I haven’t written an update in Zora’s blog in quite some time. We started a K9 nosework class a couple of weeks ago and Zora loves it!

The first class was pretty easy searches. Just a few boxes with treats in one box. The boxes were open and she had to find the one with the treats. She was nervous with the bigger boxes, especially the ones that were taller than her. So we worked with little boxes and practiced at home, slowly graduating to bigger boxes. We are not training an indication. The dogs are expected to get the treats out of the boxes on their own.

At home, I will have her sit on the couch and cover her head with a blanket while I set up the search area. This way she can’t see what I’m doing. Sometimes she tries to peak out from under the blanket. The cheater!

During the second class, we started working with bigger boxes and stacking boxes. Zora also had to find the treats in closed boxes. She was feeling really confident during this class and did really well. I have some bigger boxes at home now. I’ve been making things more difficult by hiding her smaller boxes inside the bigger ones or stacking empty boxes on top of the box that I hid the treats in.

We are learning to watch our dogs and let them show us what their indication is. I also have to learn not to crowd my dog and let Zora work independently. This will help build her confidence and improve her searching skills.