Private Nose Work Lesson - Thunderstorms & Intro to Anise

Yesterday, we had our second private nose work lesson. We arrived early, as I had to drop off my daughter at school for summer band practice.  I parked about a half hour early at the training facility, then Pongo and I went for a walk for twenty minutes.  It is a general rule that you should always let your dog relieve themselves before begining nose work, but I also thought it would be good for Pongo to let some energy out. 

It has been raining off and on for much of the past week, but just as I put Pongo's harness on and was getting ready to start him on a search of boxes, we heard a big clap of thunder.  The training facility is an enormous building with high ceilings and feels more like a barn.  The rain that started was loud on what sounded like a metal roof. 

I gave him the search command hoping that if he could focus on nose work, maybe he would forget the thunder.  But Pongo only walked along the line of boxes, heeling at my side, panting.  He wasn't doing any sniffing.  There were a few more thunder claps and I tried treating him, telling him, "You're such a brave boy!" But he only pushed the treat away with his nose, a sign that he was too anxious to focus on anything else but the storm. 

"Oh, he's shaking," our trainer said.

We decided to stop and talk for a while.  I had brought my nose work log book and had written down some questions so I took this opportunity to ask them.   I learned:

1.  When working with odor in boxes, you don't want to treat directly on the box, or it contaminates the box with food odor.

2.  During a trial or an ORT, you can treat your dog.  So you should get in the habit of offering your dog a treat near, but in front of the box.

3. When hiding odor in a small cloth bag, also treat right next to the bag.

While we talked, I kept offering Pongo treats and telling him he was a brave boy.  Soon, he calmed down enough that he started accepting treats and so we decided to see if he could shift back to working.  To my surprise, he did!  He went back to work.  Our half-hour lesson went quickly.   Although we worked with birch the entire time, she sent me home with a bottle of anise, the second odor, for us to begin on our own.  I love the smell of anise.  It evokes wonderful memories of eating licorice from my childhood. 

This morning, I decided to start Pongo's introduction to anise.  Our trainer indicated that I should either pair it with food, or pair it with birch, since he is already recognizing that odor.  In competition, dogs don't have to distinguish BETWEEN odors, they only have to alert to the three odors taught.  Once your dog recognizes one odor, it is easy to introduce the others.

Here I put both birch and anise in a box marked "O" for odor so I can recognize which box has odor and I don't contaminate other boxes.  I've got the birch and anise Q-tips in separate containers, then they are also easy to take out and do hides without the boxes. 

Then I arranged a line of boxes along our hallway.  Pongo found the box every time!

Next, we worked without boxes in the living room.  I had him work birch in the purple bag, and anise in the plastic container, (not at the same time), placing them at different heights, and sometimes pairing them with food by placing a treat next to the bag or on top of the plastic lid. 

 

Here is the bag hanging from one of our side tables.  We are working on finding hides at or above Pongo's nose.  Last week when I tried hanging the bag from a door handle, it was too high, and Pongo wasn't getting it.  This is at his nose height and he easily found it. 

 

Today our challenge was that our orange kitty, Dewey, became interested in the game Pongo was playing.  He lay by the coffee table next to the couch, watching.  Although the odor was hidden at the end of the couch and Pongo had one clear path to it, he wouldn't sniff near Dewey.  Then Dewey started playing with the end of Pongo's leash (I had let it drop) and I had to untangle Dewey, who didn't want to let go. 

 

Rule of thumb for nose work:  remove all cat distractions! 

 

 

 

 

Getting Older

Last week, we saw Dr. Alycia Lamb at Sunset Hills Vet & Rehab in Seattle for an annual check up.  One of the reasons I originally took him to her was because she focuses on improving strength and mobility in patients with orthopedic issues and arthritis.  Pongo already had a repaired ACL in 2005 before we left Washington, DC, and he sustained a partial tear in the other knee a year or two later.  I sought out Dr. Lamb because I wanted to pursue alternatives to another surgery. 

However, I kept going to her because of her calming demeanor. Pongo’s anxiety is very high whenever we set foot in a vet office.  She is the only vet that I’ve had get down on the floor with him instead of lifting him onto a metal examination table.  Even when she was several months pregnant with a growing belly, she sat on the floor with him on his level. 

As a speech language pathologist, I have worked closely with physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) in a variety of settings.  I did an internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center when I was in graduate school, and have co-treated with PTs and OTs in educational and rehab settings since then.  Rehabilitation makes sense to me, so why not with our dogs?  Ultimately, through the help of both Dr. Lamb and Sheila Wells of Wellsprings K-9, where Pongo went for aqua and massage therapy for a year, Pongo no longer has any signs of lameness. 

 It was with sadness that I reported to Dr. Lamb that as of March, Pongo is no longer running with me.  This has been a hard decision for me, as he has been my running partner for eleven years.  My husband had to help me realize that not only could Pongo no longer keep up on our runs, but his back legs would be stiff for several days after and he would have trouble going up stairs in the house.  I thought it was because of arthritis, but Dr. Lamb told me that as dogs age, they lose the range of motion in their legs.  He no longer has the range of motion to run. 

Dr. Lamb’s recommendation was that I do range of motion exercises with Pongo to help him maintain mobility as long as possible.  She suggested that I have him do a series of quick sit-stand-sit-stands where I don’t allow him to sit all the way.  This will cause his knee to bend and then he has to push himself up.  It’s like having your dog do squats!  She also suggested having him put his paws up on something to fully extend his hind legs. 

It is hard to face the signs of Pongo aging.  Although he is no longer able to run, he still needs a high level of activity to keep his anxiety in check.  This is why we started doing nose work.  It uses his brain to do something very exciting for him (use his nose) but doesn’t require athletic ability like other dog sports. 

 My goal is to keep Pongo active and happy for as long as is dogly possible.

 

 

Pongo and his best friend, Calder, hiking on Day Mountain 2012

 

You can read more about Sheila Wells, a licensed massage practitioner for small animals at: 

 http://wellspringsk9.com/

Information about Sunset Hills Veterinary & Rehabilitation and Dr. Lamb can be found at:  

www.sunsethillvet.com/

Private Nose Work Lesson: Introduction to Birch

On Tuesday afternoon, we had our first private nose work lesson. While class was fun, it was really nice to have 30 minutes of undivided attention from the instructor all devoted to finds for Pongo.   Nose work uses Q-tips cut in half and dipped in essential oil, in our case, birch.  Our instructor put a Q-tip  in a flat tin container with holes in the top so that the scent comes through and placed it in a box.  Since Pongo has been working to find food treats so far, she placed one of his treats on the tin container so he would have an immediate reward.  Pongo worked the line of boxes, sniffing each one.  When he discovered the tin with the treat, I immediately rewarded him with additional treats on the tin.  The idea is to reward him, but also to teach him to "stick" the find so that he stays with it. This will become important later when we attempt begin competition. 

Pongo is a quick learner!  It is amazing to watch him use his natural abilities.  Once, when he walked past the box with the hidden scent, his nose went up in the air - sniff, sniff, sniff - he turned around and followed his nose.  Found it!  What a good boy!  After several hides in the boxes, our instructor took the tin and had Pongo find it in an office, varying the height of the container.  Hides above his nose are the hardest for him.  Pongo has done years of obedience training and was taught not to jump up or put his paws on furniture, with one exception.  In 2002, I taught him "paws up" on the armrest of a wheelchair when I used to provide respite care for a child with cerebral palsy.  Now, we will have to work on reteaching him that he when he's searching, he can put his paws up on anything.

Pongo's instructor sent us home with a jar of birch-scented Q-tips to practice with.  Our assignment is to alternate pairing the scent with food and without, and to practice elevated hides. 

Here are our nose work tools at home.  Since I don't have an official nose work kit, I made my own container by cutting out a hole in the lid of a small plastic container.  The tweezers are to handle the Q-tips so that you don't contaminate them with your own scent. 

We bought a harness this week for his scent work.  Now everytime we practice, he wears the harness so he will associate it with nose work.  Here's Pongo in sporty orange!

So far this week, we've only been practicing in the house.  Here are some of the boxes we use for nose work.  We have only worked in two rooms so far - the living room and the dining room.  We have also worked outside on the back deck. 

So far we are improvising and being resourceful trying to use items we already have at home for our nose work.  However, products can be purchased online at the link below.

                                                    http://www.allgooddogs.biz/products

Happy searching!

Tiger Mountain

Yesterday, Pongo and I loaded up the car with some gear and headed to one of our favorite hiking spots.  We were under a time constraint, so I decided to drive to nearby Tiger Mountain, which is about forty-five minutes from our house.  Tiger Mountain is a popular venue for both hikers and mountain bikers.  When we arrived at nine a.m., the parking lot was already full.

I put my pack on and then Pongo's.  Even though it would be a short hike, I had decided to bring Pongo's pack to build up his endurance for longer ones later in the summer.  Sometimes people forget that dogs need to train like any other athlete, gradually building up strength and increasing distance or they risk injury.  Owners need to consider factors such as heat and hydration and carefully plan as they would for their own workout.  Pongo typically carries his own water and food in his pack, and sometimes a first aid kit.

Pongo held still while I fastened the pack around his belly, I grabbed my hiking poles, and we headed off.  It had been a year since we had hiked Tiger Mountain, and things looked unfamiliar to me.  I get easily turned around, and am directionally challenged, which can make hiking unsettling for me.  Sometimes when the foliage has grown, I can have difficulty finding a familiar path I've traveled many times before.

There are two gravel roads from the parking lot, and I initially took the wrong one.  As it turns out, it was the one I had never been on before.  After ten or fifteen minutes, I turned around and hiked back to the starting point.  Now on the right road, I was able to find the trail marker for the Northwest Timber Trail that juts off to the right of the gravel road.  This trail takes you into a forest of maples, alders, hemlocks and firs.  It is shaded the entire way as it climbs 2.2 miles - perfect for those hot, summer days.  There is a waterfall and a couple wooden bridges to traipse across.  Pongo loves to go down to the creek and drink, then bound back up to join me on the bridge. 

I had forgotten how much I love this trail.  It's an easy hike, peaceful.  I didn't feel the weight of my pack, my legs didn't burn.  Soon, we were emerging from the treeline and the trail opened up as we headed down a slope.  We had reached a gravel road.  We stopped for a drink and a snack. 

Here at the intersection, we had a decision to make.  Go down the hill into the unknown, turn right up the hill where it reportedly loops back to the parking lot (although I have never ventured farther than a mile), or turn around and go back the way we had come, the hike we always do and know.

We decided to play it safe and go back the way we had come.  We didn't have time to be adventurous.  One of these days, though, I'm going to get a map!  Then we'll finally explore other trails on Tiger Mountain.

NACSW & The Sport of Nose Work

Pongo and I are novices in nose work.  He just finished his first class, Intro to Nose Work on Memorial Day, but we have fallen in love with it.  I have decided to train Pongo to try and pass his ORT later this year, and hopefully start earning titles in 2014.  I registered Pongo with the National Association of Canine Scent Work today.  He is an official scent work dog!

Here is what we have learned about nose work. 

A Little History   The sport of nose work is very new - less than six years old!  It began in 2009 with the very first trial in Southern California, but has grown to include sanctioned events nationwide.  The National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) was founded as the organization that oversees and officiates the sport, awarding titles to dogs of all ages and breeds, including mixed breeds.  Ron Gaunt, one of the founders, is a retired police officer who worked in the K9 unit with the Inglewood Police Department.  He started NACSW along with Amy Herot and Jill-Marie O'Brien, both trainers, in order to bring nose work to everyone in the form of competitive fun.  One of the reasons I am excited about this organization and sport is that nose work has been embraced as a way to rehabilitate rescue dogs.  Amy Herot spends some of her time volunteering to improve the lives of rescue dogs.

The Sport   Dogs and their handlers can earn titles that test their ability to detect three different scents.  Levels of difficulty can include container and vehicle searches. 

NW1: The dog has to demonstrate proficiency in recognizing one target odor.

NW2: The dog has to demonstrate proficiency in two target odors.  In addition, the difficulty level is increased with larger search areas, more hidden odors, and adding environmental distractions.

NW3: The dog has to demonstrate proficiency in three target odors, and the difficulty level is significantly increased.

These are the three basic titles, and then there are also "element" and "elite" titles that can be earned.

The ORT   In order to enter trials, handler/dog teams must have passed an Odor Recognition Test (ORT) prior to being allowed to register for a trial. This ensures that the dog knows the targeted scent that will be used in competition.  In order to pass an ORT, the dog has to identify the location of the target odor, and the handler has to correctly call an ‘alert’ within a three-minute time period.

To compete in the sport of K9 Nose Work®, dogs have to transition from searching for food or toys to searching for a "target odor". Target odors for competition in NACSW K9 Nose Work events are made using 100% cotton swabs, cut in half and scented with one of the three essential oils: Birch, Anise, and Clove.

In training, target odors are introduced in a spefici order.  First, birch, then anise, and then clove.


Pongo has a private training session on Tuesday with our instructor from his Intro to Nose Work class.  We will be transitioning from searching for food and introducing him to birch!  Fun, fun, fun!

 

Please visit the official NACSW website for more information. 

 

www.nacsw.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out of Dog Treats

Mid-week we were suddenly out of dog treats and a few days away from pay day.  We've been going through a lot of dog treats with all the training we've been doing.  So what does a resourceful dog owner do? Start baking, of course! 

When I was a World Teach volunteer (now almost 20 years ago!), I owned a dog named Manguluka. Living in rural Namibia near the Angolan border, you couldn't buy dog food. The local people fed their dogs scraps from their meals.  I would cook corn meal porridge for her and then add leftover meat or vegetables from my dinner.  Hilda, the cook on the Catholic Mission where I lived, would also feed her scraps from the kitchen. 

This experience led me to embrace periodic baking for Pongo.  My favorite cookbook is Pup Snacks, by Stephanie Mehanna.

Here is what we baked this week:

Puppy Love Treats

1 lb cooked quinoa

3 1/2 oz plain flour (you can substitute with a gluten-free flour)

3 1/2 oz organic apple or banana baby food

1 egg, beaten

2 tablesppons unsalted peanuts, chopped

 

Mix the quinoa, flour, baby food and egg to bind together thoroughly. Brush a heart-shaped cookie cutter with oil and place onto a greased baking sheet. Spoon a little of the mixture into the cutter and press down in an even ayer. Carefully lift away the cutter. Repeat with the remainder of the quinoa mixture. Space each heart shape 1/2 inch apart, and re-oil the cutter if the mixture begins to stick. Scatter each of the cookies with the chopped peanuts, then lightly press the pieces in to the dough. Bake in a preheated oven, 300 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Transfer t a wire rack to cool thoroughly. Store the cookies in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator and use within 5 days.

 

 

 

Since this recipe gives measurements in weights, I use a food scale to measure the ingredients.

 

 

 

 

The treats are ready to go in the oven!  I have decided these are a little big, even for Pongo.  You can use a smaller cookie cutter, which I think we'll try next time.  You can also break them into smaller pieces when you treat your dog.  The chopped peanuts on the top are a little messy.  They often fall off onto the floor.  I'm going to try actually mixing them into the recipe next time.

 

 

 

Here's the best part!  Pongo sits for his treat.  Yum! 

 

Enjoy!