Distractions and distractors are a big part of nose work. You may remember I received my NW1 Title in nose work back in July which means I’m now working towards my NW2 Title. There are several differences with NW2, but a few on them which I have been really working on have to do with container searches. In NW1, containers are boxes with one containing a birch odor. In NW2, containers can be boxes, luggage, cans, bins, any container which holds odor, there can be more than one container with odor (they will tell you how many hides there are, though), the odor can be birch, anise, or a combination of the two, and there can be distractors in some containers.
Distractions and distractors are two separate things. Distractions are always present in any search, sometimes more prevalent than others. We do a lot of searching in new areas with all kinds of things to get us familiar with many different distractions. The area above was a search area we recently worked.
I worked the area with the wooden crate pretty quickly and found the hide. Some of the distractions here are the busy road just to the one side, which you can’t really see on the photo, all the smells from the dirt and supplies, and wind since it is an open area.
The second part of our search area is in the above photo. Both areas are in a construction zone for some new streets in some former farm fields.
I search and find hides in wheels quite often, but this was a bit more tricky with all the articles under and around the trailer, as well as having to go between the two trailers into more tight space. All the stuff and odd spaces are distractions, but I managed to stay pretty focused.
My final search at the construction site was the machinery. Imagine all the smells from the earth, critters, humans, etc, on these machines! Aside from the busy road, it was a pretty quiet area, but we also practice in areas with heavy airplane traffic overhead, or near train tracks with trains going by. A dog needs to adapt to any environment, and search.
On a side note, this area was a dirty mess with all the construction and rainfall. We love our 4Knines seat protector (this is an affiliate link. I may receive a small commission if you purchase a product using this link.) as it kept the entire dirty mess contained. When we got home, Mom just shook out the cover, wiped it off with a damp cloth and it was good as new! If you have active outdoor dogs, this is a great investment!
Now for distractors. A distractor is placed in a container and can be food, toys, anything which may interest a dog. The trick is for the dog to ignore it and alert on the hide(s) only, and for the human to tell the difference between a dog trying to alert on a distractor vs. the real hide. My search in the video has one hide in the purple backpack, and two distractors, my favorite stuffie, Bunny, and some wet dog food. Sorry it is a long video, but it was hot and sunny and I was getting tired. Note how I play around more when it is a distractor than I do when it is the actual hide. I’ve been working with distractors for over a year now, it is something best worked on with an instructor in the beginning. My search also had distractions including some flying bugs, the neighbor kids out playing and making noise, and dogs outside two houses down.
In conclusion, if you are going to compete in nose work, distractions and distractors will be something to work on. Try to have as many distractions as you can find when you practice nose work no matter what level. Always remember safety first when choosing interesting locations, and always, always, have fun!
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I know a lot about distractions, Emma, because Mommie and Twinkie and I walk in the woods every single day. There are so many smells and birds and leaves blowing and animals chirping, but I win the prize because I am now an apprentice off-leash dog!! Mommie takes me into the trail, makes me sit and wait until she says “go,” then I can run through the woods as long as I come back and check in. I wear a bell on my collar and as long as Mommie hears the bell it’s okay, but if she can’t hear it she yells “Bruin come” and I come running back with my tail wagging like crazy!!! But sometimes I get distracted and forget to come when she calls. That’s when she makes me go on the leash again, which is a lot less fun. I’m working really hard to listen so I can be an off leash dog all the time!
Mom would never trust us off leash. Just one squirrel or wabbit and we are gone. Hope it works for you. It’s more difficult with two anyway as we keep each other going.
It’s lucky for me that I have my sister Twinkie who likes to stay very close to my Mommie and never has to go on a leash. I do like to chase squirrels, and birds, and blowing leaves,… but they run or fly up trees so I can’t chase them any more. But there are always interesting things to do in the woods, so most of the time I just run off to explore new things.
Twinkie told me that when she was a young dog that even she used to run away into the woods, but she always ran back to Mommie. We love Mommie and we love food, so we always go back.
We go back, but it may be a long time and my mom doesn’t have the nerves for that. If we lose one squirrel we track and find another and another and another until we can’t run anymore which could be hours.
That sounds like a lot of fun, Emma!! I think I’ll try it someday, but don’t tell my Mommie. I want her to be surprised!
It would be a great activity for you to help you mellow down. It wears us out mentally all the time.
You do such a great job with your nose work. I don’t think that I could ignore my favorite bunny or wet dog food. #EpicFail ā„
The food was tempting, but Bunny in the box really had me confused so I had to go have a second look since I couldn’t believe my nose, but then I remembered I was doing nose work and did find the odor.
we are sure that with lots of practice you will be ready for the next level
I hope so. We practice a lot and we love it.
Wow, this is getting harder and harder isn’t it. Good luck with those distractors Emma!
Every new level adds new challenges, but we don’t mind. It keeps us practicing hard and we enjoy it.
Very proud of you. Great job!
Thank you. Now I need to get into some more trials to try for some more titles.
They’re going to have you working in front of the white house in no time.
I will fight terror using birch, anise, and clove like a mad dog!
Emma, you are just pawsome! I am beginning to hunt. I alerted the mom to a snake on the back porch the other day. It was not a harmful snake, but you never know! XOXO Sparkle the PBGV
Oh goodness! If we even went near one my mom would probably disown us. She can’t stand any reptiles, especially snakes. Be careful!
That is one serious investigation you did there! Hope you went for a ride at least
Lily & Edward
No rides, the fun is in the search and then some tasty rewards.
There is even more to it than I thought, more challenges, and it seems like you are continuing to do very well, Emma.
We really enjoy reading about it, and still hope to try it with Luke one day. We did find a class in our area that they just started so it’s just a matter of when now.
That is awesome! I really hope you can take a class just to see what it is all about for Luke and yourself as a team. When we started, we were going to do it just for fun, no odor, only treats, but after the first week, we knew we were addicted and would be going all the way and competing. We all love it!
Goos job Emma. That sounds really hard.
It is more hard for Mom I think. I know what I’m doing, I just take my time. Bailie can be a bit flighty, lacking concentration, but she is improving.
What great work you are learning. Good job Emma!
Nose work has changed our whole way of sniffing. Now going to the pet store is a real chore because of our need to sniff over everything much more than before.
I love learning about nose work from you guys! I think this is a sport that Nala would be really into, as well. We recently started scent discrimination, just for fun, and if she enjoys it as much as I expect, we might try nosework too! But I think she would also be really, really confused about bunny-in-a-box. š
Nose work is a great confidence builder, and it also wears us out mentally. It is tons of fun, and Mom loves it almost as much as we do! You should give it a try if you can. We love distractor classes because some dogs just go bananas destroying a container to get the distractor out, its fun to watch, but they do learn to not do that in time. First things first, learn the basics, odors, then add other things.
Nose work is SO fascinating!!
We get the same in agility sometimes. Our instructor tells us that distractions are good. They make great training opportunities!
Exactly! There was a nose work trial this summer that ended up with a big parade passing by not far from the search area. The dogs had to deal with it. Some did, some didn’t. You can’t train for everything, but the more things you are exposed to, the better.
Very, very impressive! Just the looks of some of those things would sure distract me.
Thanks. I work hard on my nose work and am getting better all the time.
Like Earl said, we need to work through distractions in agility, too. It’s a challenge, for sure! Those distractors seem like they’d be awfully hard to ignore. You’re doing an awesome job!
In the beginning I always hung myself up on things like cat or dog food, but now I’ve learned I don’t get them, and I only get a reward if I find the odor, so I keep on working.
You are so talented with that nose of yours!!! i like playing little mini hide and seek nose games with my huskies!
]į¦ husky hugz į¦ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
We have so much fun sniffing different places around town, with different groups as well as with just us around home. It is a great sport!
Mom would have had a hard time staying quiet if I was sniffing the wrong thing and she knew it was the wrong thing so we have to say that you are impressive and so is your mom!!! great post Emma, your doodle friend Dash
One thing we have learned is Mom needs to let me work and usually follow my lead. Talking to me throws off my concentration, so unless it is absolutely necessary, she tries to stay quiet.
Very nice job choosing your bunny over the distracting food!! That’s not easy š
Actually, I had to ignore Bunny and food and then find the bag with the odor.
We think you did a great job, Emma!!
Smileys!
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
I’m working hard on it. Thank you.
That is awesome Emma! Way to go! I know for sure Leroy would not be very good at nose work because he has a very short attention span!
We’ve had a Newfie friend in class a few times. He is always fun because he destroys boxes to get distractors. He just got his NW2 title, so he has learned over time.
great job, what a busy place to be sniffing. That seat protector works great!
It’s a great challenging place for sniffing! Really worked hard and had fun.
Way to go Emma! Honey loves to stop every 5 ft. in the park for sniffs. I think she’s part cat. She’s a rebel as far as obeying any commands. It’s all on her terms – rarely mine.
We do lots of sniffin on our walks too, but when we get our nose work uniforms on (harness) we know it is time for business and we get to it.
I find your nosework training so interesting, Emma! Is there a certain behavior you do to “alert”? (Very cute video too!)
My alert is a very firm stance with my front legs, then sniff the odor and look right at Mom. If she isn’t sure I give her a piercing glare. She is starting to get it, but sometimes she really makes a fool of herself as everyone in the world but her can see what I am trying to tell her.
Distractions and distractors can be challenging, but I know you and mom are up for it! Good job Emma.
I just got into an NW2 trial on Nov. 1, so I really have to beef up my distractor training now!