Page 32 - Spring Newsletter2024

I was lucky to witness a big
change in a very, very nervous
Labrador, who due to an
unfortunate accident had missed
key socialisation months. Her
owner wasn’t sure she would
even get out of the car. We
could all see how nervous the
poor Labrador was; everything
was a big deal for her, her tail
was totally tucked under, with
big wide eyes about the scariness
of it all. We all gave her loads of
space, leaving her to work with
her owner, the teacher and the Steve over the table.
person hiding. The teacher simplified
it for her so she got lots of little wins,
whilst she learned the game. By the
end of that particular session, the
Labrador was in the middle as we
all walked back to the cars, she
looked relaxed, and looking up at the
people around her with her tail
wagging. It was emotional to see her
transformation.
Steve and I have done courses in very
quiet rural areas and in an area where
there had been a Rugby match on
with lots of smelly spectators and
players and Steve still managed to
isolate the scent of the person he was Steve with reward.
trailing. He ignored a dog playing
fetch and other dogs in the area as After half a day of using his sense of
he sniffed the ground to find the smell Mantrailing I get a very sleepy
person he was tracking. Typically, in and satisfied Steve, which is an added
true Steve flair on one scent trail bonus.
he choose to go over two benches
and approached the person he was Mantrailing makes me and Steve very
tracking over her shoulder, she was happy; it’s an absolute joy watching
surprised by the fluffy nutter over her him work in this way.
shoulder stood on the table as she I mentioned to Lis Stirling from
was sat on the bench. Eventually we Pawzability Mantrailing that I was
will be able to play the canine hide writing an article for the Keeshond
and seek game in a busy town, which Newsletter and she has kindly offered
will be interesting to see how he gets to put on an exclusive Keeshond only
on with all the distractions there, I Mantrailing session. If anyone is
have faith he will have no problem in interested in this, please let me know.
this situation.
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