The Dogz Noze

08/04/2024

I decided that the girls needed some 121 training time, so I found a nice quiet area and did some area searches with the girls.
Iti was able to work off lead, which she was happier with. And Freyja had her line dragging.
They both loved getting some proper training, rather than a quick search in the house or garden.

11/05/2023

Last Sunday afternoons mantrailing session was epic!!
The scent article for the first trail was a leaf which the dogs took scent and found their person with no problems.
The second trails scent article was a patch of scuffed grass in a highly dog contaminated area. Again no issues and the dogs all took scent with no problems. The happened to be a tree with suitable places to stand on, so we had a high find as well. Two of the dogs were completing a high find for the first time, and coped very well with a little well timed encouragement from their handlers.
The third trail was a longer one over mixed terrain and a blend of rural and urban.
No difficulties at all, one of the teams had a strong gust of wind which carried their persons scent directly to them, but the dog quickly realised that he couldn't go that way and continued to follow the trail.
A good afternoons work from four experienced teams.

26/04/2023

My office for this afternoon.
I am trusting the BBC'S weather app that it won't rain today.....
Playing catch-up with an article on tracking and mantrailing - the deadline was yesterday 😱 but having had two poorly dogs followed by the death of my Bluetooth keyboard..... this is not my best week.....
So nose to grindstone........

10/04/2023

A lovely Easter Sunday afternoon mantrailing - what else are you going to do???
We did two longer trails using the environment to provide scent articles.
It was very breezy which blew the scent all over the place, but all five dogs worked through the problem with little difficulty.

04/03/2023

Wish me luck, tomorrow I'm going to be on Radio Bristol between 12 and 1 talking to Paris Troy about Mantrailing. Looking forward to it, but also a bit nervous as well

03/01/2023

Another short training session utilising more natural objects.

02/01/2023

Most New Year's Eve the girls and I go on our M5 services Trek to avoid the fireworks, and most years I look at one particular services and wish I could set up a search for the girls to work..........
This year it was early enough and the services were shut, so I set the search up for the girls and they so enjoyed working.

13/11/2022

Todays session at Forest Oak Farm saw four teams of similar experience work on aged trails and transitioning from delayed starts to scent article starts.
Three teams worked the same trail.......
The results were very interesting indeed. Each dog was convinced that they were going the right way.
Well done everyone

13/09/2022

To everyone who received an inappropriate reply to your comment on this page, this evening, I have reported and banned the person, so hopefully that's the end of it.....

12/09/2022

Yesterday was our first session in a little while.
We reminded the dogs and handlers what a delayed start is and why it is so important. We then did a short scent article start trail utilising some tanks that had been kindly left. The dog's had no trouble working out where the mispers were hiding!!
Checking the area before we started I discovered that the woodland path which had been too dangerous to trail on, had been repaired ☺️ so we did a longer woodland trail with lots of wildlife distractions.
I was so pleased with how both the dogs and handlers worked. It was obvious who had worked on the "move on" cue.

26/08/2022

IT'S INTERNATIONAL DOG DAY......
Let's see photos of your dogs using their noses

12/08/2022

It is now officially official.
Once I complete my final assessment for the puppy specialist programme, I will be offering specialised puppy Scentwork courses for enrichment, mental stimulation and (if wanted) as preparation for moving on to training for Scentwork UK trials.

16/07/2022

On a hot Saturday before the sun hit the patio......
Not quite finished yet, but the sun won the race!!!
Now to sit in front of my fan and do some studying (or I might have a nap lol )
For my first attempt at MIY (make it yourself) I'm very pleased with it

13/07/2022

Always useful......
98%!!!

08/07/2022

Passed this course today ☺️☺️☺️

12/05/2022

https://fb.watch/cYD7W7z-PU/

19/04/2022

My mispers have a hard life..........

12/12/2021

When training the mantrailing dog - whether for fun, for sport, or or to be operational - you need DRIVE, COMMITMENT and DETERMINATION.
Drive to start the trail with confidence and keep following that trail, whatever gets in the way.
Commitment to keep on the trail, and determination to get to their person whatever it takes..........
I think these three dogs demonstrate this perfectly, don't you?

29/11/2021

https://www.facebook.com/196997877512017/posts/1026032504608546/

A very difficult part about owning and training a dog actually has nothing to do with the dog .. but with other people who cannot keep their mouth shut (isn’t that the truth for many areas of life!).
It’s those people who offer their opinion and unsolicited feedback on your dog and your training progress. I am sure all of you have at some point been at the receiving end of a thoughtless comment that really hurt and stayed on your mind for a long time.
Just last weekend, it happened to me. As you may know, my little dog Party was attacked by an off-leash dog a few months ago. While he has made progress, he is by no means completely relaxed in any new situation with other dogs yet.
At an agility trial a week ago he was not in the state of mind I had hoped, and someone made a quick and thoughtless remark about him. It made me cry. And it had me think about how many dog owners experience this every day.
Yesterday I got an email from an online student who has been working with her dog diligently.
And while the dog has been progressing nicely, the snarky question “Do you even train your dog?” Was posed to her. She was disheartened - putting in all the work and then being asked this …
First of all: If YOU are one who says things like this, you need to stop and think before stuff exists your mouth. It’s hurtful, it’s pointless and it saddens the person you’re talking to.
BUT if you are at the receiving end of these comments … here’s the thing.
What other people comment on your dog and your training is *their narrative*. You do not have to make it yours. You do not have to allow their story to have any impact on your story.
You know what an example of my own narratives is? I don’t like turkey. It just doesn’t taste good to me.
Now, if I was to walk around and tell people “I don’t like turkey”, do you think it would ruin their day? Of course not. They’d think “Strange oversharing but whatever, Steffi!” And move on with their life and enjoy turkey whenever they want.
They wouldn’t let my own dislike of turkey impact their story.
And you know what? You CAN view unsolicited comments about your dog the same way!
IF other people tell you that your dog seems untrained or that your dog is stubborn and bad or will never improve … just imagine the words that come out of their mouth are “I don’t like turkey.”
When they say “Your dog hasn’t improved” imagine them saying “I don’t like turkey.” When they say “Your dog is just too wound up to ever be normal” imagine them saying “I don’t like turkey.”
(Sounds ridiculous? Yes, because oversharing one’s opinion in a setting that doesn’t ask for it is!!)
Shrug and think “Ok. But that’s not my narrative.” And move on.
Not my monkey, not my circus - not your narrative, not your story.
Don’t let others opinion about turkey or your dog ruin your day. You cannot change how others behave - but you CAN change how you react to it and whether or not it impacts your life :)
Happy Training!

20/11/2021

Today Freyja worked her first Level 4 Scentwork UK trial.
Level 4 has distraction odours as well as the two proper ones of clove and gun oil.
She didn't show any interest in the distraction odours, I'm not sure if she even noticed they were there.
Freyja maintained her 100% find rate and came second. She then blotted her copybook by trying to steal the bag with the odour on - little madam!!! She did look very cute though, dragging the bag across the floor!!!
I am very proud of my little girl.

30/10/2021

https://www.facebook.com/128633927155926/posts/4877296385622966/