Liezel has started nose work, finally!  Today will be our third lesson.  The trainer says she is a natural at it.  While she is working she cares about nothing around her.  She has absolute focus on the scents.

I have no idea what he is teaching her and when I asked, “What’s going on here…what is she doing?” he answered, “She’s thinking.”  She sticks her face into different PVC pipes and if she chooses the right one she is rewarded with food.  She gets a lot of food, so she’s doing something right.

Interesting thing, Liezel hates this trainer (don’t know if I ever mentioned that) but from the start of the first nose work lesson, she is all about him!  She is running to him, pulling to get to him, and wiggling her little butt.  That is of course, until nose work is over and obedience begins, then she’s back to hating him.

There are a couple of Shepherds doing the class as well.  They have a distinct advantage in that their pointy muzzles fit nicely into the PVC to receive reward.  Poor Liezel has to stick her whole face in to get the reward.  But she gets her revenge by drooling all over the PVC so the trainer has to clean them after each time she works.

 

Always on a quest to determine why Liezel is so nervous, we (trainers, vet, husband, and I) very regularly discuss Liezel-isms and changes / developments in her behavior.  During the first nose work lesson two people with two dogs started walking near us.  Liezel looked up to see them but continued working.  The trainer suggested that perhaps Liezel’s eyesight isn’t as good as it could be so she is more comfortable using her sense of smell.  Since she was currently working with her nose, she didn’t focus on what she saw, but only what she smelled.  It’s certainly a thought.