11-18-2009

We are waaaay behind on blogging. Duece is attending ABC- Agility Boot Camp for basic introduction to agility. We want to build up Duece's self-confidence for new things and work on him being afraid of unstable things. He's played with the see-saw set at an inch or so and the uneven table but haven't done a lot yet. One of the trainers hid some scent at the end of the class and Duece got to search for it. He indicated in an area but I didn't see the container so I screwed up and let him continue searching. The continued searching is okay, but he needs the reward & praise at the scent until his confidence builds. The area didn't let him go into a full indication and we need to have an indication that works better even if he can't sit or down in that area. Duece indicated, I just need to recognize it better.

10-27-2009

We've been working a little off and on while keeping Duece interested. Yesterday, after Joker worked a trail, our trail runner gloved up and hid some scent for Duece. Duece has been getting a lot better in the traveling department. It takes some bribery (and pleading) to get him to climb into the suburban on his own, but once he gets in he does okay. Even when left in the suburban for awhile.

The scent was hidden in a grill in a park, one of those heavy duty things that are cemented in the ground. It was getting dark and there was a lot of traffic around the park so we didn't let the scent sit long enough to establish much of a scent cone. He did work it pretty good and the light breeze took the scent to a picnic table and Duece barely slowed down and jumped up on the table. He sniffed around it and then did his indication while on top of the picnic table. I asked him to 'show me' and he worked his way over to the grill and when I got him really excited about "show me" he jumped up on the grill and stuck his nose down into the grate. It was really funny and he got his reward and a bunch of praise.

Today we got out the PVC pipe garden to start proofing Duece from indicating on food/treats. His favorite search treat is bologna and he passed right by another treat but did an indication on a piece of bologna. He got a little correction and went on to the correct PVC pipe. We did about 5 more of these and he's starting to ignore the food/treat. It's going to take some more work especially since Duece doesn't like the PVC pipes and would rather run around and search. I guess that means we'll have to leave some food/treats out in his search area until he learns to ignore those distractions.

10-16-2009

We've been searching in the basement the past few days. It's really wet outside and I have to get rid of this cold/cough. He's getting better about working inside and is even starting to pay attention to my 'detailing' with him. He is still afraid of things like a parked, shut off, vacuum cleaner but we're working on it.

On Wednesday we went into town and tried something different. Put a harness on Duece with a long lead and had a trail runner tease him with a treat and then run away and hide behind a tree. He used his eyes instead of his nose but it's a start. Duece had a blast, got a lot of treats and we all got wet in the snow.

Duece's new harness/vest arrived today from Ray Allen. I'd post a picture but he gets too excited if I put it on him as he wants to search and I don't need an excited Aussie in the house this evening.

10-10-2009

Duece wants/needs to work. He's been pacing around looking for something to do. We've done a couple hides out in the yard and he loves to search. We put some scent in a gravel pile and he found it okay, but had trouble pinpointing it for his indication. I was able to start some 'detailing' with him but he's pretty active and excited which is good in the long run because he wants to work. It's just going to take awhile. I put a jar of teeth in the basement and he knows it's there and is just itching to go and look for it.
After it sat for awhile we went to work it. Duece still can't quite figure out why we are searching inside. He started but then slowed way down and got into his 'frustration mode' so I tried to 'detail' with him. He didn't like that so we just followed each other around the basement until he hit on the correct place. He actually does a pretty good search on his own, we just need to refine it a little bit. He gets so excited (and so do I) when he finds it and wants his treat right away. I'm trying to get him to wait in the sit-down position but right now we'll do anything to keep him fired up and wanting to play the game.

Sept 28 - Oct 3, 2009

We went to NASDN fall seminar at Camp Ripley, MN. It was a lot of fun and we learned a lot. Duece was exposed to hidden scent put out by someone besides me and I was able to learn how he works in different environments.
Duece did an excellent job and we learned where we need to do more work. We haven't done much on buried scent or on scent hidden inside buildings or on/in water. The buried is similar to what we've been doing but the indoor is a different. Water is a whole other equation that needs others to participate since we can't work the dog and run a boat at the same time.
I've never done a 'detail search' with Duece and it's something we need to work on. In a building the air movement can really screw things up so we need to practice those. Outside, Duece has room to work with the wind and the scent cone that he doesn't have inside and it frustrates him. It'll get better when we do more of them.
Another nice thing about seminars is learning how other folks do things. Duece seemed to get over his anxiety of getting left in the suburban when Diane suggested we feed Duece a little at a time instead of all at one time for his morning meal and it seemed to work.

09-19-2009

The wind was blowing pretty good this afternoon (17 gusting to 25). I put some scent out and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Duece was pretty excited and would hardly sit still while I put his vest on him. I started him just outside the garage and let him work while I went for a walk. He was a little distracted by the other dogs and the neighbor mowing lawn. Once we cleared the barn and were down wind of the scent it was really fun watching Duece work. He circled and weaved and appeared to find the edge of the scent cone and then he would double back and work the other edge. He lifted his head up and looked into the wind and worked his way to the scent. We need more work on his indication though, but he's starting to understand a little more of the "Show me!" command.

I should mention that a couple of days ago while cutting cockle burrs out of Duece's hair, I cut his skin under his hair. He has a few stitches and staples on his neck. It doesn't seem to bother him even though we have a 'neck warmer' over his neck to keep him from scratching the wound. Other than the day of his surgery, it hasn't slowed him down at all. Our vet said I should surrender my scissors although she also said it happens more often than I ever thought it did.

09-18-2009

Really behind on blogging and training - in the meantime watch this





Click here if it doesn't work.

08-22-2009

Today, we took Duece & Ziva to Farmer's Market for a little socialization. Duece still isn't enthused about getting into the suburban, but he just sits down and makes me pick him up. It's weird because when he sees the collar and lead coming he gets so excited that I can barely get the collar on him. While we were there he minds really well and he's learning not to jump up on people although we have to watch him because he thinks everyone wants to play with him. Afterwards we stopped at Menards for awhile and he seemed to handle that just fine. I left a portable radio on and he was with Ziva so maybe that helps, too.

Duece has been really great at jumping up on things as he was pretty much afraid to a few months ago. We just needed some confidence building and letting him learn at his own pace. I need to get a video of him climbing a couple different stacks of pallets. This afternoon when Helen was checking the propane level, our granddaughter thought she would help and when Duece saw her on the tank he had to join her.

08-17-2009

Yesterday, I put out some scent and went back to the house. Duece watched me put some bologna into a ziplock bag and then we went outside. No vest and no command, just a walk that ended up downwind of the scent. Duece wasn't sure what to do when he found it. He lay down and rolled over, got up and walked a ways away and then went back. This time he looked at me and did his 'down' next to it. I gave him his bologna with a lot of praise. I'm wanting him to be aware of the scent even if he isn't in his vest although we'll use his vest most of the time.

Today I used a scented tennis ball inside a PVC pipe of the PVC garden with two more tennis balls in other PVC pipes for decoys. He was dressed up in his vest and he had watched me put bologna in a ziplock bag and he was given his command. He spent a bunch of time around Helen's car before he took off across the lawn after he saw the PVC garden. He checked out all the pipes and then rolled over by the wrong one. When I asked him what he was doing he got up and went to the right pipe and rolled over again and did his 'down' waiting for the bologna It's almost like he knows which one is the right one, he just want to play around. Maybe I need to play with him for awhile afterwards just to extend the positive aspect of him finding the scent.

08-15-2009

Yesterday Duece & I went to town and switched vehicles and took Helen's to get the oil changed. We stopped in at Helen's work for a few minutes and let Duece get spoiled. Afterwards we stopped at a couple of places and then went back and got the oil changed in the suburban. Then I made the mistake of stopping at Walmart. Not that I don't like Walmart, but it takes too long to checkout. Duece was wondering if I was ever coming back. Duece doesn't mind the traveling, he just can't handle the waiting in the vehicle and he threw up twice. I've tried leaving the vehicle running with the radio on, leaving it shut off with a battery radio on and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

This evening, Duece was restless and the weather outside is rotten so I took the 'Bone box' downstairs and hid it. Duece had his first piece of bologna last week and he goes nuts for it. So I got his vest and let him watch me put a piece of bologna in a zip lock and then we went down stairs to look for the 'Bone box." We spent a few minutes going from room to room and back again. Duece gave an indication about 3 feet from teh hidden box but when I told him to "Show me!" he got up and started searching again. He showed a lot of interest in the area about 3 feet away but actually got frustrated when he wasn't finding it. Finally, after checking out areas all around the hidden box, he got his nose in the area and did his 'down' indication and got his bologna.

08-12-2009

One more step with getting Duece out in public. He doesn't run away but isn't enthused about getting into the suburban. Last night we went to the local Tea Party. Duece even had his own sign.


Duece's sign says:

I expect to be fed
I expect my vet bills to be paid
I expect to be entertained
Someone else picks up my poop
Therefore I must be an Obamacrat

Duece does well in public once he learns not to jump up on people. He's learning though. As long as we're talking 'learning' there are a lot of kids out there that don't know how to greet a dog. Duece loves kids and last night when he saw some playing on the grass, he stopped and stared. You could tell he was wanting to run over and play. Too many kids think they can just run up and throw their arms around a dog's neck without a reaction from the dog. It just scares the hell out of me so we keep a pretty good eye on anyone that wants to pet the dog. One young'un last night was holding a napkin around one finger, saying he had a little cut on it when he asked if he could "Pet your dog?" When I said okay, he got down on his knees directly in front of Duece and threw both arms around his neck with his face right at the end of Duece's nose. When I stopped him, his brother(?) came over and said to leave the dog alone. I told him it was okay, but not to grab the dog's neck while in the dog's face. I try to tell the young one's how to approach a dog but some just don't seem to have the attention span to listen. Just have to keep an eye on them and the dog.

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08-06-2009

Last weekend we went on a long trip with Duece and Ziva, 12 hours one way in a vehicle and three nights in a strange house. The next day after we arrived at home it was National Night Out. Duece & Joker attended this and by the end of the event both of them were pretty tired out. They both got lots of attention and hugs from a whole bunch of kids.


While Duece rests and I am talking to the Border Patrol K9 handler, Joker leans against Helen.

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07-26-2009

I put out some scent this evening and waited about 30 minutes. It was hidden in an old 4 wheeled horse cart in the back yard where we had walked before so he couldn't just follow my tracks to find it. This time I tried not to lead him in anyway and tried to follow him as he worked. I also didn't talk to him except to reinforce the command and call him when he took off too far ahead on some 'goose chase'. I think it confused him a little bit and he got a little sidetracked until I called him back and gave the command again. Once he was down wind of where the scent was and he did a little circling and at one time I thought he would head right for it but he checked something else out and then moved on. I didn't stop when he moved on and followed him around the yard again. It appeared that he was hitting the scent but wasn't sure and I continued walking until he circled back. Then I stopped away from the hidden scent and almost ignored him. He jumped up against the back of the wagon but didn't go into his sit indication. He circled around and came over to me and I asked "Where is it?" and stayed where I was at. He went back to the cart and stuck his nose right in the area where it was hidden and then sat down. Once he was 'firmly planted' I went over and gave him a lot of praise and massage and then gave him a treat. We played around a little and I took off his vest and he turned around and jumped clear up on the cart, the scent was hidden under the seat where he couldn't reach it. He just looked at me and waited for another treat.
I changed some scent containers around and put two unscented/aired out tennis balls in a container (where they cannot contact any material) for some ball scented work. I use a plastic handle to throw the balls and let the dog find it. He can't bring it back and has to sit when he finds it. What's nice about it is there is no track left by me leading up to the scent.

07-23-2009

We took our longest trip today, over 3 hours each way. Actually went real well. I set up a barrier that let the dogs have the area directly behind the front seats but couldn't go back into the cargo area and get into anything. (I once had a cell phone antenna, among other things, chewed up when I let a dog run free in the suburban.) On the first leg we left the dogs (Ziva & Duece) in the running vehicle while in a store, and they did fine. I took them both for a little walk before we left and then we had a 10 minute stop about 30 minutes from our destination and somewhere between there and the destination Duece threw up. For some reason he gets an anxiety attack when we leave him for long in the vehicle. We had a lot of fun while visiting our friends who have two Dachshunds. Duece slept most of the way home and Ziva slept a little as she doesn't want to miss anything. We stopped about 1/2 way home and left the dogs alone for awhile and it didn't seem to bother Duece. All were happy when we got home.

07-19-2009

Today Duece rode along again. He isn't real excited about getting in the suburban but he doesn't run away either. I left it running with the radio on when I was inside the store and again when I made a quick stop for groceries. I forgot to mention in the last post that we stopped at McDonald's on the way home and Duece sat up and stared at the person in the window but didn't care once he got some pieces of a hamburger. I forgot about the ketchup and pickles but he ate every piece. Today we had some cheese dogs on the way home. Those aren't bribes, they're rewards. :-)
This evening we were playing with Ziva on the couple pieces of 'agility' equipment we built in the back yard. There's a couple of jumps, a tire jump and 4 weave poles. It's funny watching Ziva & Duece go through the tire jump at the same time to get their treat. They haven't quite figured out the weave poles yet, but neither have I. We have the jumps set high enough for Duece and Ziva jumps over the bottom post that holds the uprights together. We haven't tied the individual items into a 'run ' yet as we're just learning the hand signals and item commands.

07-18-2009

I've been slacking - with the blog and with Duece. Last week we tried something new with someone driving the suburban while Duece & I rode in the back seat. We put 30 miles on and Duece did great. I gave him a lot of attention and he would sit up and look around when we slowed to turn, etc. Other times he lay on the seat and almost fell asleep. Now a week later, I had to make a trip into town so I put the blanket on the seat and brought Duece along. He looked around at times and almost slept the rest of the time. I was worried about leaving him alone as that has brought on a bunch of panting and drooling, but today I left the suburban running with the radio on and he was just fine. Even when I had to retrieve a part from the rear of vehicle, he just sat up and then curled up on the seat when I went back inside the store. I did give him a small piece of teriyaki beef jerky a couple of times. When I was done with business and we were headed to another store, I offered him an Alpo Snap and he just turned away, probably knowing the beef jerky wasn't all gone. He got a piece of jerky. The next other store was an outside warehouse place so Duece was able to watch me walk around and only disappear for a short time. I didn't even try the Alpo Snap and went straight for the jerky when we left. He doesn't bother the bag laying on the floor but knows what's up when I pick up the bag.
We've done a couple cadaver scent hides during this time as well. I'm trying to be farther away from Duece when he finds it so he pays less attention to me. Tonight he actually had his nose a few inches from the container but he looked around and moved on instead of doing his sit indication. I just walked on and made a circle and this time he found it and sat like he is supposed to. I was a ways away and took my time getting there and he stayed until I got there. I did a bunch of praise before the treat as when he sees the treat coming he leaves and come to me instead of staying there. I try to get him to refind it for me but it isn't going real well right now. Little steps at a time. :-)

07-02-2009

Duece had a new experience this evening. Our neighbors have a fairly large horse barn and they let us hide some scent. When Duece saw me carrying his vest there was no stopping him. I had to go get a collar & lead to settle him down a notch or two. He wasn't too sure about going into the barn door but only briefly hesitated. I should have let him run around a little before we started as there were so many new smells and noises. He would barely sit still while getting his vest and command to work. When he started he wasn't sure about where to begin. He moved all over and doubled back and checked out areas he had already been. Nothing wrong with that but there were still areas that didn't get checked. He startled the first time a horse snorted but seemed to ignore them later on. One thing I didn't notice until we were about 1/2 way into the search was the 4 large ceiling fans running on high speed. I'm sure they had to really stir up the scent Duece was looking for and mix it in with all the new smells. There was a large stack of fresh hay along one wall and one little "Get up" and he was climbing over it. After a bit he seemed a little confused so I gave the search command again and did a little "check" with a hand motion and that got him back on track. I had placed the scent under an old traffic cone that was propped up to hold a door open and the lid for the container was about 5 feet away and about 6 feet above the ground wedged behind an electrical wire. Duece stopped below the lid about 1/2 way between the scent and where the lid was hidden. He did his indication, sitting down and staring at me. I wasn't sure what to do as he really wasn't at the source - or was he with the fans blowing? He stared at me and then whined which is something new, so I rewarded him and then gave him the command again and did the "check" with hand motion again. This time he climbed the hay stack again, only from the side facing the scent. He checked it out and then jumped on a bale I thought was going to fall over which would have dumped him from about 5 feet above ground. Duece must have thought the same thing as he stopped and went into a down and then jumped off the bale into a small pile of hay on the ground. It didn't seem to faze him at all and he continued searching and this time got near the hidden scent. He circled it a couple of times like he was trying to find the source. He stuck his nose at the top of the cone and then sat down. When he went into a down he stuck his nose under the cone and waited for his treat and praise.
Duece did well, but I have a couple of concerns. First was his first indication. I don't think the container lid would have enough scent for him to think it was a source unless the fans were moving air down along the wall to the floor. The second concern is, I was the one that hid the scent and I stood in this area while hiding it and was Duece hitting on my scent as well as the source scent? Guess I need to have someone else hide the source and I need to have a clean, empty source container for a decoy and make sure he isn't hitting on that too.

06-30-2009

We made our trip into town this afternoon. I scratched / petted him all of the way there. We stopped at DQ and ordered 3 small cones. Ziva got her's first and then Duece and me, of course. Duece's was in a water dish and he took one lick and looked out the windows. He basically ignored it all the way home, even after we stopped, thinking he would eat it when we weren't moving. When we got home it was time for all of the dogs to get fed so Duece got a couple big scoops of ice cream from his cone on his food and the rest of the cone was split up between the other dogs. Duece stood over his dish and stared at the ice cream and even though I knew he had ice cream before, it looked like he wasn't going to eat. Finally he ate it and then cleaned out his bowl.
We really need to get him traveling as we need to do training away from home. I can take him in the Ranger but we're limited.
Later this evening we went around the yard doing the 'Get up' on various things and after awhile Duece was just wild! I made a ramp with steps on it and for once he was the first one to run up it. It is made of 2x10s about 18" wide and 6' long. It's set up on against the deck and is fairly steep and it didn't seem to bother him as long as there was a treat available. We moved around the corner of the house and when we headed back to the deck he jumped like he was going to jump into the 'kiddy pool' and make a big splash but he completely cleared the whole pool. Like I said he was just wild this evening.

06-29-2009

Duece has been going for rides in the Suburban, not far, but we're making some headway. I try to get him and Ziva to at least ride from in front of the garage into the garage at the end of the day. I wish Duece would climb in on his own like Ziva does but at least he doesn't take off so I have to chase him. Sometimes he'll come when called to the door, just won't jump in. We've also been taking some rides around the section or a couple of sections. Sometimes he sits up and watches and other times he just lays down on the front seat. I'm thinking about taking him for a ride into town - about 12 miles - and going through the DQ drive-through and getting him a cone. The DQ is on the edge of town and wouldn't take too long. Hardest part would be keeping Ziva in the back seat and away from Duece's cone. Maybe get Ziva a bigger cone to keep her busy longer?

06-24-2009

I was gone for a long weekend and haven't worked with Duece for over a week. Today we hid some scent and let him work awhile. There were a lot of distractions with the neighbors dogs and the rest of our dogs barking. I didn't do the hide very smart and the wind carried the scent into the fenced back yard making the hide too close to the fence with Duece's buddy Ziva barking right by the fence. It was awfully distracting for Duece. He found it once, but didn't sit so he follwed me as I walked on by it. Later I circled back around and he found it and sat down and got his treats and praise.

06-16-2009

Okay, okay, I"m almost two weeks behind. This will have to do until I make time.

06-05-2009

I'm behind again. On Monday, June 1, We put some scent out by the barn and I put the lid on top of a door leaning against the barn and about 5 feet away from the scent source. Again Duece took off to the PVC garden and worked his way around the yard. He was distracted a couple of times by the other dogs barking inside the fence, mainly Ziva, and he had to be reminded to get back to work. He's starting to sort of develop a search pattern surrounding the area where I walk. I try to not influence him and even walk with my hands in my pockets. We came around the corner of the barn and Duece went to the door leaning up against the barn, scratched at the bottom of it and then sat. When I went to check on what he was doing, the lid from the scent source had fallen down and the wind had blown it partly under the corner of the door. Very good find for Duece and he got a lot of praise and a treat before I moved on and gave him a "check" command and walked on. Duece then found the scent source and he didn't need a reminder to sit at the source at either find. We're progressing!
Later all three dogs went for a ride in the Ranger again. Someone threw up and I figured it was Duece but when it was washed out, a couple of Joker's pills were found in it. All we have to do is drive up to the gate with the Ranger and when it's opened, three dogs race to get inside for their ride. It seems like they all climb through the roll cage at one time.

05-27-2009

Standing in the back of the Ranger.



Here are Ziva, Duece, & Joker leaning into the wind as we drive down the road.




Here are Ziva & Duece climbing the pallets and jumping around on the old washer and spool.



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05-26-2009

Duece is getting to be more confident and is willing to try more things, especially if Ziva does it in front of him. This evening he climbed up a stack of pallets and stood on them waiting for a treat. One of the empty wire spools was stolen and was moved by the house to be used as a garden table. Now it's pallets pile; to old washer; to other spool; and back again. Over the long weekend it was up into the Polaris Ranger and back out again, many times with lots of short trips and an occasional longer trip. We made one trip with a Bloodhound, Corgi and Aussie sticking their heads through the roll cage, with their noses into the wind. Have to bring a camera along next time.
We put out some cadaver scent in an area we seldom work and left it for awhile. Duece got his vest and command and he went right for the area we do most of our training and it wasn't there. He decided to check a larger (former stock watering tank) flower pot by just jumping up and walking through it and not just jumping up on the side. Even though we ended up circling almost the entire yard and had to work through a number of distractions, Duece did rather well. He stopped to watch the neighbors racing horses, with their dog, down the road next to where we were working and other dogs barking. Duece was impressive when he didn't even slow down when the grass got tall or when checking out some old vehicles. He almost crawled under one vehicle checking it out. When we got downwind of the scent he made a 90* turn into the wind and walked directly to where it was hidden. He stuck his nose right in the area, stopped for a little bit, but then moved on. He circled the area and we ended up back in the area again and after I asked him to show me he sat down by it. Overall it was a pretty good search but the indication isn't where is should be - maybe my fault for changing the scent source for every search.

05-21-2009

We've all been having fun! I had taken the sides off the Polaris Ranger's box and picked up Duece & set him inside and Ziva jumped in herself via the front seat and over the seat back. I had treats with me and drove really slow across the yard. Duece was looking around a lot but took treats and stayed inside for the trip. Later on with the Ranger parked and shut off, we played some "get up" and both Duece & Ziva got treats for jumping up on the seat, via the floor boards and over the seat back and into the box. Then a treat for reversing the trip. They had a blast and didn't want to quit when I was running out of treats. Later on I got both of them into the back and drove back and parked inside the barn. Duece was fine getting out, but Ziva wanted to stay and go for another ride. We did some more jumping up on the spools and the trailer. I put some bone out in the PVC pipe garden and left it for over an hour. Duece got his vest on and away he went. He checked out the pipes and when he checked the right one he didn't even need a reminder to 'sit.' Duece & Ziva have been playing 'Get the toy' with a rubber frisbee and with another plastic toy. I just need to remember to give the command to "Get toy!" when I throw it as neither of them have any idea what a 'toy' is when we play.
Here's what I mean when I say "PVC garden" and there are 6 of these pipes stuck in the ground and one is marked so we always use the same one for holding the scent. The glass jars we use just barely fit inside the pipe.

This is Mattie. She was working on becoming an
excellent cadaver dog until the medications she was
taking to control her epilepsy made her so sick
that only blood transfusions would have
kept her alive and there was no
way of knowing her quality of
life even with the
transfusions.
"Mattie"
May 9, 2006 - Sept 16, 2008

05-19-2009

I've been working with Duece and Ziva around the yard. I throw a rubber frisbee and Ziva usually gets to it first and brings it most of the way back to me. Then Duece grabs it and brings it the rest of the way. Sometimes they both grab it and it becomes a tug-of-war most of the way back. I'll just let them be puppies and we'll build on it as we go along. I think that was the frustration problem where I wasn't patient enough. We have a couple of large empty wire spools on their sides with an old flat-top washing machine between them. I can get Duece to jump up on one and then move across the three with stops for treats. Duece is learning he sometimes needs to take a run at something to get up on it. Ziva tried 2 or 3 times to jump up but when she couldn't quite make it she took a look around and climbed up a stack of pallets and jumped over to the spool. She is pretty independant and figures things out pretty fast. Duece has been slow to jump up on the utility trailer, but with Ziva already on the trailer getting treats, he seems to forget his fears and finds himself jumping up on it before he realizes what he's done. It's a lot more fun working with them when I let them do it at their own speed. :-)

05-17-2009

I talked to a couple of people about my frustrations and came to the conclusion I'm probably pushing Duece too hard. We're going to slow down and let him be a puppy for a while longer. We've done a few very short rides in the suburban and even a couple rides in the back of the Polaris Ranger. The first ride in the Ranger went well as he got a lot of treats along with Ziva. The second ride was just around the yard and it's not as smooth as the road and he wasn't as impressed with it. We did one hide in the yard with the cadaver scent and he did just fine other than he needed a reminder to sit when he found it. I need to build some introductory agility items, just to make him aware and let him play on them. He's getting pretty good with the 'come' command but his 'heel' isn't great. Not too worried about the heel as much as the come which he needs to work.

05-12-2009

We haven't been doing our vehicle rides like we should be. I've been paying more attention to Duece and he seems to be a little anxious when we are together. It's like he can't relax and wants to be doing something. I was sitting on the couch playing with Ziva and when Duece saw us he had to come over and jump on my lap. When he did so he was panting and it was almost impossible to get him to relax and sit with me although I made him sit there for a little while.
I was gone all day and when I got home, Duece & I went outside for a little searching. The scent was in a flower pot and it was left for awhile and Duece got his blaze orange vest on to search in. When we went outside Duece checked out the ammo box we use to store the scent in and I forgot on the ground - away from the hidden scent. He moved on and check out the other containers and then indicated on the container. He was rewarded and praised and then we moved on. He circled around and I could see him working the scent cone downwind of the scent. The wind was SSE at 15 mph. It took a couple of circles with Duece looking up right at the scent but it was like he couldn't figure out what to do. I didn't want to step in too soon with the 'sit' followed with reward & praise. Pretty soon he sat for a second and then moved so we are making some progress. I took off Duece's vest and did a lot of praise up to the house and then inside. I went out and re-hid the scent and left it for a couple of minutes and moved the ammo can container.
Duece got his vest on again and we went back out. Duece ran over and checked out the places he last found the scent. I walk another direction and circle around to him after he shows interest. This hide was in another flower pot, even higher off the ground. Duece would show interest and then move downwind and find the edges of the scent cone and work his way back to the planter. It was fun to watch as he would look directly at the container and then move around. Finally after the about the third time he stopped and stared at the container he almost sat down so I went over and gave him a treat. We played a little "Show me" (where it is) and held his treat high so he had to jump up on the container and get lots of praise along with his treat. Then when we took the scent back to put it away I let Duece jump around and when I opened the container he sat at it for his indication and got another treat.

05-06-2009

Duece and I went on a repeat of the 3 mile ride tonight. He made the trip okay other than his panting and drooling most of the way. We played when we arrived as well as went on a short walk. I had to get back to get ready for my granddaughter's first dance recital so we didn't spend as much time there as we should have. Duece made an uneventful trip home other than the drooling and panting. I think it's anxiety and we're going to have to work on that.

05-05-2009

Frustration, frustration, frustration! Duece & I drove 3 miles to set out some scent for us and a friend to work. Duece was in the front seat and threw up about 2 miles into the ride. We set out some scent and then Duece & Ziva were let out to run around for awhile. Duece wasn't enthused about getting back in the suburban but did come to me so I didn't have to chase him around. Then he threw up about 1/2 mile from home. At least I had a bucket to catch it all, even though it's hard to drive while holding the bucket.
About 2 hours later, Duece & I headed back to the area and this time Duece made it to within 1/2 mile from the location before throwing up and it was bucket time again. When Bob and his dog arrived Duece had to be told to settle down as he was growling and started to bark at them. We put a quick stop to that and we stayed away while Bob worked his dog on the two scent hides. It gave us a chance to sit and watch someone else work while we were away from home.
When they were done, Duece & I worked the scent hides. I worked Duece on a long lead since this was the first time we worked away from home. Duece did a good job of searching as there wasn't muchof a breeze in the area we were working. He stuck his nose right into the hole where the scent was but neglected to sit, even after being told to sit. He then moved on and searched more of the same area and then went back to the scent source. He got his reward and praise even though it wasn't a picture perfect find.
After we moved on a ways I gave Duece his search command again and he searched pretty good and headed almost directly to the tree where the scent was hiding. This was a new scent source for Duece and the first high hide he has worked. He didn't do his sit at the tree but looked almost directly at it and then moved around but ended up back at the tree and when told to sit he did so and was given a reward and praise. He was there when I took it down and teased him with it a little and was given more treats and praise so I hope he remembers it. For the first large area search Duece did a great job so we need to do more of them. A good search sure helps with the frustration.
Oh yeah, Duece made it all the way home without throwing up although I glad it wasn't another 1/2 mile - it was pretty dark when we drove home so I wonder if that made a difference.

05-03-2009

I'm late with blogging again! On Thursday, Duece & I were out by the trailer to play 'get up' again. Only this time we brought Duece's playmate, Ziva along. Ziva is almost fearless, which can be scary when we are near a road, but it's also handy when you're trying to show Duece he can run up the ramp and jump over the trailer railing. Ziva ran right up the ramp and over the railing and got the treats I was dropping on the trailer boards. I even picked Duece up and helped him over the railing but it took his watching Ziva get all those treats to finally get him to jump over the railing. It's another little step in our journey. The way Duece can jump, he should be able to skip the ramp and jump right up onto the trailer bed but even with Mattie, we had to start somewhere and the ramp worked great.
Tonight Duece and I went for a ride, only this time we stopped and did some fun work before driving back home. We also played the CD from Through a Dog's Ear - Driving Edition on the trip. When we got to the play/work area I put Duece on the long (30'+) lead to let him move around while still keeping him from running off. Shows my lack of training in the "Come" department, I guess. Before we unloaded, I threw a plastic container of cadaver scent out into the grass a little ways off the path. We walked past it into the pasture, keeping up wind so he wouldn't find it right away and to give it time to put out some scent.
I picked up a small rock and let Duece look for it, not thinking he would actually find it but when he stopped I could hear it 'clinking' on his teeth as he had picked it up. He was rewarded and we threw it again for him to find it only this time I watched him closer and when he found it, gave the 'sit' command and he sat until I got closer and he left it for a treat.
Another little step in our journey.
On the way back to the suburban, I gave Duece his cadaver search command and let go. He didn't get too far from me but did locate the container and sat after the command. While rewarding him I threw the container again and he sat when he found it. I'd like him to sit a little longer, until I was standing at his side, but we're working on it. We did this a couple more times and went back to the suburban for the ride home.

04-29-2009

Duece hasn't quite caught on to the "PVC pipe garden" or I haven't been able to show him how it works. Maybe it's because I didn't follow the transition protocol learned in an e-Training for Dogs class we took, taught by Janet Wilts. Duece just doesn't show the drive when outside as he did with the pigeon hole board. We have also been working on Duece's fear of 'things that move' when he climbs on them. He used to jump up on most anything I tapped and said "Gitup" but we had a large popcorn tin fall over and a couple other things. My problem is patience and dealing with frustration but Duece absolutely only responds to fun things so I'm gonna have to deal with it if we want to be successful. Classic case of the problem is more than likely not on the furry end of the lead.

04-26-2009

We haven't done a whole lot. A couple of days ago we took a drive for about 12 miles on back roads around home just to get out. Joker and Ziva, in their crates and Duece on the front passenger seat. It was pretty much uneventful, which is what we want, but I could tell the anxiety was building and maybe it should have been a shorter trip. We set up our., 'PVC pipe garden' and Duece is figuring out how it works. It's six pieces of PVC pipe that sit up and can hold a glass jar containing scent material. We started with the hard to smell bone but should have used the stinkier material as it was hard for Duece to find in the wind. So far he hasn't gone directly to the pipes and checks out other areas as well. We also need to work with more distractions as Duece is easily distracted, cars driving by, neighbor's dogs, etc. Duece is learning to sit when he finds it when it isn't at the pigeon hole board. He even dips his head back to the source when asked to "Show me" although it isn't very consistent yet.

04-17-2009

Today we took a trip to town, with Joker & Ziva. Duece did fine in the front seat until after our stop at WalMart. We were headed over to look at a car from a private seller when Duece's stomach started to churn. I could see it coming but just wasn't quite quick enough to get stopped and let him out. We did a quick clean-up and continued on. I left the dogs in the suburban while I test drove the car and they were fine when I got back. When we left, it was about 4 miles out of town when it happened again. I guess we'll keep trying and washing those blankets and hoping he'll grow out of it eventually.

We are open to ideas if you have one.

What's worked for others: use candied ginger, ginger snaps, sprinkle food with ginger; don't travel on empty stomach; always travel on an empty stomach; line his crate with hay; coca-cola syrup; take short trips and slowly increase them; play with him in the vehicle when it's parked; don't put him in a crate; put him on the passenger seat beside me; Through a Dog's Ear CD (on order); covering the crate; bring his favorite toy along; Rescue Remedy; Aconitum Napellus 30X (homeopathic); and some I probably missed.

04-15-2009

Tonight we tried some new scent material that Duece wasn't very familiar with. It was hidden in a water tank/ flower pot in the yard. It took awhile for him to get his nose close to it and he was praised and rewarded when he did. Then I tried to have him "show me" after we had stepped away from the flower pot. He sniffed around and before I had a chance to stop him, he jumped up into the flower pot and spilled the scent container. Serves me right for not anticipating and setting up the hide correctly. I yelled at him to get out of the flower pot, not wanting him to step in the material, which set training back a little just because I was stupid. A little later we did another search with material he's more familiar with and he didn't do his sit indication when he found it. We have a lot more work to do! Yesterday and today we did short trips in the suburban with the 'cheese in a can' reward. He loves to get the leash put on in the house, but won't load into the suburban, but lays on the seat while we're moving. We added a couple extra miles today and he got some cheese upon loading up and at a couple of stop signs as well as when we unload. Just going to take some time.

04-12-2009

I'm getting behind blogging Duece's training. A couple of days ago we did some hides in the snow and other places around the yard. Since Duece forgets to sit as an indication and wants to dig up the hide, we were advised to put Duece on a long lead. I found a small nylon rope about 35 feet long and put a snap on one end and we hooked Duece up. He doesn't like the lead but adapted pretty well other than some tangling problems that were probably caused by the opposite end of the lead. The long lead worked as with gentle reminders, Duece was more apt to sit than dig.

Friday, we went to town. Duece on the front passenger seat and playmate, Ziva, the corgi, in a crate diectly behind the front seats. We stopped at Helen's work and both dogs had an exercise in socialization. Ziva growled at someone, and Duece wanted to jump up on everyone. Duece thought it was some kind of fun and even rolled over for a treat which he usually only does outside. Ziva loves to ride, though not so much in the crate. Duece doesn't like it when I leave him in the vehicle while I go into a store, but that's just as important as the ride to get there. All in all the day went well except it ran on into about 4 hours and about 10 miles from home, he showed me what he had eaten that day, all over the console and seat. I guess we'll have to take more shorter trips and build up to the longer ones.

We set up the pigeon hole board this afternoon. Duece remembered to check the higher holes in the board. Even though he's supposed to sit, his indication on the high holes is a 'spread-eagle' against the board with his nose straight at the correct hole. We'll have to build on it. Afterwards, I set the scent container in different places in the garage,just to get Duece used to finding the scent other places than the board. When given the search command, he would head over and check out the board and then work his way to where it was hid. We still have to work on the sit indication but it comes easier. Then to finish off the day we went for another ride. This time I had the 'cheese in a can' ready for a reward. He got some when we loaded, at a stop sign and finally when we got back home. Now, if we could just get him to wipe his feet before coming in the house . . . . . . .

04-08-2009

Duece and I have made a few short trips with him in the front passenger seat and it seems to be working. We'll find out on Friday since I need to go to town instead of the 8 mile short trips we've been doing. We haven't had time to do much pigeon hole board but a couple of days ago we set up in the garage again only in a different place. We start with the bone since it doesn't seem to me to have a strong scent like the other material. We also put some of his dog food in the 'decoy' container. He stopped a couple of times and sat for a very short time at the decoy hole, but seemed to realize it wasn't what we were doing. We used the lower holes with the bone and when we move to the other material we moved up to the higher holes. We could see the frustration in Duece as he seemed to know the wcent was there, but he didn't know to jump up to check them out. We tried to tap on the board, stick our fingers through the holes and tried a "check" as we tapped along the higher holes. He would reach as high as he could but would sit or lay down and star at the board. The next day we set up the board outside and with the wind coming from the back of the board. The 'decoy' container had some Beggin Strips in it and they are the same treats we use for rewards when working the board. We did things about the same as yesterday only this time Duece realized he could jump and stretch to the higher holes and indicate by scratching or sitting after checking out the correct hole. He tried a couple of times to sit at the 'decoy' hole but his body language was different, it was almost like he was testing us to see if we would treat for that hole. Once he realized we wouldn't, he moved on. A couple of times he went behind the board but we wouldn't let him stay there and check out any of the pigeon holes. We also set up a couple of hides out in the snow and let him find them, only he forgot he was supposed to sit and he dug up the container. We are going to put him on a long lead and work some more problems and we can stop him from digging with a small tug on the line and a sharp 'sit' command. We also need to do a whole bunch more time at the board so the 'sit indication' becomes instinct.

04-02-2009

Yesterday evening, Duece & I headed into town to pick up some donated training material. This time we put a couple of blankets on the front passenger seat and wrapped a leash around the set to hook Duece in. When I put him on the seat he didn't start watering at the mouth like he did when loaded into a crate. He sat up and looked around a short distance and then lay down on the seat with his head on the console watching me. I was able to talk to him while keeping my free hand scratching him. He was fine until I got out at WalMart when he started drooling and when I get back he had thrown up a little.WHile driving around he sat up a couple of times and drooled a little but preferred to lay down. We had another stop to make and he drooled some while I was away from the vehicle, but overall we had a good trip. He wasn't soaked like he usually was after a ride. We're crossing our fingers and plan to do a bunch more trips before we leave for the NASDN seminar in Nebraska.

03-31-2009

Training has been set back a little since we went to 12 hour shifts during the flood. We've done some agility things like jump up on this and jump up on that for a reward. I should probably be doing a bunch more pigeon hole board work but there hasn't been time to set things up. Two days ago I put out some scent in a high flower pot out in the yard and then got called away for about 30 - 45 minutes. Then with a faint breeze, Duece and I went for a walk in the dark. He was showing interest in the scent but had problems finding the source. I had to call him back twice as he was way off looking into footprint holes in the snow. He did circle the source and was looking up towards it and finally got frustrated and sat down. His indication is to sit and he got lots of praise and treats at the source. Tonight I put out a quick source and he did find it but needed to be reminded to sit. Then I put another one next to a flower pot in a concrete block slightly buried in the snow. We went for another walk quite a ways down wind like we might do for a search. We don't want Duece to pay any attention to me other than not to run away, so I don't say anything to him except call him off of the road. Duece made a turn into the wind where he should have been directly downwind a couple of different times. He was definitely interested in the scent and ran through the snowbank to get to the source. Again he forgot to just sit at the source and dug it out and wanted to take off with the container. It took a little persuasion but we were able to treat him at the source. In order for me to hide the source, I had to use a short leash and hook Duece up in the garage where he couldn't watch me. (He cheats!) He was so excited knowing what we were going to do, I could hardly snap him on or off the leash and give the command to search.

03-24-2009

Duece & Ziva & I went to town yesterday to test the "aconitum napellus 30c" that was to help with motion sickness. He threw up before we were 6 miles down the road. I feel sorry for him but we need to travel so we'll have to keep working on it. A few days ago we sat in the suburban for a few hours. Ziva & Duece had favorite toys and I read my copy of "Buzzards and Butterflies" about cadaver/HRD dogs. Once Duece figured out we weren't going anywhere he was fine. He didn't like it when I moved up to the driver's seat to install a GPS as he thought we would be going somewhere. Once in awhile I would rock the vehicle and shake his crate a little.

Today, Duece got some more time on the pigeon hole board. He's nailing the source very well. He does have a problem with the higher holes and once in awhile he'll sit at the decoy but not for long. On the high holes he will start to walk around the room a little bit but does get back at it with some encouragement from behind the board. A couple times he just sat down at the base of the board and looked around a little but got bored and went back to searching. I did try some "Check" and tapping near the high holes but he hasn't caught on to that yet and I don't want him dependent on me. I need to get some more "T"s and start proofing him on food, animal bones, clothing, etc. to make sure he knows to only indicate on source.

03-16-2009

Duece got to use his 'pigeon hole board' this past weekend. It was/is a learning experience for Duece and for us. We have to be able to move the container fairly quick and without Duece cheating (watching) as he would just run to the new location. We have to get our 'stuff' together to keep Duece learning to sit at the source so we have to watch our timing. It can be hard because the person doing all the work behind the board can't see over it. The first time we tried this he was more interested in running behind the board to visit with Helen who spoils him all the time. :-)


In the first picture Duece is either waiting for his treat or was just given his treat and is waiting for another. One problem with the multiple boards is the space between them where Duece watches what is going on behind the board. You can also see the plywood at the end of the board we had to put up so Duece wouldn't run behind it. The next video shows how well that worked.

Since Duece watches to see where the material is moved to, I had to go into a big praise and move him around so he couldn't watch. Then when the person behind the board gives the word, he is released to search the board. We also found out that if the material is too high, he will scratch at it instead of sit when he finds it. We need to work until he sits instinctively instead of look for his treat and sit sometimes. I think getting the treat right at the source is a big help too. We did bone and material so he had experience with both.

We had set it up on Saturday but we didn't have a chance to video as we were learning how things work. On Sunday, we left the board set up all day and ran him through the drills three separate times and he improved each time. We are going to put a few more decoys on the back as when things got difficult Duece would temporarily sit at a decoy, but move on. We also learned not to put the materiel too high for him as that is where the most false indications happened. (where he had to actually jump to get his nose near the hole) We can go higher as his training progresses.

03-10-2009

Duece got his 'pigeon hole board' today.


There are three of these boards and they will fit on a bracket so they will be one above the other for a total of 24 holes. The backside will have the tee placed on one hole with scent in it and it can be moved around the board.


Duece's job will be to find the hole with the scent in it and indicate by sitting and we can reach through the tee and give Duece his treat right at the scent source.
Now we just need room to set it up so we can use them!

03-08-2009

We didn't work enough with Duece the past couple of days as he told us by chewing on a pillow, some cardboard boxes and tearing up some of his toys. We did a little sit, down, wait and some 'get up' where he jumps up on what is indicated.

Today we did some more jar work and Duece is catching on. He remembers to sit and is getting better at waiting for the treat. He still wants to move if the treat isn't fast enough, but he definitely is hitting on the bone in the jar. We had four jars out and he would be checking all of them out and would go back and hit the correct jar and then sit.

Finally got the salvage wood home so we can get started on the pigeon hole board for further training.

03-04-2009

We did some more 'jar work' with Duece this afternoon. We mixed his Beggin Strips with some cheese to raise his interest a little. We did it before he ate so he was really interested in getting his treat. I was moving the jars around while Helen did the treat and praise. We did have one instance of a false alert but I think it was because he was more into the treat than what he was doing. It didn't take him long to getup and move to the correct jar. We still have to work on his indication and sit close to the source, but he's really catching on.

03-03-2009

On Sunday, March 1 we did some more imprint with alert with Duece. We continued with the bone and he was starting to acknowledge it. He seemed a little confused since it doesn't smell anything like the other material. There were 3 jars on the floor, two had white lids - one was the bone - one just had the brass colored lid. Duece would just pass over the brass one and checked out both of the white lids.

On Monday evening we did the same thing, only all three jars had white lids. The white lids have holes punched in them and the brass lids don't. We store the jars with brass lids over the white ones to seal them. We use the "jelly' jars with rough exteriors making it hard to see inside of them. The jars were new and washed and rinsed in hot water and allowed to air dry. Duece checked out all the jars and definitely indicated on the bone jar. We want him to "sit" or "down" at the source for an indication. Now he is turning around at the jar and looking at Helen for his treat. We don't tell him to sit anymore as he won't get his treat unless he is sitting. It will work out, we just need to do it a lot more.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to make a 'pigeon hole board' to advance his training.

Image borrowed from:
http://www.highcountryk9.org/Seminars/CadaverSeminar.htm

02-27-2009

Duece had an interesting day. First he ate the wrist band on my watch, then he had to dodge the vacuum cleaner and then another trip to town.

The cat knocks things off the counter and the dogs check those things out. Luckily I had another watch band. Duece doesn't like the vacuum cleaner and will give it a wide berth even when it's shut off. (Maybe I should hang my watch on the vacuum cleaner)

I put a smaller crate in the suburban, just behind the front seats hoping it would be a smoother ride than the rear crate. One of the bloodhounds came along too. We were gone a couple of hours and made a number of stops in town. Duece drooled all over, soaking his chest and front legs again but no vomit. As soon as we got home he was back rolling in the snow.

Later on we blocked off the kitchen and tried a little "find the bone." We have some bone in a glass jar with holes poked in the lid (we cover the 'holy' lid with a good lid to seal the jar and take it off when we use it). Duece spent a very little extra time sniffing the jar with the bone in it compared to the empty jars. The bone just doesn't have the strong scent like the other material so it's going to take a lot more work.

We finished the day with some sit, down, wait and some 'git up' in the basement. Duece is really food driven once he figures out what you want or I should say once I communicate to him what we want him to do. :-)

02-26-2009

The family has been sick so Duece's training has been somewhat on the backburner. I had to make a trip into town today so Duece rode along. He just doesn't like the crate in the back of the suburban or maybe it's the movement of the vehicle while he rides in the crate. He starts salivating so bad his chest and front legs get soaked. Then he ends up vomiting if the trip gets too long. Today's trip was too long.

When he unloads from the suburban he rolls in the snow looking like he's trying to clean off his chest and legs. When we got home today, Duece got a bath. He was about as impressed with the bath tub as he is about going for a ride. The Aussie can store a lot of water in their hair, even after we thought he was fairly dry. He then ran around the living room rolling over on the rugs and dog pillows trying to dry himself off. We had to keep him in the house until he dried as the outside temp was hanging around the zero to a degree above or below and the wind was howling.

Later on we locked the other dogs upstairs and we played in the basement. 'Sit', 'down', 'wait' were the games. We tried to walk around him in a "down - wait" and it went fairly good. He just won't sit still if I try to step over him. We did do game where he was in the "down - wait" mode and a treat was placed on the floor about a foot or so from his nose. He thought it was okay to crawl over to it and I had to place my hand on his back to keep him there a couple of times, but we did get about 3 or 4 minutes of him staring at the treat or giving me the evil-eye.

Once he finally got to eat the well-watched-treat, we walked around the basement playing "Check" and "Git up" where I held a treat out of his reach and he had to either stand up with his paws up on something, or jump up on something to get the treat. Some dogs are pretty wary of things they aren't accustomed to, so we jumped up on the treadmill (shut off of course), some Rubbermaid storage containers and other things. One place had a small square stool in front of it and he got a treat for putting his front legs on it. Then he actually climbed up on it with all 4 paws and stood with his front paws up on a large box to get his treat. I can see we're going to need some agility type equipment to keep Duece and his friend Ziva, the incorrigible corgi busy and out of trouble this summer.

02-22-2009

Duece's visit to the vet hardly slowed him down and he had to be told to ease up a bit while playing with Ziva.

Yesterday we set up a training session as we learned on the e-training for dogs webinar. At first we set up with bone which Duece has never been introduced to. He didn't show any interest in it at all. I'm thinking it could be due to the bone stored in the cold and we were doing our session in the cold garage. Or it could have been due to our impatience and not giving him enough time to get his nose into the scratch box. We then switched to material he was familiar with and he was hitting on it quickly.

One of the main things we learned was to have the dog's handler (me) stay out of the training and have someone else reward Duece for finding the scent. The reason is to have the dog 'hunt' the scent without depending on the handler for anything. When we started Duece came to me looking for instructions and I had to ignore him and as a normal curious dog, he sniffed around and things worked out.

We put three scratch boxes on the floor and when Duece's nose went to the hole in the box, he was told "Good" and rewarded with a treat. He was a little confused as I'm the one usually treating him but he did things just like we were told it would work. I moved the boxes around when it seemed like Duece was just going to stand in one place and dip his head to the scent and get his reward. The dipping is a good thing but we also want him to 'hunt' for the scent as well.






The first video gives an idea how it is supposed to work. The next video shows how Duece is supposed to do his 'hunt.' We also want him to sit at the source and he is starting to do it. The video is right after we moved the boxes around.





Today we set up for a short session and this time I dropped a little hot water on the bone before we started. This seemed to work and Duece was dipping his nose on the right box and getting his treat. We were happy that he was working with the bone and neglected to move the box quick enough because Duece decided to save time and he went into a 'down' and rested his head on the box with his nose over the hole. We are going to have to work with the bone a lot more to really feel comfortable with it.

02-20-2009

Duece is visiting the vet today for the once in a lifetime neutering. We don't know enough about Duece's background to do any breeding.

We expect this to slow down his training a little but I think we can still try what we learned on e-training for dogs webinar we 'attended' Wednesday evening. This is a great learning experience without the expense of traveling. The first night I attended we had students from the Dominican Republic, Arizona, and Alabama being taught by an instructor in Wyoming. It's all live and the instructor can answer questions in real time. We can also submit video for critique.

I hope Duece is in the mood to try some of the methods this weekend after today. (if he's still talking to me after this trip to the vet)

UPDATE:
Duece is doing fine, not even a collar as he isn't licking the stiches. When we got home his chest and front legs were wet again from his drooling due to motion sickness. At home he wanted to do his usual rolling in the snow but couldn't. Later when Duece & Ziva (the incorrigible corgi) went outside, Duece was able to roll in the snow a few times but probably shouldn't have, as he was favoring a back leg when he came into the house. Now he's sleeping under my chair as I type this. Tomorrow, we're going to try out what we learned on the e-training for dogs webinar.

02-17-2009

Today we went to the GF Kennel Club for the Basic Obedience class. Tonight was our 5 time and Duece was doing really well for about 45-50 minutes of the class. About that time he realizes his play-buddy, Ziva, was in the same class and he wanted to play. Add that to his realization there were some dog treats on the floor and he hadn't eaten for about 14 hours and his concentration was waning. The GFKC has been a great experience for me (and the dogs) as it helps socialize the dogs and it's always good to have someone else advise you on what you are doing. Mattie was the first dog that took me to the GFKC and it saved both of us a lot of time, mainly when they corrected me on the mistakes I was making.

This was the first trip Duece has made where he didn't throw up from motion sickness traveling in the suburban. He doesn't like to travel and starts with drooling until his chest is soaked and usually throws up before we get home. Last weekend I took him out for about a 2 hour drive. We started out by driving about a half mile from home, stopping alongside the road and letting him relax. Then we drove a little and then pulled over again. We went about 12 miles in that 2 hours. I would watch him in the mirror and when he was drooling a lot, we pulled over. When I pushed it and drove a 2 mile stretch he threw up when we stopped. We've been told to take him on little trips and make it fun for him. We'll try do get a few of those done because if we want him to be a working cad dog he needs to travel.

02-16-2009

Today I put the pill bottle/zip-lock under the snow in a planter in the yard. The planter is in an area where snow is piled up with the snow blade on the UTV so I was able to walk along the snow banks and make decoy holes. Even though the scent was in the planter Duece has become accustomed to finding scent in snow banks and I want to expose him to different kinds of hides.

Duece tried on his orange vest for the first time today. He is quite a bit smaller than Mattie who wore the vest before. We use the vest to let the dog know we are going to work. Duece was so excited about getting to work I cold barely get him to come to me so I could give the search command even though it probably wasn't needed. Gotta keep things consistent!

Duece doesn't have 'search pattern' that I can see, but right now I'm happy that he wants to search. He does clue off of my position to a point, but he lets his memory and his nose be his guide and that's what we want. I've been told to keep my mouth shut and my hands in my pockets by those with a lot more experience than I have so I don't try to influence him except when I know he's checking for rabbit droppings instead of working.

Duece was sticking his nose, clear up to his eyes, in the holes in the snow as he was working his way along the snow bank. Once he got down wind of the planter, he continued to look for holes in the snow, but was able to turn and climb up a snowbank and get into the planter where praise and teasing with the container kept him excited for awhile.

Last week had I wedged the scent container in the bracket for the spare tire on a trailer. It was fun watching Duece as he got into the scent cone and him looking for a hole in the snow. He moved around a bit and finally stuck his head between the rail and the trailer bed and attempted to climb up on the trailer. He was almost perfectly downwind of the hide and I used my hand to hold his rear paw so he could climb up on the trailer. With some encouragement and lots of praise he was pretty excited about finding it.

Today, I finally talked him into going into the house so I could re-hide the scent container as he wanted to stay out and search some more. This time I hid the container in some bricks and then walked around some areas so he hopefully isn't using my tracks to lead him to the scent. It was breezy today so I was hoping to see him do a hard turn into the scent as we were downwind but he didn't. I just let him do his thing and I walked an easy circle through the yard as he checked out different areas. A couple times I repeated the search command as he seemed to be paying too much attention to rabbit droppings. He was checking out an area around the hiding spot and his body language indicated he was interested and he continued on and turned back, giving a neon sign type of indication that is neat to watch.

Addition to first post

Due to the extreme cold we've had, Duece did some searching in the basement. We have some scented tennis balls that I hide and then let Duece find them. I let Duece sniff the container so he knew what we were doing and he was on a leash tied up so he couldn't follow into where I was hiding the ball. I use one of those plastic arm things that is normally used to add distance to a thrown tennis ball so I don't have to touch it and leave my scent on it. The ball is stored in a way that it cannot come in contact with the scent material but only gathers the smells. Having Duece tied up in the other room helps build some anticipation on his part and he can barely wait for the search command when I'm unhooking his leash. He doesn't have much of a search pattern yet and skips around a lot but I'm just happy to have him know what to search for. We're still not using a treat and so far the lavish, boisterous praise seems to be working.

First post

Duece was exposed to cadaver scent when he was about 4 months old.

We had some scent in a pill bottle in a zip-locked bag that I teased him with a few times but wouldn't let him have it, all the while repeating the search command. Then I would ram it into a snow bank while he watched. When my hand came back empty he checked out the hole in the snow and when he dug for it, repeated the search command. When he pulled the zip-lock bag out, he got the most praise in the highest voice I could muster, and he was so excited ! ! !

Later, when his attention was distracted, I would stuck it in a snow bank a little farther from where he was standing and gave him the search command. We did this every couple of days and made sure we stopped when he was still excited about finding it.

We progressed to making a bunch of identical holes in the snow banks and letting him check out all of them to learn his body language when he hit on the correct hole. We also want to make sure he doesn't just go to a place I happened to leave scent or where the snow was disturbed.