Chima Starts Nose Work

Like any other dog training class, Nose Work class actually consists of a small part of the learning happening with the dog and the largest part of the learning needing to happen for the human. It doesn't seem that way as a beginner. I mean, you start out thinking "I am paying to stand and watch my dog eat treats out of boxes?"

But as the dogs become more confident in their searching, that's when the human learning kicks in. And the major lesson of nose work for humans is that we need to trust our dogs and let them do what they were born to do. 

So much of how we think of pet dogs is about us controlling them. We want them to do this trick, stop this behavior, do more of this one. We push and prod and in our bumbling way try to force them into living in a human setting. It's all about us and the dog doing what we want. In Nose Work though, we humans are delving into the dog's world. Their sense of smell is so exceptional that clearly in a sniff off, we humans have no chance. But we have this set expectation of how our dog should be sniffing or how they should behave like the other dogs, etc., so we start to push and try to control the search. And if we do this, we really hold our dogs back. In Nose Work, the best handlers are the ones who trust their dog and don't try to control the search.

It's this very reason - that dogs have such exceptional schnozzes - that it's a great confidence builder for nervous dogs. If we can let go, stop telling them what to do, close our mouths and put our grabby hands away, they will start to take the lead. They were born to do this. There isn't any direction from us (because it's not like we can sniff it out for them) so they have to let go of dependency and try something on their own. And when they do let go - YES! They are self-rewarded by sniffing out a treat. 

Chima has a really great group of other dogs in her class. I think there are 9 dogs and they range from puppy to senior and from super shy to boisterously outgoing - Shepherds, Terriers, Hounds, Retrievers... Chima, who get's called "Big Momma" at our house is actually the "tiny" dog of the bunch. 

Her first time out searching she was very guarded. Here she was on leash with about 12 people staring at her from the sidelines in a room she'd never been in before - a bit unnerving. She was able to eat the treats but she was super careful and always checking to see what the people were doing. But the second time she entered the room she did a quick scan and then set to work, quickly finding the 3 boxes with treats. Good job, Chima! 

It's really interesting going through the class with a beginner dog after I've fully gone through the beginning and intermediate levels with my dog Frodo. This time I don't feel so insecure. I'm not worried about how Chima is doing compared to the other dogs and am just enjoying seeing her discover how much fun this can be. 

Another Rat Terrier, Gary, is taking the class with Chima. Here he's looking at his mom going "um, what the heck are we doing here?!" He did a great job and as nervous as he was, was able to eat treats there.

And she loves it! A nickname that Chima has earned is "McSnufflington" because from day one of her arriving in our home she was constantly sniffing everything and everyone. It's non-stop so it just made sense that Nose Work would be a great choice for this dog who already took in so much information about person and place through her nose. 

Chima was curious about this box with flaps and not too sure about it

We set up boxes at home to practice last night and because she was comfortable in the space and no one but me was around, she charged right in, nose working overtime. It was exciting to see her already sniffing to find treats rather than depending on her eyes to check each box. The box with flaps was new and at first made her a little nervous but the second time she practiced she climbed right into the box without a pause.

On her second time searching she climbed right in without hesitation

And Salinas is getting in on the fun too since she gets a turn searching the boxes after Chima is done. Salinas has a very needy, insecure personality so Nose Work is going to be great for her to start down a path of building more confidence. 

If you are interested in trying a Nose Work class check out the National Association of Canine Scent Work's Website - https://www.nacsw.net/  When choosing a class be sure to find an instructor who is a CNWI - Certified Nose Work Instructor. You can find a list of the CNWI's in your state at http://www.nacsw.net/instructors