Reply To: Annie & Ashley

[Alana McGee]

First of all, a wonderful weekend! Ashley was so focused and did such a great job! With a new place, people, dogs etc, her first seminar, first time being in a kennel with so many dogs so close (this was a little stressing). Seven weeks ago, even 3 weeks ago, this would not have happened. We would go to training and the environment was just over powering and getting any focus just did not happen. Not bad for a 6 month old puppy! Yeah Ashley!

Denise was wonderful! I learned a lot and have many changes I would like to work on for me. Ashley is just fine.

So for our last few hides…..

10/31

mid-morning
lots of rain! Rain!!!!!
backyard – 5 normal hides, 1 buried
cooked: 30 min

This was just find-alert-find-alert…… through all 6 in no time. Nice strong alerts. I have noticed that after I pick up a tin, she is ready to go again.
Interesting that she did not do her normal checking out the area first.
It had rained early morning and was raining at the time we were searching.

11/2
Bill tried a hide at home. He was not together enough – treats were on the table. She found one and he partied to the treats with her, then called it quits. I’m he was stressed and Ashley wasn’t focused enough. So I have to give him lots of credit for making sure she found 1 and partied and stopped. Yeah Bill.

11/3
Afternoon
On leash
Cool weather – slight wind
Out front: 5 easy hides 1 buried (newer area)
Cook time: 20 -25 min
We took a little walk. The neighbor was using an air compressor. She we played a game of tug from across the street from the distraction and took breaks as Ashley needed to feel safe. After a good 15 min of this
we started our hunt. She did great with all the distractions and found the 5 easy hides with pawing alerts.
Again, once I get the tin, she doesn’t want to stay too long. She is ready for the next one.

If we were really hunting, I would be looking for mushrooms also, so I used this as a way to find the buried hide. I got in the area about 2 ft away and started just messing around. Ashley came to sniff what I was doing and found the tin no problem.

I forgot to make sure I buried a tin with extra mushroom. Even with the extra mushroom in the tin, I am beginning to think there is really not enough scent to do much more than get through the soil. This week I’m going to make some oil and see if that might have more scent. There has been a consistent pattern of she needs to be really close to smell buried hides. Once she gets near them, it’s no problem pinpointing them.

I’m feeling much better about sessions this week than last. Alerts intact and rain is not an issue. The trees and major yard disruption was a lot of change and overwhelming smells. So all is good.

I will proceed to do some more new areas this week with 5 easy and 1 buried and see how we do. Along with home and yard hides.

Thanks for all your help.