Yesterday was a fun fun fun training day for her. I decided that since she seems bored by the 2nd runaway, we'd change it up a bit. We'd do one long half blind run/walkaway, see how she did, then put her away and work Kaeden, and then do another problem.
The first run/walkaway jazzed her to no end. I hid IN a hole. She was just sure she knew where I was and when I wasn't in her 'profiled' spot.... her brain kicked in and used her nose to figure it out. She was racing toward me, then blew by me. But alas, after she blew past me, there was no more scent. She flipped around and followed the scent right in to me!!!! This was the first problem where she wanted to play and play and play.... we went back to the truck playing the whole way.
Then we worked Kaeden. I didn't know Raezor knew how to howl. I don't think Raezor did either. She whined. Cried. Whined some more. Then an odd sound came out. Then more whining. The odd sound. Then a full on howl. It was all we could do to not laugh out loud and distract Kaeden from his job. A job he did beautifully I might add.
Back to Ms Raezor. So to throw more curve balls at her, we decided to do a totally blind problem. We got back to the truck, I left the putting of Kaeden away to my partner and I just kept walking. I went to a predesignated spot and just waited. I left a scent article along the way to introduce that concept too. I was nervous. Was I throwing too much at this young pup? Was asking her to search for someone in an area she had never been to before, never seeing them leave, tossing in a scent article and doing it at twilight when all the shadows are as scary as they can be just a bit too much? Was I making a horrible mistake?
I have to admit as a sat at that tree with 3 bats swirling around me (who needs mosquito repellent when you have your own bats???) that I thought about what advice I would give if a handler had come to me and said: It has been three weeks since we started puppy runaways with my dog. She seems a little bored after the second one now that we've switched to my wife being the victim, what should we do? I don't believe I would have said to advance the problem to a fully blind problem in a brand new area, while tossing in a scent article. So, while I bit my nails worried I just screwed up, my partner said: GO FIND.
Raezor first went screaming over to where I had been, pounced, and I wasn't there. Not deterred in the least, off she flew. She put two and two together and went through the gate, and along the fenceline. Still not finding me, she zipped back toward the gate and found the scent article and was thrilled!!! My partner praised her and told her that was awesome, now go find her... and all business came out in full force. I was able to watch the whole thing (and tried to encourage the bats to find a different viewing post) and it was awesome to watch. She coursed back and forth over my trail, all the while moving forward, picking up speed. This time she only made it a little ways past me before realizing she needed to alter course.... and this was one proud proud proud puppy of what she had done.
I am amazed. I have thought more than once that she came to us a puppy, programmed with dog already with a lot of her actions. Now.... I am wondering something a little more spiritual....
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