Last weekend there were many lessons learned, and a title earned as Bailie and I attended our first K9 Nose Work Element Specialty Trial. Active Dog Sports where we do our training hosted the trial at a school in West St. Paul. As promised, Mom wore the red shirt for me, and then changed into the purple shirt for Bailie.
The weather was super hot, full sun, and 80’s. It may not seem like much to those of you who live in warm climates, but for those of us just coming out of winter it was tough! At a nose work trial, all dogs are to remain in their vehicles unless they are searching or in line to search, so it was warm!
A school was chosen as the venue for the weekend trial. Can you imagine searching a classroom full of stuff for a couple Q-Tips in a 1″ long straw? It was challenging but fun. The weekend was divided into four sections. Saturday morning was interiors, afternoon was exteriors, Sunday morning was containers, and Sunday afternoon was vehicles. Each element was four total searches done two at a time. To title, you need to find all four hides. If you find three, you get “a leg” which means in your next elements trial you only need to find three and you get your title. There were thirty dogs in each element.
Bailie likes her crate, so she hung out in there while waiting, I enjoyed the back of the car. I started my searches Saturday morning and got both hides in the classroom and the stairwell. Next up was the stage. I alerted Mom to the hide, but she didn’t believe me, I came back to it and she once again did not believe me, I was right, and she basically cost me my interiors title! The fourth search was in an art room which was full of stuff, but I found it. Three out of four (because my teammate, Mom, messed up) so I got a leg for interiors. This was the first of the lessons learned – Mom, don’t think, just trust your dog!
Bailie was up for exteriors in the afternoon and somehow thought she had entered a Miss Congeniality test instead. She blew her first two searches, just clowned around and tried to get people to pet her. Mom was not happy. On her second set, she nailed them both. Here we learned Bailie is reliably unreliable.
I had containers Sunday first thing and nailed the first one, but I toyed with Mom on the second and cost myself the title. Another of the lessons learned – with containers, Emma gets bored, so make sure she sniffs all boxes before calling it.
Last up was vehicles. My first search was two cars, nailed it! Second up was an old pick up truck. I got it, but it was hard as I was way too warm and my energy was zapped. Mom even carried me part way back to the car. My third search was two ATV’s which I nailed, and the final vehicle was an RV. I did it! I did it! Mom squeezed the life out of me almost and had leaky eyes. I got my first title in a dog sport and Mom had her first sports title with a dog. A super fun side note, I’m the first GBGV to receive a title of any sort with the NACSW in K9 Nose Work! How cool is that!
It was a super fun but exhausting weekend. Mom wanted to make sure I celebrated my hard work, so I had a can of Alpine Rabbit Stew from Merrick for dinner. Coincidentally, the can matched my ribbon! I’m hoping to get a spot in another trial in July to try for my NW1 Title, I will find out about that later this month. There was a photographer on site as well. When she posts the photos of searches in a week or two, I will share those with you.
In case you are wondering if most dogs title, or what the numbers look like, see below:
- Level 1 Interiors – 18 titles, 9 legs
- Level 1 Exteriors – 12 titles, 9 legs
- Level 1 Containers – 13 titles, 10 legs
- Level 1 Vehicles – 19 titles, 8 legs
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Way to go!
Now you know…if you ever think you have birch on your vehicle, give me a call and I will find it π
Congratulations Sweetie! β₯ Yummers on the Merrick rabbit!! Double winning!
No better way to celebrate than with a wabbit dinner!
Congrats! I think the Merrick food is just as exciting as the ribbon, but maybe that’s just me. LOL!
I wouldn’t eat the ribbon and if I did, it wouldn’t taste like wabbit! I love Merrick food!
Woohoo! Congrats!! So super exciting!!
α¦ husky hugz α¦ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Mom and I have been super happy and proud all week.
You rock, Emma! We humans do sometimes mess up when our fur pals know what is the right thing to do. I am sure your mom feels worse than you do about the outcome, but you did get credit for your finds! Silly Bailie…she is a pup like moi. XOXO Sparkle the PBGV
Bailie is just hopeless these days. She needs to get her focus on and concentrate when work is to be done. At least Mom can rely on me.
Congratulations Emma – well done! Bailie will get there, she’s still a pup…or at least a teenager.
We know she will be awesome at some point. It is just frustrating since she knows what to do but chooses not to.
Congratulations!!! That’s definitely NOT easy to work in a schoolhouse… there are 87 or more different smells what meet your nose per minute… all that burgers and treats and smells of big “F”‘s and small “A’s”… that’s worth standing ovations I think! Apaws Apaws!
Between the heat and the mental challenges, I slept for two days after it was all done! It was a good tired, though.
Awesome job Emma! You, Bailie and Mom glad quite a wonderful weekend! π
It was fun win or lose, but the title at the end did make it all a bit more fun π
Awesome job Emma congrats to you and your Mom. Sounds like you all had fun. Have a great weekend!
Loads of fun and goal accomplished at least for me π
Congratulations to Emma and Bailie but not to Mom. She failed the test. I guess she needs more training.
Mom made a really bad decision and she felt so stupid and was so mad at herself. She learned a big lesson about who knows where the hides are! I forgive her, but she better not do it again.
Congrats! So great that all your efforts and training paid off. Soak up that sun and plenty of treats this weekend to celebrate.
We’ve been celebrating all week. Hopefully it is the first of many titles for me. Bailie…who knows, but maybe when she is old she will finally get serious.
Congratulations! I love how proud you both look in the back of the car! =D
Bailie really shouldn’t be too proud these days as her work ethic is seriously lacking, but we still were excited to get going and sniff.
Bravo, bravo, bravo, we’re sure proud of you!
I’m pretty proud of myself. Having one title under my fur helps take the pressure off, so hopefully more will follow a bit easier.
Yippee!!!! Good job guys. You ace your nose work.
sumskersandearlskers13.blogspot.com
I really work hard to do a good job and now I have started collecting ribbons. I’ll never get as many as you have in agility!
What fun! My Zack is always right, too. But his tell is sooooo short because he’s convinced there’s another one out there somewhere and he needs to find them all, asap.
I’m very clear and good at letting Mom know right where the hide is, but she is still working on the trust issue. We all learned a lot last weekend along with having lots of fun.
HUGE congratulations, Emma, that is so great!! It sounds like it was a tough weekend and a lot of hard and hot work, so I’m glad you had something to show for it at the end. Judging by the numbers you shared, it is definitely not easy. It is so cool that you were the first GBGV to title with them too! Bailie….well, she’s still young, isn’t she?
Bailie is in “Bailie’s World”, where fun is the priority, not hard work. Hopefully she will catch on one of these days! I’m very proud of myself at least.
Congrats on your first title! Humans can be silly, can’t they?
My human made a fool of herself for sure, but I don’t think she will make the same mistake again!
Go Emma!! You totally rock!
Smileys!
Dory
Thanks. I hope I get to be in the trial in July. I love nose work so.
Pawsome job, Emma, congratulations! Tell your mom not to be to mad at herself ~ we all learn from our mistakes!
She was mad for herself but she felt worst about costing us the title. She will redeem herself I’m sure.
Awesome job and that’s so cool to be the first of your breed! We know how exciting that is! Good lesson to “trust your dog!”
Mom is finally starting to get it I think. It works pretty well with me, Bailie is another story!
Wow, congrats and I think you are both amazing! I bet you had fun even if it was a lot of work. Excellent job! π
Grr and Woof,
Sarge, Police Commish
A love doing nose work, even though it was so hot and I was getting so tired, I totally enjoy searching. I’m proud of my furry self!
Yay!!! Congrats on your ribbon – it’s a lovely shade of purple!
It is a nice looking ribbon, I have to say!
Well done and congratulations!
Thank you!
Grats! Those do sound like some pretty tough tests!
It is pretty hard for humans to imagine, but our noses catch the odor, so it is a matter of catching it and showing it to Mom.
We think you did a great job for your first K9 nose work trial. Mom should have listened to you when you told her where it was. However you made a mistake yourself on containers so everyone was hot and under pressure. Congratulations on the title you earned and next time you finish the titles off.
It was our first try at elements trials, so the stress was high, weather was hot, and we are thrilled to have two legs and a title. Bailie, well, she has to start getting serious if she wants to make something of herself.
Congratulations Emma! And Bailie, Miss Congeniality you’ll get them next time. Mom is seriously reconsidering nose work if it means sitting in a parking lot all day. And we’re not suppose to leave dogs in cars, geez. Love Dolly
No, no need to reconsider, it is warm, but no dogs suffered or anything. Mom was probably more uncomfortable than I was! We weren’t left alone in the car, Mom was there with us, there were people all around to hang out with, tents and stuff to keep the sun off, it is a lot of fun really. We hope to do it again in July!
that is awesome! congrats.
Mom and I are thrilled!
Congratulations Emma! You did great. Hopefully you and your mom will both be perfect at your next trial.
Millie & Walter
We hope I get a spot in July, we will probably know in about a week. Hope you had a nice Mom’s Day.
Terrific! That is outstanding Emma.
Thank you. Mom and I are thrilled and I’m very proud of myself.
Well done you guys! Sam tells me the same thing all the time, you have to forgive us humans; we over-think everything!
I keep telling Mom, I got it, leave your brain turned off, but she has to think.
Great job Emma and Bailie. Emma, make sure you give mom a good talking to before your next event!
Curiosity, why wouldn’t the do the outside stuff in the morning keeping the afternoon heat index in mind?
I know what you mean about the weather, last week I was warming my car up to take the chill off and this morning I had to turn the air on. It’s not so much heat but the humidity. Walking the dogs this morning was like walking through cool soup. UGH
We discussed this at class last week. The events are planned about a year in advance or at least many months. According to all the rules, policies, procedures, once a schedule is set it is set. Being the first weekend in May the probability was a snowstorm or pretty cold weather, so they put the outdoor events in the afternoon to help everyone stay warm. No one had a clue we would have our first and only two days in the 80’s so far this year on those two exact days. No one was hurt, or injured from the heat, but most of us dogs were pretty worn out from it.
You deserved that can of rabbit. Congratulations!
Alpine Rabbit Stew is sooo good!