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Zora and I have been playing and practicing her scent articles work. A game she is having a blast with! (ok me too, I’m also having a blast with it)
In her life thus far we’ve played many variations of find it games. Find the ball. Find the hidden toy. Find the child. Find the husband. Find the kibbles. Despite all of that, I’ve been rather shocked at how quickly and well she’s taken to scent articles training. She appears to think it is one of the best games ever.
My disbelief is due to that prior to a month or so ago when we started training this, she’d never before been asked to pick my scent out from a group of like objects. Nor pick mine out of a group of like objects with another person’s scent (in this case my wonderful, supportive, sure I’ll play along in this crazy sport you call dog training spouse). Yet here she is doing it! Repeatedly! Damn dogs are so cool!
Scent articles for those unfamiliar are a portion of the Utility class obedience test. A pile of articles, most often dumbbells, half of the pile being leather, the other half metal, are placed in an area of the competition ring. Then the handler scents with their scent 1 of article and the judge places it in the pile without the dog seeing where. Then the dog is sent to the pile to select the one with the handler’s scent. After the dog picks the correct article, the dog is to return with it to the handler. In Utility scent articles are done twice, once with the handler scenting a leather article, and once scenting a metal one. In CKC testing, there is also a portion using wooden articles.
Having played around with scent articles with past dogs (mostly Niche) I have sets of leather, metal and wooden utility dumbbells. So that’s what Zora is now using.
We all had such fun, laughing and being silly.
maplewoodblog 
Aww, love the little videos. Zora looks like shes having so much fun! 🙂 xxx
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Thanks! She does have a lot of fun. 🙂
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Sometimes when I’m training with Brèagha it just turns into a goof fest. I’ll be like, “ermergersh! BrèaghAAAA!” And she jumps all over me. It usually ends with me lying down on the floor so she can trample on me and try to lick my ear, then she flops down next to me for some cuddles. I don’t let my dog jump on anyone but me. ‘Cause with me I want her to just be her silly self, and I love playing with her as much as she does with me. 😉
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Gosh yes! It’s so much fun! Doesn’t everyone’s training sessions involve crazy flapping around goofiness? ;-). Lol. I’m not very good at playing actually but I have learned to be better at it for my dogs. Being spontaneous and down right silly takes a lot of work! But it’s worth it for the joy it brings them and our relationship. Glad you and breagha get to have the freedom to be yourselves and enjoy the silly! 🙂
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Yeah, I’m not usually a silly person. But there are two things that bring out the silly in me: dogs, and my brother Luke. Luke and I crack each other up when we are together. I will make a wisecrack about something, and in my mind it’s not even that funny, but he will just go hysterical over it and then I will choke on whatever I’m trying to drink because I can’t not laugh when he laughs. I hope everyone has at least one such person in their lives.
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That’s awesome!!
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