Bailie and I started our nose work class last week at Active Dog Sports Training and that is where the mischief occurred. First, I need to tell you all two things! One, the photos aren’t our usual quality as we were in a training facility that isn’t designed for pretty pictures, and two, no one peed on the floor. The water spots on the floor are from snowy paws and shoes going in and out.
Mom signed Bailie and I up for nose work because it sounded like the perfect activity for scent hounds like us. We figured we would meet other fun hounds too. Well, it turns out we are the only two hounds our class of six. The other four dogs are actually there to work on their behavior as they are reactive dogs. We never in a million years thought about that! No wonder the course instructions said to avoid dogs meeting each other on the way in or out of class! We are all kenneled except when it is our turn to work. It isn’t a big deal as Bailie and I really are focused on the nose work and not on making new friends.
We aren’t kenneled at home except for when we are puppies and Mom is gone, but I didn’t mind the kennel thing at all. Next week Bailie and I are going to just share one larger kennel and see how that goes.
The hardest part of the class is waiting for your turn. This nose work stuff is so much fun, we didn’t want to stop. Mom loves it too and loves to see us working our hound noses and doing so well at it. We are naturals! Bailie is super fast and inhales the treats when she finds them. I take things a bit slower and methodically, and as always I savor my tiny treat rewards.
Nose work one is all about finding treats hidden in boxes. We get a whiff and then sniff around until we find the treat in the box and then we get an extra treat too. If you love treats, this is definitely a class for you!
We are pretty much the shortest dogs in the class, so we have to put our noses up a bit to smell treats hidden on top of boxes.
Mom built a box course in our basement so Bailie and I can practice every day. We practice one at a time so there is no fighting over treats. All the thinking involved in searching for the treats really wears us out too.
At class, aside from being in kennels, the dog that is “up”, is led by leash into the box course area, but that area is hidden from the other dogs. This is where the mischief comes into play. Bailie did fine except for when she saw Mom and I disappear into the nose work course. I think she was scared we left her at first, and then she was mad that it wasn’t her turn. No matter, as soon as we were out of sight, she started her pathetic hound howling. Everyone was just laughing as she was so serious about it, and she is so very loud! We had three turns each, and by the third turn she was a bit less noisy, but still howling. If you haven’t heard her howl, I have a short seven second video of her howling at home. Sometimes you hear Katie and I in the background too. We couldn’t record her at class because Mom was busy working with me during my turn.
We are so excited for the rest of our nose work classes! This really gets us in our groove. Obedience class is something a dog should complete, sort of like humans and high school, but it is definitely not something that we or Mom enjoy. Unless something changes we will continue on with nose work and then tackle tracking as well. I will also post more our classes as we learn more, and maybe I can wear my Sony Action Cam too so you all can see what I am doing from a hound’s point of view!
I’m joining in the Monday Mischief blog hop brought to you by Alfie’s Blog, Snoopy’s Dog Blog, My Brown Newfies.
You two are so smart to trick your mom into this class. Treats?! It’s all about finding treats?! Woof! Hope you do get to wear your cam, Emma. And the howling video? Just as I was reading and thinking: I wonder how her howl sounds… there was the video 🙂
She has a more pathetic howl when she is sad, but that is hard to capture. We love this nose work stuff!
She really is determined isn’t she. Wow a treat class, way to go!!
More like a mega treat class and no obedience rules either, it is perfect!
Where do I sign up?
I would recommend it! Google nose work, and bring a ton of treats to class!
Howling at ya back LOL. A treat class has to be the best. Happy sniffing to you. Have a marvellous Monday.
Best wishes Molly
It is the very best! Arrooooo!
Sounds like a fab class to me!
Any dog that loves treats would love this class!
You guys have so much fun. I just don’t like the crate part. It sounds lonely !
It is kind of tough, especially since I’m never crated, but we have to learn to be patient and wait. If we weren’t all crated there would be fighting because every dog wants to get the treats.
That looks like a blast. You two will be ready to start your detective agency in no time! I will have to see if there are any classes like that in our area.
It is awesome. We did learn from the instructor that it started in CA, then moved to the east coast and has been in the midwest for only a few years now. Eko would love it and it is so easy and fun to practice at home. The only bummer is that we are worn out when we are done working.
Emma, thanks for sharing your new class with us. It sounds so much like our ‘find the food’ game we play and you’ve inspired mom to hide the treats more creatively. And poor Bailie, what a wail, she’s so pitiful…
She needs to get a grip on herself, she should know by now that I might leave her behind, but Mom wouldn’t. We are excited to see the next steps this week.
Wow, that does sound fun. You guys will ace that class for sure!
Our noses are out front for sure!
Oh, wow! You had so much fun! We never ever heard Maggie howl, and Bailie is great at it! Maggie did arooooo. No, it was not your best background, and we are glad you ‘splained the wet spots. hehe! Enjoy your basement training at home (whatever a basement is.) XOXO Panda the Boston
You should hear when Bailie and I howl together, quite the concert! It is super fun and good for our noses and brains.
I howled together with Bailie as I heard her voice ( sounds like the next #1 hit). We sometimes make a “scent” course in our back yard too, by now my nose was never wrong :o) It’s a great game too to keep your dog busy :o)
The first I think two levels are for food and then you can branch out to scents and other stuff. We plan to be involved for the long haul!
I bet you have the best noses for all scents :o) We used the cooking water of a chicken once to lay a trail and I really followed it. The staff was totally amazed :o)
We have made food trails for Bailie around the house, she is like a vacuum cleaner!
I’m glad you managed to find for a little mischief amongst all the treat finding – you’re such a pro! 🙂
I hope you’re having a fun day,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
I think we are both professional nose work dogs, but that howling…she makes herself look more like a clown!
Emma, you hounds just have a way with your noses! It looks like you and Bailie are having a blast at the class. I cannot wait to read and see more!
Happy Monday to all of you,
Oz
I want a video, but we will see, I may have to do that on my home course. It is so fun and such tasty rewards.
What a great class for a “smelly” dog! Bentley would be ecstatic to join in the search and rescue of treats. I’m anxious to hear how the class progresses. My two were quite intrigued by Bailie’s singing voice. : )
Silly Bailie comes running when Mom plays her voice too! Bentley would love and excel at this class for sure!
Now that class really does sound like a real treat!
It’s all about the treats, kitty!
Emma that looks like so much fun! Wonder if they have one where I live?
The teacher said it has been in the midwest for the past few years, I would google it, that is how we found it at first and then we met another lady that does tracking when Bailie was in her puppy class and she said it was a good place to go, so we are there.
oh I’m so glad to hear how much you liked it. Delilah likes it too, although we’ve reached the stage where she has stopped searching for the food scent and has to focus on the “birch” this was a bit harder for her, so I’m going to pair the two scents and try it at home.
That was super smart of your mom to set up a course in the basement. I wonder if I can find a space to do that.
BTW I loved Bailie’s howling, it’s so darn adorable.
The howling is adorable at first, but it does get to be hard on the ears in person! We have to see how it goes, but Mom isn’t real keen on the scent thing. Problem is, if we keep doing well (it is way too early to tell) she may want one or both of us to compete and then we would have to do scents. We also want to start tracking, so it will be a busy time for Mom. That stupid job thing takes up so much time but she claims it is necessary.
So glad you had fun with Nose Work! I started Nose Work with Cosmo and he really liked it. He had a good nose for stuff so it was right up his alley. Keep up the good sniffing!
Your pals,
Diane and Rocco
We opted to use our noses rather than to get started in agility. The ultimate plan is to compete in nose work and/or tracking but we will see how it all progresses.
What fun! This looks like the perfect class for GBGVs!!!
Scent hounds ready for duty! Just a heads up, the wabbit jerky won’t be safe this year at BlogPaws! We will sniff it out for sure!
This would have made a good chapter in The Dieting with my Dog Guide to Weight Loss and Maintenance. I’m sure the nose work is good in helping you stay active and fit (even if you do get treats for rewards!!) I bet it’s great for the brain as well.
Right now it is mainly brain work and we are really tired once we wind down. I think tracking in the spring will be a bit more exercise.
Honey and I loved doing nosework together. I can’t wait to read more about it.
I know it feels strange to avoid other dogs when you two are so sociable. But I think it’s great that reactive dogs who can’t do a lot of special activities with their humans have something they can enjoy.
I find that nosework makes Honey very tired. It’s very hard work to do all that sniffing.
And I also liked seeing the different styles of dogs in the class. I was especially surprised to find that one of the best sniffers in our class was a pug!! So you scent hounds better watch out. You never know when some wacky dog breed will try to steal your reputation as expert sniffers.
Oh heavens no! We have to have the best noses! We just never imagined it as a place where reactive dogs would be, but it is fine, they don’t bother me when I’m sniffing out my treats. It totally wears Bailie and I out too!
Wow, that looks like lots of fun! I better not let Petal read this post or she’ll be begging to do nose work, she loves treats and working her brain! 😉
Bailie’s howling is adorable and so silly.
I hope you can wear your Sony Action Cam to class sometime, I’d be very interested to see that! I hope you and Bailie continue to enjoy your class, what a fun activity for you two.
Sounds like a perfect dog for nosework! Bailie is just another clown, what more can I say? I don’t know if they will let me wear my camera or not, we have to ask the teacher, but if now I can use it on my home course for sure.
What fun! Why didn’t we think of that. Our mom gets things in boxes all the time, and we really like finding hidden treats. Mom is thinking of taking us on a” barn hunt” for rats. I do not know what a rat is but apparently they smell good and it is a lot of fun.
Chablis & Lucy
We just recently read two posts on barn hunts. I bet it would be a fun activity, but Mom says she only has so much time to spend on our extra “hobbies”, so obedience for Bailie and Nose Work for us both right now is it and hopefully tracking in the spring. I would never have known about nose work if I wasn’t a blogger that follows other blogs and read about it a while back.
That looks like a lot of fun!!!!!!
Kessie and Livvie from MatildasJourney.com
Delicious fun 😉
Oh you are such two clever dogs, and I bet you both enjoyed that class, even Bailie howled a little. Great howl, by the way. Wags from your pal Laika.
We can’t wait to go back for more this week!
Oh, I love the howl, and that is just too funny that she did it at class! I’m so glad to hear that you had fun at class, and I bet you are going to do very well at it too.
So Mom and Bailie have obedience class which they both seriously dislike and I get to go to the fun class we all love! As you know, puppies don’t like to be left behind in strange places. I’m sure she will howl less and less as she understands what is going on.
That looks like SO much fun! Have you heard about the DVD called “Crate Games”? It’s highly recommended by my sister in-law who happens to be a champion agility trainer! I think you can get it on Clean Run. Seeing those two so cute in their crates made me think of it!
We have heard of crate games but we don’t use crates at home except for the first months as a puppy when Mom is not home. That does make me think that maybe if Bailie had something to keep her busy she wouldn’t think to howl. We will have to think about that.
Very cool Emma! Shiner does the same thing as Bailie when I leave her somewhere. Like when I put her in a kennel at work. She howls and howls. I think it would be very cool if you used your Action cam!
Thankfully, she only howls if she is in a strange place in her crate, not in the car or anything. I am going to have to see about the action cam with my teacher.
That sure looks like a lot of fun!
Millie & Walter
Tasty fun 😉
How cute – looks like everyone had a blast!
We are nature born nose work girls, so we love it!
Sounds and looks like you had a lot of fun. Nice to see that the boxes don’t have to be fancy.
Oh no, old boxes in all kinds of shapes and sizes, with various smells, and then on that always has the treat that Mom keeps hiding.
That sounds like so much fun. Of course you are naturals. 🙂 Storm whines and cries for her turn when we are training. It is one thing for a young ‘un to make noise, but Storm is almost 7 years old!
Great job, you two! That class sounds like a lot of fun. LOVE the howling, BTW. 🙂
We can’t wait for Thursday nights these days!
Well, you have certainly found the right game for you guys!! Walker and I did some scent classes a couple of years ago and you’re right! It is fun, fun, fun!
Lots of fun and good eating!