Kipper has a really good nose, and we’ve done some basic scent training in the past. Once in a while, we’ll play ‘find it’ games in the garden with human scent articles, and other things like treats.
I have a hair pin and ring which I’ve been wearing a lot recently as my hair’s a fair bit longer since lockdown. Kipper and I have played ‘find the hair pin’ 3 or 4 times in the garden - just easy games in the short grass, and I’ve been working on a clearer indication where he foot taps the item.
Well, today on our walk I was trotting after Kipper, who was exploring some lovely smells in the long grass, when suddenly I realised - uh oh! - I’d lost my hair pin. We’d travelled quite a way across the field we were in, and zigzagged about so the search area was pretty broad. As soon as I asked Kipper to ’find it’, he shifted into work mode with his tail upright and gently moving to and fro as he covered the ground. After a few minutes he stopped and indicated clearly with a paw tap. I went to look, but couldn’t see anything in the long grass - so of course assumed it wasn’t there and asked him to keep looking. He circled round, back to the same spot and indicated again really clearly. I looked more closely, and there it was!
I wouldn’t have found it in a month of Sundays without Kipper. And he was very pleased with his work! It’s a great reminder for us to keep playing these games. One day I’d love to do more searching with him, he gets a lot out of it.
I have a hair pin and ring which I’ve been wearing a lot recently as my hair’s a fair bit longer since lockdown. Kipper and I have played ‘find the hair pin’ 3 or 4 times in the garden - just easy games in the short grass, and I’ve been working on a clearer indication where he foot taps the item.
Well, today on our walk I was trotting after Kipper, who was exploring some lovely smells in the long grass, when suddenly I realised - uh oh! - I’d lost my hair pin. We’d travelled quite a way across the field we were in, and zigzagged about so the search area was pretty broad. As soon as I asked Kipper to ’find it’, he shifted into work mode with his tail upright and gently moving to and fro as he covered the ground. After a few minutes he stopped and indicated clearly with a paw tap. I went to look, but couldn’t see anything in the long grass - so of course assumed it wasn’t there and asked him to keep looking. He circled round, back to the same spot and indicated again really clearly. I looked more closely, and there it was!
I wouldn’t have found it in a month of Sundays without Kipper. And he was very pleased with his work! It’s a great reminder for us to keep playing these games. One day I’d love to do more searching with him, he gets a lot out of it.
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