What's new
Mastiff Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • Welcome back!

    We decided to spruce things up and fix some things under the hood. If you notice any issues, feel free to contact us as we're sure there are a few things here or there that we might have missed in our upgrade.

Nosework

scorning

Well-Known Member
Finn is really getting better at nosework, he passed his Birch ORT in September and his Clove and Anise ORTs this month, all on the first try. I wanted to try for NW1 soon, but I don't think he has enough experience in exteriors or vehicles, so we might try an Elements trial for Containers and Interiors in April. In the beginning he didn't seem overly motivated to search, but his drive has really been kicking in as he matured. I think I was confusing being unmotivated with just be overstimulated by his environment, as he still struggled with the warm up boxes at the ORT where other dogs were visible, but got right to work in the actual ORT where there were limited distractions.
 

tmricciuto

Well-Known Member
Congrats Finn. Sage is the sniffer of my girls and I was thinking of looking for some nosework classes for her, but we have to get her better around other dogs first. I keep telling her that not every person/dog wants to play with her.
 

JamieHalverson

Well-Known Member
Congrats Finn. Sage is the sniffer of my girls and I was thinking of looking for some nosework classes for her, but we have to get her better around other dogs first. I keep telling her that not every person/dog wants to play with her.
Oh, you can do nosework with excitable/reactive/untrained/shy, whatever dogs as long as they are not HA. The dogs have NO interaction with each other at all, and every dog is crated while one dog at a time is searching. The sport allows for dog reactive dogs to participate, so the boundaries are very strict as far as no dog to dog interaction, as well as the fact that the act of searching itself can bring out some instinctual possessiveness and territorial behaviors as well.

We have been in class with dogs that want to play with everyone, dogs that want to kill the other dogs, dogs that are shy, dogs that are wild, dogs that are elderly and retired from other sports, puppies - you name it, they can do nosework!

You would really enjoy it, it's so much fun for both dogs and their owners!
 

JamieHalverson

Well-Known Member
Finn is really getting better at nosework, he passed his Birch ORT in September and his Clove and Anise ORTs this month, all on the first try. I wanted to try for NW1 soon, but I don't think he has enough experience in exteriors or vehicles, so we might try an Elements trial for Containers and Interiors in April. In the beginning he didn't seem overly motivated to search, but his drive has really been kicking in as he matured. I think I was confusing being unmotivated with just be overstimulated by his environment, as he still struggled with the warm up boxes at the ORT where other dogs were visible, but got right to work in the actual ORT where there were limited distractions.
Yay Finn! If you can volunteer for a trial before you enter one, I would really suggest it, very informative and gave me much more confidence going into the elements specialty trial. I liked the elements specialty trial because it was short and not overwhelming. I think entering an NW1 trial right off the bat would have been way too much for Yogi. As it was, we didn't do very well at the containers elements specialty trial, but it gave me a lot of information on what we need to work on, without being an all day, stressful event.

Regardless what you decide next, good luck and have fun!!!
 

scorning

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice! I agree that I want to set Finn up to be successful, and to keep the sport fun for him. He is getting neutered and gastropexied next month, so he'll be out for 3-6 weeks with limited training, so I think doing an Elements trial is the way to go. I've been keeping an eye on both NACSW and UKC events and hope to volunteer soon, everyone seems so nice, and its great to see how differently all the dogs work.We've done two barn hunt trials, and he almost qualified at the last one, he did all the required elements but was just 6 seconds too slow. Of course we always act like he won regardless of the actual outcome, unless he marks, which he has only done once at his first trial.
 

JamieHalverson

Well-Known Member
Barn hunt is so much fun! Did a fun test and practice a few weeks ago with both dogs. Lillie had zero interest in the rat, Yogi loved it! I think the background in nosework made it really easy for him to figure out what he was supposed to do once he was introduced to the rat.
 

QY10

Well-Known Member
Angus has started on new scents. He's started on thyme and pine and also multiple hides. He's also started to give alerts, which is pretty cool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk