A Nosework Easter Egg Hunt

My 16 year old step-daughter, Ashley, always spends Easter with her mom. She has two younger half-siblings and she's a big help in setting up the annual egg hunt at her grandpa's.  This week I found myself feeling a little disappointed about Easter without her.  I hadn't decorated and other than having an Easter dinner with my husband and mother-in-law, we didn't have anything else planned.  And yet I had pulled the plastic Easter eggs and a couple baskets out of the garage. 

I lamented to my friend Ellie, who is our school librarian, at work on Thursday.  She suggested the perfect solution: a nosework egg hunt!  "What a great idea, I'll host!"  I said.  The plans for an Easter-themed evening of nosework quickly came together.  We chose Friday night to avoid conflicts with Easter activities and because it was supposed to be the best weather day according to the forecast. 

Friday evening came on cool and blue.  I brought my nosework kit out onto the back deck and began setting up two different scents: birch and anise.  I prepared eight different finds.  Six of them I placed inside plastic eggs with holes in the end.  It had been a month since I had last practiced nosework with Pongo.  Life has been so busy lately that nosework has fallen by the wayside.  A friend of mine used to say "life interrupts" when he found mundane everyday living got in the way of fullfilling life's dreams.  I find myself often quoting him, as this phenomenon seems to happen often to me. 

The seventh find I planned as a threshhold find. Threshhold finds are located near the starting point, marked by two cones in nosework trials.  Dogs are often so excited that when they are given the command to "search" they forget to detail the area near the starting point. In class, we were told to always practice working the threshhold.  I placed two Q-tips inside a plastic golf-tee shaped container that I pushed into the ground.  The eighth find was a high hide with a Q-tip clipped to the fence.  The pictures here show the steps I used to prepare for the hide.  Tweezers are used to take the scented Q-tips out of the jar without contaminating it with your own scent.  I put two, sometimes three in the metal containers.  Next, I placed the metal containers inside the smaller plastic eggs. 

Here you can see my Easter egg basket.  I needed one larger egg for a round metal tin I loaded with anise Q-tips.  It is larger than the rectangular tins with the sliding-lids.

Ellie arrived first with Lincoln and Daisy (left to right).  Here they waited nicely for their turn to work.  It was a beautiful evening and at 7 pm the light was just beginning to fade in the sky.  We decided to get started as we knew Mary and Crosby were running late.  Pongo went first. He blew past the one on the threshhold (all the dogs had difficulty finding that one).  Pongo and I have done very little searching in our own backyard on grass.  Most of our grass practice has been at a park.  It took him a while to get going.  He found one egg between a stack of wood and a Ford truck tailgate and kept showing it to me over and over again.  I learned in nosework class that I can reward him a second time, but then get him to move on.  He seemed unsure what to do next, but I didn't want to lead him.   After a few minutes, I decided to give him a break and I put him in the house while Ellie worked both Lincoln and Daisy.

My husband and I have a large rectangular yard that's long and skinny.  There were many easy places to hide the eggs with piles of wood, lawn furniture and statues, rosebushes, enormous rhubarb plants, stumps and garden boxes. 


 

A blue egg loaded with birch odor. 

Lincoln alerts to the high hide. 

It was fun to watch Lincoln and Daisy work. Daisy especially shows a lot of exuberance for nosework. I feel so lucky to have friends who enjoy doing nosework with their dogs. I learn from them each time I watch Lincoln, Daisy and Crosby work.  They each have different mannerisms, and alert in different ways.  It helps me to watch Ellie and Mary handle their dogs, as they also teach me how to present an odor their dog has missed, or how to keep their dog working.

When I brought Pongo back out, he was much more focused.  He found all but two of the hides.   It was a wonderful evening!  I felt guilty that so much time had passed since we last practiced, but Pongo enjoyed every moment of it.  There is always forgiveness in a dog's heart. 


Pongo finds an egg near the water fountain.

By the time Crosby and Mary arrived, it was beginning to get dark.  Crosby was eager to get out of his vehicle after a long ride.  After a potty break, he got right to work.  All of the hides were paired with treats since it was the first time the dogs had worked in my yard and because all the dogs had had a break in training.  Crosby delighted us with his antics, going all the way under a stone bench to the other side to follow the odor of an egg hidden in front of it.  He was so excited he picked the egg up in his mouth!   

 

Here, Crosby finds an egg in the seat of a
 pergola my husband built for one of
our wedding anniversaries.

Other ideas for future egg hunts include: not putting odor in all of the eggs (similar to how we have worked with boxes for ORT preparation) (See my August 13, 2013 blog: Getting Ready for the ORT).  Another idea is not to pair all of them with treats.  Some of our eggs had a treat inside, or we placed a treat next to it on the ground.  Of course, dogs are always rewarded with treats from their handler when the find odor.

At nine o'clock with the light gone, we finally stopped our holiday hunt.  The dogs were in their blissful happy place, ready to go home for a dream-filled night.  I could only hope our dogs' dreams were full of following one odor to the next!

Happy Hunting, Canines!

 

Need for Mental Shift of Pet Ownership

A week ago, I was working with one of my sixth graders who is in our Deaf & Hard of Hearing program.  He has a cochlear implant and wears a hearing aid in the opposite ear.  We were using an app called Sentence Ninja where sentence parts are jumbled.  The student has to put the words in the correct order.  It is common for students with hearng loss to struggle with English word order and so I spend a great deal of time teaching sentence structure.  One of the sentences we encountered that day had the word "litter" in it.  My student easily put the words in the correct order, but when he signed the sentence to me, he used the sign "little."  Although the picture that went with the sentence showed trash spilling out of wastebasket, he had not understood the word litter.  It occurred to me that the words "little" and "litter" look exactly the same on the lips and would be indistinguishable to him.  In addition, ls and rs are phonetically very similar. 

After the student's session ended, I went to the internet to print out a set of minimal pair pictures to work with him the next time.  Minimal pairs are words which vary by only one sound and are often used in speech therapy.  I frequently use Google Images to create visuals for my students when we are working on unfamiliar vocabulary.  But photos on the internet can be dangerous.

Innocently, I typed in the word "litter." The first two pictures showed what most would typically call trash - fast food wrappers and cups, paper, etc. in an outdoor environment.  But the third picture made my stomach turn.  It was a photo of a dog on a beach with his head wrapped in pastic and duct tape.  I couldn't get away from that photo fast enough. Under "litter" was a whole subheading of "animals."  I couldn't look at it. My day turned from joy to despair.

The idea that dogs are commodities is all too prevalent in our society.  I hear more and more often of individuals who decide to breed dogs for the lure of money.  Many of these dogs are sold for hundreds of dollars when they are not papered and their lineage is unknown.  Dogs are kept in deplorable conditions for the purpose of breeding for money.  On the otherhand, other dogs are viewed as an accessory similar to a Coach handbag or Jimmy Choo shoes.  When the dog develops undesirable behaviors, it is disposed of (relinquished or euthanized) or traded in for a new one.

After I adopted Pongo, I became very interested in shelter animals. Why do so many people give up their dogs? I wondered.  As I began to do research for my book Rescuing Pongo, I looked for data that would answer my question.  I came across one article in The Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science titled "Understanding Animal Companion Surplus in the United States: Relinquishment of Nonadoptables to Animal Shelters for Euthanasia."  Published in 2001 by a group of veterinarians who compiled their data via questionnaire at local animal shelters, the very title refers to animals as a commodity in economical terms.  While the largest percentage of people who relinquished their dogs for euthanasia cited "old age" as the reason, other reasons included aggression toward people or animals, disobedience, excessive vocalization, escape, fear toward people, destructiveness inside or outside the home, house soiling and hyperactivity (jumping on people). 

Sadly, most of these behaviors can be changed through education, exercise, and positive behavioral modification with a qualified trainer.  Living in a society of excess, we need to shift our thinking.  Pets are not a commodity that can be tossed out as trash. They are living beings with heart and soul. 

Snowshoeing Near Price Creek

Pongo and I were invited to go snowshoeing with friends last Saturday.  We met at 8:30 in North Bend at the outlet mall, then carpooled to the trailhead.  We bought a Sno-Park Day Pass at the North Bend Chevron.  I also purchased extra water and a lemon Luna bar for my pack as well.  We took I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass to exit 62 (Lake Kachess), then got back on the freeway traveling West in order to take exit 61 to Price Creek.  The parking lot was piled with hills of snow towering ten feet high or more.  A dozen trucks and cars were parked, some with trailers or ramps angeled off the back of the truckbed.  It turned out that Price Creek is popular for snowmobiles as well as snowshoeing. 

It took awhile for me to figure out how to put my snowshoes on.  I bought them as a Christmas present to myself in 2006 but had only used them a couple of times since.  There were five of us in our expedition - six if you count Pongo.  My friend Carola and her daughter, Crystal, Wendy and her husband Steve.  It was immediately clear to me that they were far more experienced at snowshoeing than I.  They wore all-weather gear and hiking packs that I was sure were filled with emergency supplies.  I had forgotten a water-proof jacket (what was I thinking!) and was only wearing hiking pants, a long-sleeved hoodie and a vest.  I had decided against my hiking boots at the last minute and opted for my running shoes instead.  Wendy loaned me an extra pair of gaiters to try and keep my feet and calves dry.  I felt a little embarrassed that I wasn't more prepared.

I tied a red bandana with white snowflakes around Pongo's neck so he wouldn't be mistaken for a bear or some other wild animal.  He immediately bounded ahead of me on the trail, staying with Steve, who started out in front of the group.  Pongo loves to be at the front.  Having  hiked with him now for twelve years, I knew he would circle back, keeping his eye on me, and keeping track of where everyone was in the group.

Though I will never know what breed(s) he is, I am certain there is a herding breed in him somewhere.  Up the packed trail we went. It was a beautiful, cool day but I soon worked up a sweat. The trail started out fairly steep although our directions said the elevation gain was less than 1000 feet.  After a half hour or so, I noticed Pongo pausing to stare into the forest.  I thought maybe he smelled or saw a wild animal.  But soon we could hear the whine of snowmobiles.  I put Pongo back on his leash.  He had heard the snowmobiles first.  As they neared, Pongo began to pull hard and I knew he would slip out of his collar soon.  He was scared of the loud machines.  I wrapped my arms around him to hold his entire body and in doing so, fell into deep snow. At the side of the trail, the snow was soft and several feet deep.  I soon discovered that my poles disappeared almost to the top of the handles in the soft powder.  I struggled to get up after the snowmobiles had passed.  It sure is tricky

We hiked for a couple more hours, then took a break for lunch. Steve left the trail and climbed up a hill to look for a good spot.  Everyone followed him, taking off their packs and sitting in the snow.  Pongo stood on the trail, barking at us, refusing to follow.  "You think he has some herding dog in him?"  She teased.  Yep!  Pongo seemed to be telling us we were supposed to keep to the trail.  I went down and put him on his leash, and only then did he follow me up the hillside.  He sat between Carola and I as we began to unpack our lunch.  Pongo shared a peanut butter sandwhich with me, as is our hiking routine.  He got REALLY excited, though, when Wendy pulled smoked salmon out of her pack. I readily accepted her offer to share, and juggled trying to put small chunks of salmon on the Ritz crackers I had brought and keeping Pongo's quick tongue from beating me to a bite.  Silly Po!  No smoked salmon for you!

Instead of continuing to the ridge which now seemed within reach, we decided to turn back and return to the parking lot.  It was starting to rain and I was quickly getting soaked.  Pongo took off at a trot, seeming to want to get back to the car in a hurry.  I wondered if his feet were cold, or if he was just tired.  Maybe the snow had aggravated his arthritis and his legs were starting to stiffen.

Back at the car, Pongo jumped into the back seat and lay down.  We were both wet but blissfully happy.  This is what it's all about living in the Pacific Northwest!  I love spending the day among trees, being with Pongo, staying on the move, enjoying nature and getting some exercise.  When Pongo and I moved from Washington DC at the end of 2005, this is what I had in mind.  Although we had hiked in our early city days together, I liked the idea of living near big mountains, thinking our lives would be full of endless hiking adventures.  But when we got here, I didn't know anyone who liked to hike.  I have been cautious about hiking alone since I have a horrible sense of direction and don't read maps well! I am so thankful to new friendships with those who share our passion for hiking!  Thank you for allowing Pongo and I to join in your adventures! 

The next day, Pongo and I slept for most of the day.  It felt luxurious to lounge about, napping and watching tv.  It's not often that I allow myself to do nothing for an entire day.  We are ready for another adventure in snowshoeing before the snow disappears for the winter!

      Carola stops for a snack mid-hike.

Happy 13th Birthday, Pongosaurus!

I have always celebrated Pongo's birthday in February.  Not knowing an actual date, the Washington Animal Rescue League estimated he was one year old in February 2002. Beginning in 2003, I have had a birthday party for him every year, sometimes inviting as many as six of his doggie friends, complete with birthday cake and party favors.  His birthday always includes some kind of exercise - a hike or a walk to a park to play ball...  

Mid-Winter Break in my school district always coincides with President's Day.  I had a couple days off from school and decided kind of spur-of-the-moment to celebrate Pongo's birthday on Monday.  I wanted to take him on a new trail, and so I sat down at the computer to quickly research a hike somewhere close off of Highway 410.  There had been a lot of snow in the mountains over the weekend but the roads at home were only wet.  I found what sounded like a nice winter hike - little change in elevation, only five miles long, and not far from Enumclaw.  Perfect! 

I packed a couple peanut butter sandwiches, an orange, an apple, two water bottles and some dry dog biscuits for Pongo.  I put on silk thermals under my hiking pants and several thin layers on top.  Pongo circled, following me everywhere I moved about the house, tapping the back of my leg with his nose as I walked - his regular "let's get going" dance. 

Finally we were in the car, taking the back road to Buckley. I stopped for a latte at a drive-through coffee stand, then was surprised to see traffic backed up, barely moving as I pulled onto 410.  We inched along.  Pongo stood over the gear shift with his front feet poised on the console and his back feet on the rear seat, showing his anticipation by whining and panting.  Could this be holiday traffic to Crystal Mountain?  I wondered.  Was it backed up all the way through Enumclaw to the ski resort?  That seemed crazy! 

As I neared Mud Mountain Road, I could see a trooper stopping cars and talking to each driver.  When I reached him, he told me that the road was closed on the other side of Enumclaw and that he was only letting residents or those who worked in Enumclaw through.  I told him I wanted to take my dog for a hike and asked him if I could take him to Mud Mountain instead.  With his approval, I turned right.  The problem was, I had never been to Mud Mountain and had only heard of it.  I didn't have directions.  Soon I was at a stop sign where I could only go left or right.  I chose left.  I wound around, seeming to get further from what looked like a mountain.  I took another left and before I knew it, we ended up at Mt. Peak!  So much for my directional instincts!!

I was disappointed. We have been hiking Mt. Peak for years, sometimes twice a week in the summers.  I had wanted Pongo to get to experience something new for his birthday.  I didn't feel like doing the steep one mile climb to the summit and I didn't have my hiking poles in the trunk.  I had been planning an easy, flat hike.  Bummer! 

But Pongo was anxious to get out of the car and I was sure he needed to pee.  I decided not to hike the main trail as we normally would.  I have known there were other trails on Mt. Peak but never had the inclination to explore.  Having the day off, I was in no rush.  So I decided to take take a smaller trail to the right of the main trailhead and the Carl Magnussen Trail sign.  I thought I had been told it was wider and more like a service road.  I was surprised then when it started off similarly to the main trail.  It got steep quickly.  But instead of having switchbacks, the trail wandered up in much the same direction.  Pongo bounded off ahead of me, looking back to see if I was coming.  It was slow going for me. 

Instead of widening out, the trail got narrower and steeper.  The ground was wet and I was glad I had worn my hiking boots instead of tennis shoes.  Up we went without running across another hiker.  I began reaching for tree roots to steady myself and help pull myself up in places.  I watched Pongo try to jump up some rocks above me, then turn around and come past me.  I called to him, taking a few more steps forward.  "Com'mon Pongo!" but he refused and kept up with his descent.  He had decided it was too steep - an unprecedented event!  But I couldn't get him to go back up. Finally, I realized he was the smarter of us two.  It was better to turn around now than to fall and injure ourselves.  The way down was treacherous and I did lots of sliding in spite of the rugged soles of my boots. When we reached the car, Pongo lay down on the back seat and licked his paws. Although we had set out with something much different in mind, it had still been a glorious adventure.  That evening, I made him a special dinner. I made a dish called Canine's Curry, improvising for some of the ingredients that I didn't have. Pongo got excited when he saw me pouring something from the stove into his dish.  But waiting for it to cool was tortuous!  Sometimes he can be so impatient!  At least when it comes to food and going outdoors. 

 


After dinner I set Pongo's gifts on the table. He got a bag of beef liver and sweet potato treats, as well as a chew stick.  Instead of a birthday cake this year, I opted for making "Catty-cakes." I remembered making them a few years ago.  It was an easy recipe, I had all of the ingredients at home (no shopping required - always a plus!),  and that he liked them.  Del, Ashley and I sang happy birthday and his birthday celebration began to wind down to a close.  Ashley was rushing off to band practice and Del would be going to bed soon.  I would likely fall asleep watching tv on the couch. It was a low key birthday in comparison to other years.  I baked less treats than last year, aware that controlling Pongo's weight in his advanced years is crucial to his health.  Excess weight aggravates joints and arthritis.  He is slowing down and getting less exercise. 




Pongo waited patiently for Mommy to take the cupcake wrapper off, then devoured a couple Catty-cakes in a row.  It was a good birthday!  I am so thankful that Pongo's health has remained steady and that I have been blessed with another year with my sweet boy.  After a scare with a malignant tumor on Pongo's belly last year, I am grateful for every day I get to share with him. I hope that there are many more hikes and adventures for us to explore and more years to come.  I love you, Pongosaurus!

Pongo's birthday recipes came from Pupsnacks by Stephanie Mehanna.

Happy Valentine's Day - 'Ruff You

It's Valentine's Day! The day where we let those who are important in our lives know we love them.  This tradition now extends to our pets. Just do an internet search on "Valentine's Day for Pets" and you'll see ideas on Pinterest and adorable items for sale on Etsy.  Stop by your local favorite dog boutique and you can buy Valentine's Day themed toys, clothing and treats. Shelters have Valentine's Day themed adoption events and remind us of the love and joy that animals bring into our lives.  Who can resist?     When relationship woes plague you, your dog won't fail to remind you how much you are loved!  Just look into those sweet eyes! Ahhhhh ... (heart melts).  You can even read an article listing the ten reasons why your dog makes the best Valentine's Day date.  Read it, you're guaranteed to smile:  http://www.petfinder.com/dogs/living-with-your-dog/dog-valentines-day-date/.

Tonight, my husband is working an extra shift. We're celebrating tomorrow.  Pongo lies behind my chair as I type.  I reach down to pat him on the head.  My sweet boy. "I ruff you!"

Pongo, Valentine's Day 2003

Washington, DC

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

With love,

From Pongo and Eva

Rescued With Trust - Guest Blog by Heidi Steinbeck, CPDT-KA

A NOTE FROM EVA:  Here are some startling 2012 statistics.  According to www.statisticbrain.com, a website that publishes statistics and financials of organizations in the U.S, 5 million companion animals enter the shelter system annually.  60% of dogs and 70% of cats are euthanized.  Other sad statistics from another source include the fact that 20% of dogs relinquished to a shelter were adopted from a shelter. Reasons for return are most often due to dog behaviors that the owner doesn't like or can't deal with.  

Education about dog behavior and training is essential to change these dire statistics.  This is an issue very close to my heart.  It is essential that we stop looking at dogs as disposable. 

With this in mind, I asked Heidi Steinbeck, CPDT-KA, to share her thoughts on rescue dogs and the importance of using positive training techniques.  Heidi is the owner/trainer of Great Shakes Dog Training, educated to train dogs through Jean Donaldson’s Academy of Dog Trainers and serves the areas of Gig Harbor, Tacoma and Port Orchard.

Rescued with Trust

By Heidi Steinbeck, CPDT-KA

Training dogs cooperatively and compassionately is currently accepted as modern dog training.  It is  

backed up with a pile of well done research and successful training for all manner of dogs by those skilled in positive reinforcement.  These methods are not new but change is slow as molasses to humans because of emotion, past investment and belief systems among other reasons.  I am wanting to put that statement out in front of the rest of this blog because all dogs can and should be taught without coercion.  These humane training methods are increasingly being adopted by zoos, pet dog trainers, police, Schutzhund and hunting dog trainers and more resulting in dogs that are more emotionally stable and enjoy the learning process.

Now let us talk about rescued dogs which may include those gathered in raids from hoarders and puppy mills, strays, feral, or surrenders.  Many have had to find ways to survive in unhealthy and dangerous environments, many have never seen the light of day or the interior walls of a home.  Some have been reared like chickens in cages or lived a whole life on the end of a chain, while others had the comforts of a home they thought was their own only to be discarded and left confused in a shelter.  So many wonderful rescue organizations are working tirelessly to get these lives into the more “normal” environments of foster or forever homes to reduce the greater trauma of prison life that is riddled with stress and for many or most, resulting in death.  Many of these canine individuals have been trying to eke out a living on their own, learning that humans and new things may be dangerous to their survival.  Whatever the case may be, they come to their adoptive homes quite often with varying levels of fear, stress, PTSD, health and behavioral problems and gaps in their learning.  

 Now let’s get back to my first paragraph.  Why-oh-why would  anyone choose to interact with these fragile souls using efforts other than those which will instill trust and reduce fear?  I ask myself this question over and over again.  I can’t nail it down except to say that unlike our forced acceptance to advancements in technological science, we are resistant to adopt advancements in learning science.  There is no greater urgency for non-coercive training for any life, be it a puppy, happy adult dog or a stressed out rescue dog.

Any dog can be brought to fear through the process of abandonment, horrid life beginnings, dubious genetic offerings, maternal stress or by just plain scaring or hurting them to get the sought after behavior.  As for humans, most of us equipped with the ability for empathy, the question of why we don’t employ compassionate methods that are readily available and effective is unfathomable to me.

Our dogs are great at camouflaging true emotions.  It is not in their best interest to “show” their fear, since in the wild this would make them easy pickings for predators.  What is often seen is aggression, not the fear kindling underneath or their avoidance in an effort to disappear.  Another way to gain respite from terror is to not do the thing that causes it to happen.  In science this is called behavioral suppression and is quite effective for the dog when trying to avoid the choke, prong or shock of a collar, getting yelled at, hit or being forcibly rolled and pinned on the side.  Looking guilty has also been a great get-out-of dodge maneuver for many as it often keeps the giver of bad things from giving the bad things, even if the dog didn’t doing anything about which to feel guilty in the first place.  When re-habilitating our canine friends, previously reared coercively, it can be a task just to get them to offer a new behavior.  In their minds they weigh the odds of success and failure and frequently offer nothing as this may be the safest choice.  The behavior of an adopted dog may be suppressed for the first month or two before you start see the real personality emerge.  Sometimes what you see are just more of the behaviors that you have been inadvertently reinforcing during that period or other behaviors that could be of greater concern.  What is important is to recognize a dog that is behaviorally “in trouble” and to seek the immediate help of a trainer skilled in modifying behavior without the use of force.  An investment early on can save a life.    

We also assert, beyond any shadow of doubt, the contribution to learning suppression by way of brain chemistry.  It is not disputed by anyone who knows behavioral science and any research article known to neuro-chemistry that during chronic stress our brains prepare us for mere survival and produce a marinade that allows for fight or flight and not much else.  So let me put this in human terms.  If I walk to my car and out of the dark I am suddenly grabbed and held by sinewy heartless hands at knife point with the cold, sharp metal pressing firmly into my quickly pulsating carotid artery, I can assure you I will not be able to answer the question, what is 9x8?  My brain will be too busy preparing for survival and cannot be bothered by silly questions.  If a dog lives this way, day after day, week after week, month after month or year after wretched year must I then explain to anyone why new learning is a struggle without first addressing the underlying issue of chronic stress?  This is a repeating saga in the lives of rescued dogs as well as dogs reared with fear.  The stress is already there, we do not have to add any deposits into that stress account.  In this scenario we must make withdrawals and transfer funds, instead, into the trust account.  Then with regular deposits, the stress account becomes more depleted and the trust account begins to yield dividends in the form of a dog who isn’t waiting for the next shoe to drop, isn’t as afraid to encounter new things or people, isn’t paralyzed when trying out a new behavior and can rest in a more peaceful state.

So, just as we would be with one another, let us be with all dogs.  Let’s teach rather than force what they will benefit from learning in order for them to live with us in our human world more comfortably and cooperatively.  As we become better educated and better consumers, we will, I’m sure, drum out the old coercive methods and lobby for the safety and wellbeing of our charges.  Do it without force, without fear and without pain.

All of the photographs in this post are of dogs who were rescued by force free trainers.  The two dogs above are Lilly and Ringo.  The stories of Hazel and Bernie, written by their owners, are below.

Hazel was surrendered because her owners could not afford on-going treatment for her mange.

She caught the eye of a few volunteers who were drawn to her because of her sad disposition. Believing that she would not make it out of the shelter without foster care, a volunteer reached out to my husband and I and we went to meet her on May 9th. We brought her into foster car the following day. Hazel spent several weeks healing from her mange, secondary skin infections and an upper respiratory infection. Once she had healed, we began working on training and officially listed her for adoption.

  

 Hazel was adopted for one week and returned to us. At that point, we decided that she would stay with us, as we had deeply bonded with her. Since that time, Hazel has proven to us how amazing she is time and again. Reward-based training has turned this once sad, scared little girl into a superstar whose ability to learn and to make us smile never ceases to amaze us!

 

 Bernie was left in a house when people moved out, he was eight years old. His foster family told me that he had been alone for about 2 weeks. I went armed with turkey meat to pick Bernie up. Bernie

was very thin, and had flaky dry coat, he was timid, afraid of small dogs and cats, vacuums and apparently didn’t like water. He also seemed withdrawn and kind of sad.  Every time he approached me on our initial meeting he was given a nice helping of turkey. This helped him to warm up to me and he has followed me around ever since. Bernie has thrived in the 3 years he has been with us, his coat is stunning and he is always, always happy. He has learned to trust people and is now good around small dogs and even sleeps when I vacuum.

  

 Heidi Steinbeck, CPDT-KA

Owner/Trainer of Great Shakes Dog Training

Nose Work in the Cold New Year

After ringing in the new year, Pongo had a nose work practice date with doggie friends Crosby, Lincoln and Daisy.  We met at Allan Yorke Park on a cold, Sunday morning.  The temperatures were in the low 30s and the ground was crisp with frost.  We tethered the dogs while we set up hides on the children's playground.

Pongo barks, "Let's get this show on the road!"

It was decided that Pongo should go first, since he was eager to get started.  There were seven or eight hides, all birch.  We had put out a combination of low and high hides, including some in the ground.  The odors were mostly hidden in metal, magnetic tins that we were able to attach to play equipment. But we also used some small, hollow, plastic stakes which hold your scented Q-tips and can be pushed directly into the ground.  Because it was a new search site for all of our dogs, we paired each of the hides with a treat. 

Pongo and I hadn't practiced in over a week and I was concerned that he might be a little rusty.  So I was amazed as he quickly located one hide after another.  We began to speculate:  does the scent pool stronger in the cold?  The answer is yes!  Air and scent molecules become more dense in cold temperatures, pooling in a higher concentration per square inch.  Here is a wonderful article that explains the science of scent in simple terms:  http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/dogs-smell-scents-better-cold-4799.html.  Check it out for more info!

Crosby went next.  Crosby, who is about the same age as Pongo, has recently begun to lose his hearing.  While he used to do agility, he can no longer hear verbal commands.  His owner, Mary, started him in nose work last year as it does not rely on vocal trainer directions.  Crosby enthusiastically got right to work.  He, too, had quick success.

Crosby works scent on the ground.

 Crosby follows his nose up the stairs.

It was a wonderful way to start the new year with our dogs.  Though my friends and I are still novice nose work trainers, we are learning from our dogs each time we get together to practice.  Pongo and I look forward to more nose work in 2014.  Did Pongo make any New Year's resolutions?  Of course he did!  Pongo's goal is to start competing and earning titles this year.  But he's got to train mommy some more, who is still learning to read his signals. 

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Wishing You All The Best With Your Canine Friend In 2014,

May Your Year Be Full Of Outdoor Exploration Together!

Pongo and Eva