I'm going to make a solid effort to log the nosework practices that I do with Frodo because I don't think that just working with him and watching him is going to help me to mark his progress. It's not like agility or rally where you can say you ran a course with no faults or that they did a certain obstacle or sign correctly. I am also going to try and post pictures of the hides that I make, as well as videos of the searches.

Nosework Practice 1 (11.8.2010)

Time: 3:00pm
Location: Home - Living Room
Description of Environment: In my living room, many boxes and much clutter present, carpeted flooring, additional dog loose in search area (Mollie)
What practiced: elevation; hide out of view/obstructed from dog
Hides used: bait bag containing kibble and freeze dried tripe
Who hid the hide: Myself
Environmental considerations: Mollie was a definite distraction/stressor, he worked more frantically and unfocused when she was in the room
Findings: I need to gradually introduce stressors like other dogs into the search field (if I choose to, this would not be a requirement for competition); hides that require Frodo to move things and push his way in order to get to the hide may be too advanced at this point.

Trial 1:
This was supposed to be an easy trial just to let him know that we are doing Nosework and that it is working time. My bait bag was hidden next to the brown box. He found it quickly and easily.


Trial 2:
This trial added elevation and a small amount of obstruction. He could not see the hide until he had caught scent and looked inside the box. He also found this easily.
Video of search: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5IycKDXAMA
(You can tell by the head snap exactly when he caught the scent.)


Trial 3:
This trial also added a sense of partial obstruction in that he would probably not be able to see the bait bag until he had caught the scent. Again, he found this hide quickly and easily.

Trial 4: This was by far the most difficult trial of the day. I believe I added too many elements at once, there was elevation + complete obstruction + threshold work (the bait bag was inside of the laptop bag in the pictures below). Frodo has an issue where he is so eager to work that he will blow right past the threshold of the search area and into the middle of the area. I wasn't thinking about all the elements at the time, and made it too hard. He also lost interest and I didn't implement my backup plan (walking to the corner where the hide was) until he was already disinterested and leaving the search area. After he left the search area I brought him back and made it obvious to him where the hide had been.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCXywezaqrU

Trial 5: My intention with this trial was to make it an easy trial for Frodo and for it to be the last trial of the session, which it was. Always end on a high note.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjlIG-F-Yjg
(In the video I say it is Frodo's 4th run, I messed up numbering some of the runs because I had forgotten to include the 1st, very easy run)

Overall I would say that it was a successful training session, at least for me. I'm no expert and I am really kind of just winging it with this whole thing. I much prefer working when a trainer is present, but obviously that is not always possible.

Note: A house being packed up for a move and going through renovations adds many good hide spots! :p

Not the best picture in the world, but I like it.

For the past few days I have been hiding Frodo's dinner kibbles all around my room since we don't really have an interactive toy right now for him to play with and get his food from. He LOVES this game. As soon as I get the kibble and head to my room he starts barking from the other side of the baby-gate until it is time to play, and he doesn't even try and make a pit-stop at the cat box on his way to my room!

No, this isn't going to be a heartfelt, warm post. Tender Moments is the name of the Purina made moist cat treat that Frodo things is the bomb. I know they are probably grievously bad for him, but it's not like he will be getting them all the time...plus they were cheap. And like I said, he thinks they are amazing.

I am honestly beginning to think that Frodo just likes to hear himself bark. And that a lot of his barking is just habitual and that he isn't really barking out of fear or frustration or...whatever.