Thursday, May 16, 2013

Grafton 5/16/13

Here's the ones we got tonight...  I recommend watching these videos over and over and over again.  When you see the behavior enough times on video - in time you'll be able to see it in real time, as its happening. 

You'll notice he gets pretty close to an anise hide very quickly in the search, but if he knew it was there, I didn't see it.  Keep in mind that for this area, the breeze is blowing from your right as you started the search.  He got the first one at about 1:20 and had to indicate it twice before you reacted.  His tail definitely wags to the happy talk.  After the first hide, he looks like he wants to go down to where the hide nearest the nursery doors is, but you don't go with him, so he doesn't pursue it.  I think when he went back to where the first hide he found was for the third time (after you'd picked up the tin) he was catching a breeze from the other one - you'll see then he does go down that way and catches it with a nice change of behavior at about 2:50+.  You'll notice your search never takes him into the space where he would have caught odor for the last hide.



When you stayed in the area, he did finally catch some of it drifting up to his nose and follows it to source.  Then when we do it again focusing on getting into that area where the air moving to... he does catch it, but not until he gets his nose down... even though he'd been through there twice but both times with his head up.  Because of where the odor was, unless the dogs stopped right on top of it, it needed to fall and they both found it from underneath. 


Right after the first hide he finds, he starts toward the one on the left end (:35) but you don't go with him backing away from the pallets... note he even looks back in that direction (:38), but then YOU move him the other way and like a gentleman he accommodates you.  You'll notice he sniffs low toward where the next hide is (:50) and then you move around him and start to the back of the pallets.  When I tell you they are on the front and you come back, he goes right to that hide within 2 seconds (1:09).  He knew it was there, but  politely followed you.  Watch his nose a little more and if he stops in one spot sniffing for a second or two... then honor where he is at with some moving around him.  He practically stood on his head before you called it...    After you hand me the tin, he goes back to where it was and then looks at you - as if to question whether he'll be allowed to go to where the other one is - watch it (1:45).  He had his nose right on it (1:56), but you didn't catch it.  So it takes another 20 seconds before he goes back to it.

This is one thing I totally disagree with NACSW and their approach - the whole business about not encouraging the dogs to develop an alert early on.  When the dog has to rely on us to read them... too much of the time they are not being supported and I believe that undermines confidence.  But, when a dog has a way to indicate where it is and basically demand that you pay attention to what they are showing you - I think that builds confidence.  NACSW thinks if the dog has an indicator early, we handlers will never learn to read them... I haven't found that to be the case and Gimme had a very early indicator.  We really need to push the nose touch game with Grafton so he can demand that you pay him over and over and over again.  At some point he'll realize that he can initiate and then you'll have a valid indicator that will put control in his paws.



BTW another thought... you might want to get him a totally separate harness for nosework.  Afterall... what has he been learning in THAT harness for all his other walks - don't pull, walk politely beside Mom.  What are you getting in nosework?  No pulling and he follows you even before you take a step in a direction - he turns with you when you shift your weight.  I would try a harness with a Y-front that is more comfortable for leaning into and pulling and only use it for nosework and tracking, saving this harness for walking.

His body language is verrrrry clear in this video, as is his politely following you in a shed that he KNOWS has no odor in it.  He could carry a sign...  Notice how long it is between when his head first goes down to odor at the first hide and when you "woohoo" for it.  From 0:24.68 to 0:29.50 - a full five seconds from when he starts detailing until when he convinces you.  We can tighten that up when he knows a way to demand payment.  You just had to take him in the white shed (he's so patient - he even politely sniffs around the door frame so you will feel he's honored your request even though I'm 100% sure he knew there wasn't any odor there).  Note how quickly he steps in the yellow shed and basically goes right to the odor.  No interest in the blue shed - though he was willing if you needed to go in there.  He started past the green one and there was a very decided change of behavior when he caught the odor and then went straight to it. 


The worst thing about the sod hide was how tight it was, making it hard for us to move around without bothering/interfering with the dogs.  He first puts his nose right up next to where the odor is at 1:38.  Again at 1:42 and holding for several seconds.  Again at 1:56, looks at you and wags, which is when I commented.  When you hold the treat near it, so he has to point at it to get the treat - he's on it within a second - for the fourth time.  I think playing that game in many situations with every hide will go a long way toward giving him a tool to demand that you pay up.  


I'm dubbing that game Nosework Zen... its like Doggie Zen in that "you have to give it up to get it grasshopper".  IE the dog has to leave the treats and show where the odor is to get the treats.
 
BTW I noticed watching these that his tail wags every time you say "good boy".  I think playing with the paper bags could be a good way to ramp up his enthusiasm, which will lead to more success and thence to confidence.









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