Buffy NW1 Golden April 2023

This was our first trial - NW1 in Golden, CO in April 2023. In each area there was 1 hide that we had to find. We got it correctly for the vehicle, containers, and exterior, but did not for the interior room so we did not title. However I was proud to get a 'pronounced' (commendation on our teamwork) for the vehicle and exterior search.

[@fodsmom]

LOL, I'm chuckling cause it wasn't until this vehicle search that I realized the videographer puts little red arrows where the hide is. Doh. This was a nice search. It looks like you have a pattern with her to search the vehicles and that worked we'll for you. I like patterns for vehicles. At 0.50 it looks as if she is getting some odor and doing the wide circle before coming back into it and she does a nice about turn and drives into that odor at 0.57/0.58. She really sticks it and even does a head turn back to you like "right here mom." Whew, you trusted her. No formal indication which would have been nice but she communicated and you listened and it worked.
Container Search. Loved the head hook at 4.47! That's the one but darn no trained indication. See that spin out at 4.51 those can fool you but is probably just odor wafting from the box and she does her circle out and back. Watch for those circles. Good quick call on your part. How have her boxes been outside of a trial environment. Is she good at checking those seams yet? You did a very nice job handling. In fact, all through the elements your handling as been very good. Composed, reading her well for the most part and not letting the trial pressures get to you. For example,, feeding her in a down was perfect.
Exterior Search. I really like how she is searching as you come back along the near to camera area. Do you recall if you are working into the wind or against it. She gets odor at 7.08 and you get a head hook back toward the barbecue. That was lovely. Her change of behaviour, pace change, the whole thing. Just no trained indication.
I really do like how in this trialing organization the set-ups are real and not so artificial. In training, the more real places you can practice the stronger you two will get. And when practicing, cue cue cue. At some point she will beat you to the cue.Then you really know that you can hesitate just a second and see if she drops on her own. But each new place we have raised criteria (either of the environment or the complexity of the search) so we don't want to keep them hanging if they forget what to do.
Additional homework. I would love to see her when you are at your training class as you mentioned she often doesn't indicate there as well. And just because it's a training class, cue that indication. And do a loop, and another. The more value you can put into that hide as well. Make it a reward experience. And one-hide only for now since you want her driving to one source and indicating.
All super nice searches but just that one missing piece. Your handling and reading her and such are very good but we can put a tad more responsibility on her.

[@BreninBehavior]

Thank you! Lots of fun homework for us!