Wednesday was Search Training day at Wild Dingo! We invited a bunch of friends over to take turns hiding and braved the ticks while we hid ourselves for a single dog and handler to conduct a search. Overall, it was a really fun and successful training experience. Each dog got two or three searches (that's plenty when you realize how hard the job is). I didn't get many photos, except at NitWit Bridge, the walk from Wild Dingo Headquarters to the tree farm, and some group shots of the dogs hanging out tired at the end. Honey (the Golden Retreiver) is a MAD searcher. Too bad she's preggers right now (a planned breeding for some beautiful goldens), otherwise she would have gotten to go three, four or a hundred times. She's cracker-insane for search and really good at it.
Last Search of the Day. All dogs are pooped after their turn and are waiting while Zach is out doing his last search. Search is an excellent sleep remedy!
See that little chi-wow-wow, Louie, who made an appearance on Wild Dingo this summer in Fridays are for Punks and Friday Fivers? That little girl is the shizzle at this game. Little dog never gives up and always wins.
Juno even got to do a very easy "find mommy" search at the end, even though she's not being officially trained in it. As usual, Loki trumped her and found me first. He wasn't tethered and broke his down because Dog-forbid mom should be out of his Formosan site for 2 seconds. So I had to tie him down and hide again so Juno could have her fun too. The dogs were a really well-behaved group and each knew what the were there for, completely excited to do the job and less interested in being dog-naughty or a yahoo-er.
Zach returns triumpant! He found his target victim.
And parades his reward around the waiting (and tired) dogs.
"Yah, that's right, I'm bad. I'm the man. Just call me Detective Zach. I can find any missing person with a squeeky toy."
At the end, all dogs were released from working and allowed off-leash on our walk out of the tree farm. Juno impressed me the most by staying next to me "just because" during our walk out.
Hmmm, this whole sitting and sticking to me like glue. Is this a Sibe trick? I think so. I wasn't born yesterday. Whenever there is danger or Siberian-temptation, I pick up her leash.
Thank you Phil for being a patient and fun target for us! Thank you Hugh (or was it Phil?) for supplying the radios!
That tracking is very difficult. Sometimes momma hides from me and I just stand in one place and howl until she comes out.
Slobbers,
Mango
That sounds like sooo much fun! The bridge looks a little scawy though.
Congratulations on a grrrreat finding practice. The pics are super. I wish I could have been there to watch all the grrreat work. I could never do such an important thing. You are really special.
I saw your comment over at my blog (thanks!) and decided to visit. I definitely need to do some catching up on your news but it looks intriguing. I used to do SAR with my deceased Lab, Acadia. She was an air-scenting dog. I planned to keep with it until I became a potential liability in the field with my many back issues...
Anyway, your site looks really cool. I'll be back!
Oh what a great time. Looks like a great day for tracking..
Big Sloppy Kisses
Gus, Louie and Callie
psst.. wait i'm still behind the tree! what a fun day..but juno those sibe googlies are a bit much. your momma didn't fall for that did she? KiSSiES, TULA
thanx for sharing ... tula started taking clomipramine 2 months ago to help move her along in her reactive training. after two plus years of training, i wanted to try meds to see if it could push us along farther from reacting BIG to a dog at any distance to being able to function with a dog within a few feet to hopefully, becoming friends with Norwood! Another part to our training is touch/petting and allowing people to approach (especially the vet to do procedures). Tula has a massage therapist that comes by once a month, which she LUVS & after 6 months,is much more comfortable getting a massage in a standing position. I've thought about alternatives & just don't know any holistic vets.... thanx, i wouldn't mind trying acupuncture or looking into the holistic meds since tula may need it for the long haul.
How did you get started with the dog search? It seems like such a wonderful thing to do!
Thank you for the info. I'll see if I can find any local trainers!
We are very good at tracking cheese in the kitchen. Does that make us qualified?
I want to play hide and seek with the dawgs.
hello wild dingo its dennis the vizsla dog hay wot fun sertch and reskyew!!! reskyewing peepul from not having dogs with them i meen!!! ok bye
Looks like you guys had a wicked awesome day!!
Jackal
If I was loose on the tree farm, I'd STILL be out there!
Khongrats on a fun day!
Pantyloons&Jodhpurs,
Khyra
Mom doesn't think we would do very well at this unless we were the ones doing the hiding:)
Woos, Phantom and Thunder
Sibe..... off-lead.
Those words used together made my mom pass out.
Ha roo roo roo!
Play bows
Zim
This would have been a train wreck with our dogs. Maybe they'd sleep as well at night, but not from having accomplished much. I really need to set aside time for training - it actually looks fun when you do it. 😉
that was a great day---what a fun exploring thing to do!!! loved the pics of beautiful Juno!
I know I wouldn't be any good at this game! I would probably run away and you would have to send Loki to come find me! 🙂
Mochi
Oh what fun!! I wish I had friends like you near me - I'd love to join in that sort of fun day! I have never tried tracking/searching before (and probably wouldn't be much good at it given how lazy I am!) but I think I would love to try it out!
By the way, my human wants to say that she is so impressed with your human and the way she has you both so well-trained. Especially Juno because people are always saying Siberians can't be trained - so it's nice to see someone prove them wrong!
Slobbers,
Honey the Great Dane