Sun, Sept 14, 2008

Juno surely didn't have the answer to the question today.  She ascted like she had never heard the word before.  We were in a new place and on rubble, but I really didn't think that would make much difference to her.  She did fine at alerting on the victim - good barks and no fear - after I pretty much led her into the vic, but not much motivation on her own to search.  This is the Juno that I've washed several times.

It really bugs me that I can't find a way to channel this dog's drive into searching for people.  I"m strongly considering giving my victims a dead squirrel to do a run-away with....

I forgot to write a blog about our exciting day of training on Sunday.  We saw some visible progress!!

We went to Pam's to do some work at her place.  It is always good to train in a variety of places, so the dogs know that they have to work everywhere.  We did some agilty and she did her normal great job.  She had some trouble with the metal ladder, but did a great job on the wooden one.  We'll start doing some horizontal work with the metal ladder until she gets comfortable with the feel of it.

We then went to work our directionals - the baseball diamond.  Juno had to run over to the barrel to see if there was anyone there.  Yippee!  A sign that she thinks this might be a fun game!!

She did a great job on directionals - a mini miracle.  (We went home and did them on Monday and she seemed to forget again.  Go to Pam's on Wed and she did fine.  Now what is that all about???

But, what I was most pleased about was that while she was barking at Pam in the bark barrel, a bird flew over.  She stopped barking, followed the bird with her eyes, and then barked again!!!  Pam gave her a fast reward at just the right time!  This is the first time she has given an indication that she might be able to work past a bird and that is a very good thing!!

Sat, Aug 23, 2008

Juno, Rascal, my friend Pam and her two dogs drove 4 hours to Harrisburg to the training site of the PA-TF 1.  We met another team mate of mine and spent the day training.

We started with agility.  Juno climbed the Little Giant  8' foot ladder for the first time.  She tried to race up it and ended up with her legs flying, but was able to slow down and go both up and down.  They don't have to go down during our certifications, but I think it is a skill that shows bravery and control and could be useful.  I know handlers who had their dogs walk down a ladder into a hole in the 9/11 searches.  It was faster than hooking them to a harness and lowering them.  She followed directions well on the 6' high plank.  She needs to stop and turn up there, or on some other agilty obstacle.  She walked over anchor fencing and slippery barrels and did a very nice job.

We then went to the bark barrels.  Again, she had some concern about the lid moving.  My friend Pam said that the person hiding in the barrel moved it pretty quickly.  We did several repetitions and came back later and she had no problems.  She hasn't done enough of these for her to become unconcerned about the lid.  Time will take care of this.

We did two short problems on the rubble.  She was able to see and hear the victim call her and then she ran across the rubble to bark at the victim.  The victim was sitting in a big pipe and Juno could see her when she got there.  Why do we do this instead of just sending her out to find someone she can't see hiding in the middle of the rubble pile?  Many reasons.  Primarily, you always want them to be successful.  It is better to go slowly than to make a mistake.  That has to be balanced with the dogs who need to be challenged, but you still need to be cautious and plan well to make sure you are successful.  Also, she has done simple problems like this at home, but when you go to a new place, you back up a few steps. And, she doesn't know what "search" means yet.  She is still learning that command.  So, we want to make sure she is learning the right thing.  There are groundhogs and other critters living in this pile.  Our plan had to ensure that Juno would go to her victim and get a good reward.  If she wandered around searching for the victim and encountered the scent of a groundhog and began to search for that, guess what the word "search" would mean from then on???  I always have to remember that I am asking Juno to play this game.  If she were to decide what she wanted to do at this  point in time, it would have to do with hunting birds or other critters now.  People still can't compete with birds, butterflies, dragonflies, bunnies, etc....  If she ever decides that she can have as much fun with people, she will be a search dog!

Overall, it was a very successful day.  I would have like to work more problems, but she was successful at everything she attempted.  Nothing unnerved her.  She is progressing well.

Our first time searching on the rubble pile!  I've kept Juno off the rubble since she got spayed almost 2 weeks ago.  We did our usual 3 repeats.  Juno and I at the bottom of the pile; Pam at the top in a big plastic culvert we have buried in the concrete.  The front is big and easy for the dogs to see as soon as they crest the top of the pile.  Juno thought she'd rather go hunting for whatever good things she'd been smelling.  I had to gater her up, bring her back nd start her in the rubble instead of in the grass.  We did what we call a snap up, where the victim calls the dog and as she is coming in, the lid snaps up and the victim is concealed.  Since the first round didn't go really well, we repeated the same thing.  That went better, so we moved to a closed lid call-out.  Pam called, but the lid was almost completely closed.  Excellent round.  She decided she was ready to work.  It takes this girl a while to switch from playing her games to playing mine.

Juno is proving that she can LEARN this game.  We still have to see if she WANTS to participate.

Juno did her first bark barrel today.  a bark barrel is two 55 gallon barrels with the lids cut off.  One has both ends cut off.  then, they are put together to make one long barrel.  Just enough room for a person to fit in!  We make lids to go in front of them.  Pam gets in the barrel for my dogs; I get in the barrel for hers.  The purpose of the bark barrel is the same as the box:  to teach the dog to bark at a person they can smell but can't see.

Since it was Juno's first time at the barrel, we needed to make sure she understood the game.  We decided on a "snap up".  Pam is in the barrel; I bring Juno in front of the barrel and about 25 feet or so away and Pam calls to Juno.  I release Juno and tell her to "Search".  When she is part way in, Pam snaps the lid up and disappears.  Juno did her run, Springer 'Spring' and then barked - just like she should!  Good Dog, Juno!!  We repeated exactly the same thing, then brought her around and had the lid up on the third rotation.  No problem!!  Each time she gets to Pam and barks, Pam opens the door and rewards her with food, making her bark for her food, reward and bark.  Eventually, we would like her to work for a toy, so her frisbee is in there too and the game ends with a frisbee toss.  The goal is to make her very happy and want to play the search game and get her rewards.

We did have some interference.  My 11 year old Newfoundland heard us playing the game and came out of the car to search for aunt Pam.  She ambled up to the barrel, knocked Juno out of the way and barked for her food.  Good old dog, Flo Jo!!  I wish I had another dog with her pure joy of finding people.  The Springers work for me.  Flo Jo worked because she loved finding people.

Baseball Diamonds:  Remember the baseball diamond that I direct the dog from base to base on?  WEll, we have a demonstration on Saturday and thought we'd practice an old trick with Rascal, male male Spriner, and one of Pam's dogs.  I send Rascal to third base.  Pam sends her dog to first base.  I send Rascal to pitchers.  Pam sends her dog to pitchers!  Yikes!!  Two dogs on pitchers!.  We used to do it with one "base".  Now we use two, so that one doesn't push the other off!  When they are both on pitchers, Pam sends her dog back to second and I hold Rascal on pitchers.  Then, I send Rascal to first or third.  Then, they both get called home.  Or, that is how it is supposed to work.  Today, Pam was using a new dog and had to encourage her to come onto pitchers with Rascal.  Then she sent her dog to second.  Her dog looked at her and Rascal went to second!  We just laughed, because then Rascal just decided we were too slow and he'd finish the pattern on his own!  Oh well.  Might as well have some fun!!     Who knows what will happen at the demo....