Saturday, January 9, 2010

Scent Articles

Pie had some trouble learning articles. I tried teaching her the same way I taught Fancy (which is the way I was shown to teach her.) This method is the retrieve method. You place an article on the ground, scent up the second one, and throw it out by the first one, sending the dog right away so they see which one it is you threw. The idea is the dog sees which one you threw out and brings it back, then you add unscented articles, then you hold the dog back after throwing the article, then you turn in a circle after you throw it, and if they are consistently bringing back the correct (scented) article (which they had to smell to find which one you threw) then you stop throwing it and start placing it- at first allowing the dog to watch, then not.


This method worked great for Fancy. She understood right away and progressed through the steps quickly. Pie- not so much. She didn't get the part about bringing back the one I threw, and would charge out and grab which everyone struck her fancy. I had to try all different kinds of things to help her understand, and I am sorry to report there was lots of tension from both parties. I even resorted to using socks rubbed in the kibble bag. I think this helped. Then, when she could bring back a correct tasty sock (bought special for the purpose so I could chuck them in the washing machine when I was done) I started taping the correct article, and moving it around before I sent her, keeping my finger on it until she was close. This also helped. The tossing of the article which worked so well for Fancy just confused Pie, making her think it was a retrieve, which never before involved using her nose.


The point of all this is at some point she got really good. Then she started getting confused again. After getting her UD (she was still good then, luckily!) I only trialed once more, at the Mal Specialty. Sure enough, she brought back the wrong article. Since then, I haven't touched the articles, but we have another show coming up, so I broke them back out, and the problem remains. Pie hates to be wrong and now that she is, it makes her even more frantic, and if she can't find the article, she'll grab one just to bring it back. The question is, why can't she find the correct one. No dog is going to bring back an incorrect article just to "be bad." Why would they? They don't get a reward, and they might get a correction. A dog might refuse to bring any back, or refuse to go out, or get distracted while they are out there, and these things are "bad" but when Pie brings back the wrong article, I know 100% either she thinks it is the right one (which then really upsets her when it isn't) or for some reason she can't find the right one and is afraid to keep looking and afraid to come back empty mouthed. So- why can't she find the right one?


One theory I have is my cans have gotten too smelly and are making it too difficult. Sure, a drug dog can smell drugs through all kinds of other things, and a tracking dog can track a person over rocks based on one footstep that is hours old. But Pie is obviously stressing, and if it isn't easy, that is when she is giving up and grabbing anything. I was using cleaned out soup cans for Pie's metal articles because she clearly indicated she does not like picking up the metal dumbbells. So I switched to the cans and she really likes picking those up. But they are old and have started to rust and have a definite "metal" smell to them. I put the regular metal articles back in and yesterday Pie did the first article correctly and then messed up on the second one, but we kept working and at the end she was getting them all right.


Today I used Fancy's smaller set, which has never been "contaminated" by the cans. The first interesting thing is Pie seemed happier picking up Fancy's smaller set. Maybe because they are so small the sides rest against her muzzle and the metal doesn't slide back and fourth over the teeth? The second interesting thing is she got both article correct! Then I put those to the side and did a second set and she got both of those right too! The last article she took quite a while to find. She kept sniffing the ones around it but not that one. She kept checking and checking and I was sure she was going to give up and grab one, but she kept working and finally happened upon it and brought it back. Jackpot for Pie! That is way Pie used to do articles!


The cans are gone for good. I am thinking of buying a second smaller set for when we do two day shows. Yes, she should pick the one with the best scent. But when she comes across one with my scent, how am I supposed to teach her to check them all and pick the BEST one? I hate tests like that. More than one answer is correct but you have to pick the BEST answer. Yuck.


Our show is in 2 weeks. I plan to keep on practicing and hopefully building her confidence, using the smaller set.


Now I need to get motivated and practice all the other exercises. Since we are going for our UDX we need to practice open also. But Pie has never messed up any individual open exercise. In utility, our hard exercises are the stand for exam (way too excited by the prospect of a stranger petting her) and the gloves because she'll stare at one and go for that one, ignoring my mark. We've practiced go out so much she is good at those now. Plus, the go out training in Schutzhund has helped because I practice that during Schutzhund training. Directed jumping is easy for Pie.

Two weeks. Sigh. Better get busy.
Goodbye cans. It was kind of fun to be different. But showing indoors wasn't fun because they rolled all over the place.

No comments: