What the dogs learned this week....

The training students aren't the only ones who learned stuff this week!

STEEL

Steel learned that tracks can occur on asphalt and concrete. Having completed the TDX our next big goal is the VST test. He did some VST training last summer but with the moving and other training we have not been back to it in a while. He is okay on hard surface but if he is in scent and grass is nearby he wants very badly to go to the grass. This makes sense because quite a bit recently the place to get scent/reinforcement has been the grass. Those two things must come together in order to get reinforced. So my first goal is to shape tracking behavior on asphalt or concrete and show him, through my track laying, that scent/reinforcement can be had in other places.

AMBER

Amber learned that she likes the smell of marijuana. Seriously. My little shrinking violet discovered that she can be a bad ass drug dog and give that tennis ball one heck of a fight when it is offered in the presence of the odor of marijuana. I am so proud of my girl since a few months ago she was afraid of her shadow, had no idea how to play and didn't care in the least for a tennis ball. However you can't fight genetics and she comes out of her timid shell more and more every day.

Amber working the scent boxes...

JILL

Jill discovered that a person and a Rottweiler CAN fit into one living room chair. Especially if the person sits on the front of the chair working on their computer and the rottweiler lies behind her with her head on the arm. However she also learned that when she pushes on the person with her paws it is not well received....

CALIX

Calix got to do the teaching. Retirement and old age has its privileges after all, The students got to work with him on drug detection training. Only after I explained to them however that if he is getting angry they are doing it wrong! Remember those kind patient supportive teachers we might have had in school, music or sports? Calix is the exact opposite of one of those....