K9 NOSE WORK® - WHATS IT ALL ABOUT Sometimes it’s easy to forget how it all started :-). I attended an “Intro to K9NW” workshop at a dog training facility in NJ in June 2010, and my dog Eddie was chosen as a demo dog to be introduced to this new dog sport. Eddie had never done nose work before (though always used his nose plenty when outside, hunting critters), and the food was actually “hidden” in a regular bait bag within the boxes (LOTS of food scent :-)). But Eddie is also a social guy and often actually chooses attention over treats, and I remember him walking over to the ring gates that separated the training area from the spectators with his usual charming demeanor and tail wag, wanting to socialize and be petted. But Amy and Jill were patient, and he quite enjoyed the activity as well as getting admired and petted afterwards. For me, and I think for many of my K9NW students starting nose work, it seemed like magic! Suddenly we realize how much we actually underestimate our dogs and what they are truly capable of. Seeing the video of a little Yorkie in a grassy field full of Easter eggs hunting for the one egg with odor – I never thought my dogs could do that (plus, I was concerned about the marking issue.... :-)). Odor Recognition Tests, trials... that seemed completely unachievable, just for high-drive dogs, certainly not MY dogs....! What got me and my dogs hooked, was not the potential for gaining ribbons or recognition, but the FUN we were having, learning this new dog activity together, exploring our limits, problem-solving, starting on food, moving on to pairing and then the scary moment of the first unpaired hide: “is my dog going to react to the Birch scent alone?” Then a while later, the thought came to mind, maybe we can pass an ORT. And then the first NW trials (and no waiting lists at that time!); all of us on the East coast was still so “green”, we didn’t really have a clue what we were doing, resulting in a lot of “non-titles”, but we still had FUN! We were “exploring new worlds” (Star Trek speak :-)). Again, I was in awe of my dogs. And they were probably just glad I stayed out of their way so they could do their job! Learning about NW2 (and NW3) presented a whole different ball game, and I must admit, I had a tough time switching from “let the dog do all the work” to “now you have add some control”. That was truly not fun for me - yuck! I just loved observing my dogs working freely and letting them make all the decisions. But lo and behold, as my dogs were willing to adjust and learn new skills, I bravely stepped up to the plate, and we worked through it together. I learnt when to let my dog control the search, and when I need to step in, and it’s truly like a dance. A K9NW team that is in synch is a beauty to behold! Every time we do nose work, it’s an adventure: what is going to happen today? I see my dogs happily trotting around searching for the hides, getting more intense as they zoom in, their anticipation clearly visible in their faces, hear their sniffing turn into snorting, and then BOOM: a nose bump, a freeze, a paw lift, a stare, right at source. If the hide was a mouse, there would be no escape! And then the softening of their body and tail wag, trusting that the treat will be forthcoming. It just makes me smile, and my dogs look back at me with that big Pit-Brit grin :-)! It’s like we are in a bubble when we do K9NW – it’s just about my dogs and me. I have learnt to trust my dogs, and they trust me. And yes, while I (and some of my students) do compete now, I always remember what K9 Nose Work® is all about: spending quality time with my dogs, the willingness to learn and explore together, mutual trust and above all, FUN for both ends of the leash. It really does not matter whether your dog is on primary (food/toy) or odor, whether you compete or not; remember, it’s all about you and your dog, and I promise you, I will always make and keep it fun for you! Thanks to my dogs Eddie and Ronya for being superb K9NW partners and of course to Ron, Amy and Jill and their team for bringing K9 Nose Work® to life! Silke, CNWI herocanineconsulting
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 12:00:01 +0000