Nose work

Dogs' noses are so much more sensitive and capable than ours. I'm sure we can all recount a story to illustrate our pooch's incredible (to us) ability to smell a steak on the grill from miles away. I'll confess, there are times when I'd just like a little spoonful of peanut butter to get me through the morning. I creep into the kitchen, quietly open the frig, remove that precious jar. No matter how quiet I am about opening the lid, I know I'll have 2 begging dogs by my side in no time. They do not respond the same way to lettuce. Not that I test them with lettuce too often...

Nose Work is a relatively new sport for dogs and handlers, based on the law enforcement world's dogs sniffing out drugs and other contraband. At their best, these companion dogs sniff out tins of scent like birch in a room or field.

I participated in a Nose Work workshop with Charlie a few weeks ago. It was perfect for him. Even tho he's fine in a training class and he'll tolerate leashed dogs on the other side of the street, he's much happier without lots of other dogs around. With Nose Work, each dog does his run alone! In the beginning, we used lots of different cardboard boxes. The dog's handler holds the dog on one end of the row. The 'hider' shows the dog a closed pouch full of really smelly treats, leaving one treat on the outside. The hider then pretends to place the pouch in some of the boxes finally hiding it in one. Depending on the dog's experience with the exercise, the hider even tries to trick the dog. Then the handler lets the dog go and the dog much sniff out the treats.

It might sound simple. But the way scent travels on air currents, actually makes it a challenge for the dogs. First time out, the dog will usually investigate the last box that the hider touched. Then the dog might make a big circuit around the room. But eventually, the dog will get to work and look in each box for the treats. When they finally find it, they're self-rewarded with the treat on top of the pouch. Then the handler opens the pouch and feeds more treats from the pouch.

This is a very good exercise for dogs. It really works their brains and their natural instincts to search, based on scent. It's also pretty cool to watch different dogs go to work. And sometimes the air currents mess with the scent and send the dogs searching high when the treat is low.

Charlie and I have had a good time with this at home. It's cheap and easy (think rainy days) and make the dog work a little.

So I wondered what it would be like to give some Animal Shelter dogs a chance to try. Charlie at UnLeashed helped me work 3 dogs at the Petaluma Animal Shelter.

Scout, a terrier mix was all over us at first, pushing at our hands, jumping, trying every way to get some human attention. But once he picked up the scent and got his first reward, there was nothing we could do to trick him. On his 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th runs, he was all business, waiting patiently for us to say 'go'. Then he followed his nose straight to the treat pouch! It was so fun to watch his brain engage.

Nikita, a deaf Akita was our next participant. Have you ever worked with a deaf dog? She knows some hand commands, but she's had a rough time. Charlie and I continued to speak to her because we knew that our body language and face would convey a message. Nikita caught on quickly. She tended to circle the room a few times, catching the scent high and then following it back low to the box. She was also determined to stay in that room! She loved this game and it was hard to make her stop playing.

With Ziva, a 14 week old pitt/rottie mix, I learned the most. At first, she had no interest in the boxes. She just wanted to stay near the people and lap up attention. We ignored her (almost impossible with this adorable pup!). Then she'd pick up a scent, follow it for awhile, get distracted, walk right by the treat. But when she picked up the scent and was close, she'd whip her head around and follow it right to the box and the reward. I could almost see the path that the scent was taking, just by watching her progress.

We have a pretty awesome animal shelter in Petaluma. Not only do they care deeply for every animal they help, but they welcome us all to be a part of it. I can only hope that the lives of 3 dogs were enriched by our little games. I'll go back again next week to play!