I’m thankful for personal successes in nose work I’ve recently attained. My mom is very competitive, and not a real team person. Selecting dogs as teammates has been very humbling, and difficult for her, but through a lot of failures, she has learned to really appreciate spending time with us, doing what we love, and attaining some personal goals.
Remember back in January, I had a very dismal NW3 Trial? Mom pretty much lost hope in team red ever earning an NW3 Title. After taking a break, and competing with Bailie a few times, it was my turn again on April 28. I was ready for my two favorite things – nose work, and mom and me time.
A lot of people that know me, and even some who don’t, commented on what a happy girl I was. There were also a lot of our friends there who know me from my blog, and other trials. I got lots of petting which was an added bonus for me. One person even noticed how much I enjoy fun, but when Mom releases me to search I get 100% serious until she says we are finished. That is one trait Mom loves about me, I have a great work ethic.
Mom did the morning walk through, and when she returned to the car, she told me it would not be our day. The interior searches were big rooms full of stuff. I’m pretty slow, but methodical in my searching. She said, “I’m going to let you do what you want, Emma. Just find the hides, tell me, and see what happens.” The above photo was the first interior room. Remember, I’m searching for a Q-Tip with odor in all that stuff! I had three minutes to search the room and tell Mom if there were 0, 1, 2, or 3 hides. Guess what? I found three, and in 1:27! That is like the most amazing search of my life! I got such a big hug from Mom I thought I might be permanently squashed.
The second room was packed as well, and I found one hide. This time I didn’t do what I always do which is search the perimeter counterclockwise, instead, I went diagonally in and almost right to the hide. Mom was certain there must be more than one, but we ended with the one.
In the third room, I went back to my perimeter work, and ended up finding two hides. I was working like a dog, not like the usual slow Emma. Mom was so happy it was crazy. At this level, you don’t know how many hides there are until the end of the day, but we both felt we did a great job.
Containers are always my thing. Mom loves how she can trust me to find the right ones and tell me about them. We had pizza boxes (no pizza), and these plastic storage boxes to search. I found the pizza box one quickly.
After covering almost all the containers, I alerted to one of the storage boxes, which was also correct, so we found two hides in containers. Look at me, tongue out and everything. My mom knows I don’t lie.
Exteriors was a nice area but once again a lot of stuff. I found the hide right away in the crates, but didn’t tell my mom. We came back around, and this time, I pointed it out nicely to her.
Sadly, the last search was vehicles, and I did not find the one hide that would have earned me my NW3 Title. Still, nine out of ten was awesome for me, and it was the second time in three trials I only missed one. What we are most proud of is the interior search! For me to find three hides so fast, and to find the hides in the other rooms with time to spare is a miracle in those busy rooms! To top off the thrill, we got a “P” which is pronounced on our interior score sheet. Pronounced means the handler and dog worked exceptionally well as a team, and are fairly rare. We have never had a pronounced before, so it is very special for us.
All day I was a super happy girl, and I worked my furry behind off! Mom and I hope to get me into another trial in a few months. There are not many to enter close to home during the summer, but I will be ready. We know the title will come, but in the meantime, we are enjoying our personal successes in nose work.
***Nose work photos of me searching were taken by Caprise Adams, and purchased by My GBGV Life for our own use.***
We are joining Brian’s Home Blog in the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
Congrats on your hard work paying off.
Mom and I are pretty proud of my work that day.
You gals should be very proud! Congrats on a job well done.
I had a blast and worked super hard. Mom is really proud of me.
Congrats!! That’s fantastic, you have reason to be proud.
She never expected me to pass one, let alone all three of the interior searches. I’m very proud.
WOW, big congrats from all of us, just reading about your success made us smile! Thanks for joining the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
Thanks for hosting, kitties.
yes… wow great job!!!!! and it is great that it came to cheer you up, after you had a bad day… I’m so glad you are much better
I left all my puke at Gramma’s and have been sleeping a lot here at home. I’m feeling a lot better.
I’m so excited for you. You have been working so hard, and Mom too, and it paid off big time.
One day I will get all ten and the title, but for now, the interior pass was huge for me and my mom.
Very proud of you and your Mom, Emma! You make a truly great team! That NW3 title will come. Meanwhile, your work ethic and teamwork are paying off, and I’m very happy for both of you.
I really know my job and I take it seriously. Madison is a lot like me too, but Bailie is a wild card, not a serious work ethic with that girl. I’m proud of myself at least.
Emma you are such a sweet girl, it’s just icing on the the cake when you find your hides!
Thank you. I love finding the hides and getting a treat and snuggles for each one.
That is SO awesome Emma!! Your NW3 will come! You and Mom both have such a great work ethic, it’s bound to happen!
One would hope so. We are getting tired of waiting, but when it happens, it will be all that much better having waited so long.
I am so proud of my sweetie! You are the cutest sniffer that we know. XXOO Bentley ♥
Thank you. Everyone always tells me how cute I am at trials. I just eat it all up!
Emma, sounds like you just needed a break for a bit to get re-physched! “P” is for perfectly Fabulous!!! Great job Red team!
Thank you. I have to stay on my game or my sister Bailie will pass me by!
I’m pawsitively astounded by your nose work. I wish we felines could do something like that!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto
I think kitties should try barn hunt. It would be natural to hunt rats in the straw.
What an awesome team you and your Mom are!! You came so close…..and the important thing is that you worked well together and definitely looked like you were having fun. Congratulations to both of you on a great day!
Now we are even. She messed up one trial, and I messed up this one. Next time we will get it!
I’m glad you’re feeling better. That was an amazing trial, you did really well. You’ll get your NW3 soon.
I sure hope I get it at some point this year.
oh, emma, you are fabulous and very humble. an ethical work effort is most important. i’m proud of you and mom too. i missed seeing again at blogpaws. i know you had a good time at home.
I’m a very reliable girl, and Mom loves that about me. I was a bit sad about missing BlogPaws, but I know I would not have been happy, and I got nicely spoiled by staying home!
Awesome Emma! What a great post. We loved reading about your team work and how much you and your mom love what you are doing! Congratulations your doodle friend Dash
Mom and I are a super working team. My sisters work with her too, but Mom and I have a similar style and a lot of trust that my sisters don’t yet have with Mom.
What a great job, Emma!! It’s always fun to see you and your Mama working together!!
xoxo,
Arty, Rosy & Jakey
Thank you. We both had an awesome day together.
Wow, Emma, I am so happy for you and your mom. Having fun together is what it’s all about. You did that!!! And, you almost got your title. You’ve been so close twice… that I know that it will happen. You’re an amazing girl, Emma, and you and your mom are a fantastic team. Yipee for Team Emma!
Thank you. We have been kind of beaten down about it taking so long to get this title, but we have come to realize the accomplishments along the way mean a lot.
Great job we are proud of you.
Thank you. Mom never in a million years thought I would pass those interior searches, let alone the three hides in such a short time.
Congrats!
Thank you. We are proud of what I did.
Wow, what a great job! I wonder if your mom taking a break to work with your sister and you getting a break from competition helped too. Sometimes humans need time to let our training click. Little breaks might help dogs too.
Glad to see you and your mom having so much fun.
Mom felt like we were stuck in a rut, and by trying some trials with Bailie who is very different in nose work from what I do, it might have helped her get out of the rut.
What a great trial! Very impressive, Emma! Congrats to you and your mom.
Thank you. We came oh so close to our goal, but we hope to get another shot one if these days. The trial season winds down a bit during the summer, but fall usually picks up again.