Today I’m going to be talking about container searches and how you can change things up to make them more difficult at any level of nose work. Boxes are the most common container searches. Dogs learn nose work using boxes, ORT (odor recognition tests) are done with boxes, and at Level 1 Nose work trials, the containers used are typically boxes. The boxes used in container searches can really be of any size and shape and can be placed anywhere, not only on the floor.
The nose work class Bailie and I just finished worked on difficult container searches. We are in a class with dogs at all title levels, so some of our searches would be for Level 2 or 3 in nose work trials, but it is good for us to start adding in challenges earlier rather than later. I have three searches for this post, the basic ORT 12 boxes on the floor with one hide, multiple boxes on a stairway with one hide, and large boxes, one has no hide, one has one hide, and one box has two hides. In class, we also had hanging boxes which are tricky as the boxes move and the odor blows around a bit more as the boxes move. We also worked on distractors such as food, but I will save that for another post.
We started by warming up with the ORT box arrangement. Bailie will demonstrate how she searched this one.
We are working on getting in the habit of going up and down each row and sniffing every box, even after we find the hide. The reason for this is that after Level 1, there may be multiple hides and we need to make sure we search everything. If we always stop after finding one, we would need to relearn to keep searching when we get to the next level.
Bailie seems to have found something.
And Bailie signals alert.
Next up is the stairway search. You may think, what is the big deal. Well, what are we supposed to search? Should we be searching the stairs, the boxes, are we just going upstairs to do something. We have to figure out it is a box container search on the stairway. One other thing to point out, is we often smell the hide yet keep searching other boxes and come back to where we originally smelled the odor. This is a normal behavior. In the video, you will see me sniff the box with the hide, continue to another box and then come back.
Finally, I will be searching the big boxes. The first hide was easy.
The hide was right in front of the start line, so my nose got it right away. I just had to pin its exact location down.
And now for the alert.
The big box with two hides presents some challenges. First off, I need to make sure I always search the entire box when I do box searches, and secondly, the odor travels as it ages on the box meaning the odor on one side may converge with the odor on the other side making the source a bit harder to detect.
I located the first one down below the box first.
Next I traveled around to the other side of the box. The odor travels along the opening in the box end, so I have to narrow down where it is coming from exactly.
Once I have it, I signal my alert again. I probably sounds real simple, but if you actually watch dogs working these situations you can see the amount of work we put into it making is a real challenge mentally.
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That looks like so much fun to do! You girls are so cute!
Thank you. We love nose work, especially me!
Looks like fun!
I love nose work and take it real seriously too.
Cool!
Woofs from Earl, Ethel and I at Earl’s World!
Howling back at you!
That looks like a fun thing to do on a rainy day. Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly
We practice at least three times a week as it is our sport and we are competing in it.
Your biped must have to be very careful when handling and storing the boxes that you use, to ensure there is no cross-contamination of smells.
With the ORT boxes it is very important, but with the other search boxes at the level we are at it doesn’t matter. We need to sort out the strongest odor to find he hide, so if there is old lingering odor, we ignore it and find the fresh and strongest odor.
Good job. Looks like quite a challenge.
It does get real tough sometimes.
Hi Y’all!
Whew! That’ll wear you out!
Y’all come on by,
Hawk aka BrownDog
It kills a dog mentally. We always pass out in the car on the way home from class, and go right to bed when we get home.
that was some excellent searching and that is a lot of Chewy boxes π
We love Chewy.com for so many reasons, and providing us with lots of boxes is another one.
It may be work, but you guys look cute doing it. As usual, the “I’m working here” tail is my favorite.
We give all sorts of clues as to what we are thinking which is why it is good to have video sometimes. Mom is focused on our heads and noses mostly, but with the videos, she gets to see other clues we give.
Nice job Emma. Does mom say “zuke” to start you as in Zuke’s treats…or is it German for something? I like how you sit once you get your find.
LOL! It would be funny if it was for treats, but it is German for search. I don’t always sit, but with the space I was working it worked best. Most of the time, I point with my nose and then give Mom “the look”.
So cool. That must be so fun for you guys. I have been watching the drug sniffing dogs at the checkpoints. They start at one wheel, quickly walk along the car, and done. So fast.
They say the best way to search a vehicle is to hoover it all the way around. We pretty much do that too. Drug and bomb sniffing dogs are fun to watch. Mom had some train on empty aircraft before the passengers boarded. They found the hides in the overhead bins and all. I think it was Mom’s first clue that some day she needed to work with a dog on a nose sport.
I love your beautiful face when you make a find. I have never seen real stairs before. You and Bailie are so pawsitively pawsome. XOXO Sparkle the PBGV
I just love searching. I could search and search until I fall over from exhaustion. I work really hard at it too. Bailie isn’t as interested in it as I am and can be sloppy sometimes with her searching, but she is the expert tracker. We each do the same sports but each of us has our own passion.
It does look fun! We can only imagine the hard work it is to pinpoint the location of the item Emma, great job!!
Smileys!
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
Sometimes it is real easy, but other times I really have to work and work to find it, but I really enjoy it.
Very impressive work Emma! I have a long way to go, but know I understand what you are talking about! Love Dolly
We are so excited you signed up for a class. We just know you and your mom will get locked in like Mom, Bailie, and I. We’re excited as we just got confirmation for our ORT in April. Hopefully we can pass the last ones and be done with that and only focus on trials.
We are very impressed with that nose action!
Thank you!
take the first one, it says priority… or no, wait, the all say the same… difficult, huh? but I’m sure the bestest noses of France will find the treasure :o)
I can sniff it out no problem!
hooray!! you all are so good at nosework!!!
Thank you. I work really hard at it.
Good work Emma and Bailie!! It was way too cold for me to walk this morning so we played a little searching game with our boxes. Of course we were using food…LOL I put the food in a little cup and then place the cup inside the box. I’m hoping to cut down on the scent sticking to the box.
Delilah is good at this game, but Sampson hasn’t had a lot of practice so it took him a few minutes to figure out what I wanted him to do. π
Just keep one or a couple boxes as your source boxes, and always put the food in those, that is what we did when we started. We don’t recognize the boxes, and then you can add in as many other boxes as you want.
Very impressive! Your noses knowses! BOL!
My nose is getting more and more sharp all the time!
Wow! I am very impressed. It did not sound easy at all. Well done
Thank you. I work hard at getting it all down so I can find the odor in a timely manner.
I enjoy seeing all the different ways you do things. I have seen Luke go to the scent and then leave and come back again. I definitely want to take him to classes, but there are not a lot of options around here without having to travel far. I’m going to keep looking though, and in the meantime we’re just having fun with it.
I understand it is hard to find classes since it is still a fairly new sport and if you aren’t in a big city it is even more difficult. We drive about 35 mins each way to get to class. Hopefully you will find one eventually as it is a great sport and especially for Luke with his knee issues it is a way to keep him busy, wear him out and not strain anything.
Great job, and great indoor activity, too! Happy weekend!
We search outdoors in the winter too, but it was too cold for Mom to do any filming outside the last week or so.
You’re like a bomb sniffing dog!!!
Snorts,
Lily & Edward
Boom! I could be if Mom trained me on the “bomb” odor.
I think it’s very cool you gave the “such” command! Weiter so π
Wir machen fast alles auf deutsch in Nose Work. We like to have commands the others don’t have so there is no confusion. We use a lot of them at home too for things around the house.
Thank you for taking time to explain more about scent work! What a fun thing to do!
I could bark about it all day long. We love it and find it fascinating and fun. Glad you enjoy it.
I’m thinking of trying to take an online nosework class soon…
If you don’t have one in your area, online would be the next best thing. I bet you would enjoy it.
So cool!!!! I do a little bit of this here and there with my huskies. I have to get into it a bit more though because they have so much fun!
α¦ husky hugz α¦ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
If you get into it for competition, there is a lot to learn, but it is also a good sport, just for fun!
You two girls are very clever.
Millie & Walter
We take lots of classes and do lots of homework to better our skills.
Very very cool talent and looks like fun work. We love watching searches (we filmed police drug and lost person training searches for the doc). Kilo searches under cups for a treat like the shell game. We play go find to keep him mentally and physically busy when it is snowing with tiny bits of treats. He loves it as he loves treats and racing around looking for them. he does not seem to have the best sense of smell though.
Being a dog, he automatically has good smell, but his breed isn’t really known for being great at finding scent. Every dog has their own thing and as long as he has fun searching here and there for food, that is great!
Your nosework posts are the COOLEST and so interesting! I love reading them. I never thought about hanging containers, I can see where that would be pretty difficult My 2015 goal is to get one or both of my dogs into Agility and Nosework… if only my life would stop being so gosh darn BUSY!
Mom totally understands. With Bailie in tracking and both of us in nose work it takes a lot of time for classes, practice and now hopefully competitions. At least nose work is something you can practice almost anywhere and it doesn’t take much time. Tracking and agility you need all the equipment, space and much more time. Hope you can find time to fit in at least one sport. I’m glad you enjoy reading about our nose work. The hanging boxes was a genius idea.
Great job girls! Thanks for sharing your nose work with us.
It’s a great sport for all dogs, so we like to share sometimes.
I really enjoy learning about what you do in nose work, they is a lot more involved than I ever realized. I didn’t realize that they could have more than one find per box. Looking forward to the next time You teach us more:)
We have a Newfie in our advanced class. He is really good, and funny. He loves to destroy stuff which isn’t allowed, so that is his biggest challenge.
Bailey is really growing in nose work Emma. You’re a positive influence and big sister.
She is getting more serious about it, but she still isn’t as interested as Mom would like. She definitely prefers to go tracking.