How many ways can she amaze me? Between the last post and now, I am not sure I can list them all. She worked a night problem with a brand new subject and in a brand new portion of forest. Raezor moved out in front, never hesitating, never worrying. Just pushed out and worked. She checked trails to either side of the path- ON HER OWN and worked her way right on down toward the subject. And when she had moved on beyond the subject, the fact that her nose was working was obvious when she came to a very loud, very definitive screeching halt in the dirt that I could hear without seeing her, spun herself around and launched right into the subject. The second problem was equally impressive with her automatically checking both sides of the path, and any opening into the forest. When she hit the scent cone, she glided through it right to the subject. We drove home that night with our mouths agape and our minds whirling.
Tonight... we did a blind problem with me as a subject, her starting in a known negative area, and me as an unresponsive subject, anticipating beginning the refind/alert sequence in a forest new to her. Just how many curve balls can one puppy take?
She was FABULOUS! With the go find - out she went ... looking for scent. As soon as she crossed my trail she lit up like a Christmas tree - initially she back trailed me. My partner let her work that a bit and then redirected her. She got into air scent and that was all it took. She flew right to me, circled me, slightly worried about the noise of the very large deer behind me (at least I hope it was a deer... after hearing the stories of the bear from the fire captain up there, I am actually forcing myself to believe it was a deer) and then she dove into me. She was thrilled to pieces to find me. It took a little coaxing from my partner, but she did leave me and zipped back to my partner, launching herself onto her without any command (can we say jump alert???) and flew right back to me... I was blown away!
But wait, there's more! For the low low price of puppy love, she took one more curve ball and hit a home run... A friend met us up there, and then Raezor did a 3/4 blind problem in the dark with a brand new subject she had NEVER met before this training. She studied him leaving with great care. Just a whine or two escaped her lips... but she stared intently into the dark, waiting to be released. And when she was - BOOM - off she flew. NOTHING and NO ONE could stop her. She picked up where he left the path and went into the woods with ease... right on into him and with a bit of coaxing, right back to my partner with a flying leap at her and no issue getting her to go back to the subject.
We are amazed. I am not sure that 2 steps ahead are going to be enough. We might need to be a mile ahead of her....
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