lead out’
reversed. Steve and the other dogs there really is no need to run but it’s
I have witnessed picking up the so joyful watching him enjoy himself,
hide and seek game do so quickly,
I cannot help getting swept up by his
some quicker than others. Steve of enthusiasm.
course was a natural, got it on
his first go, after a little bit of
him looking at me initially for
cues as to what I wanted him
to do. He probably thought I
was broken as I stood there like
a mannequin. He quickly
realised, sniff the scent article,
find person = tasty treat. The
tasty treats are in sealed
containers; these are only
opened when the dog has
indicated they have found the
right person, so the dogs aren’t
tracking the scent of the food.
Also, on the sessions I have
been on, we all had sardines as
our treat, if the dogs were
tracking the smell of sardines
they would head to the other
dog owners, but they know the
game, smell scent article, find person Steve, I’ve got it.
= get treat. We take it in turns to be Although there are a few people and
the person hiding so they don’t find dogs on each session, only one dog
the same person each time. I thought works at a time, which is why it’s
initially Steve might go to the last good for any special needs dogs, not
person he found; the person who last that I have to worry about that with
gave him a treat but he knows that Stevie Boy.
isn’t the game.
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