We started with the boxes, bags and containers. I chose to scent one box and one bag. The box was in the top left corner of the search area, with the scent being a little way in from the corner of the box. All dogs that found it sourced the scent well. The bag was also on the left, just past one of the starter cones. All of the dogs found the box first, and most handlers chose to come out of the search area to reward their dogs. Interestingly, they pretty much all then sent their dogs back off to the right so it was some time before they worked back around to the bag.
The second search was the exterior items. This was challenging for most as it was VERY windy – a couple of teams were faced with items moving whilst they searched, which all dogs handled well. Again, there was a hide in the top left corner on a kids wire and block toy. Many dogs knocked the scent on the start line – well done to the handlers that let their dogs take them straight there. The second was on the bottom of a placeboard. This really needed to be searched carefully partly due to the size and shape, partly because of the wind. This was the one missed by most teams.
I chose to stay outside for the third search, just in case the weather closed in. We used the back wall of the hall, running from a down pipe part way along to the end of the wall. There were a couple of down pipes along the wall, as well as double doors into the hall. The wall also has a low ridge running the length. There was some foliage with the ground surface being mostly gravel. One hide was underneath the bottom corner of the door, with the second being under the ridge shortly before the end of the wall. the wind was blowing towards the dogs, so most picked up the scents pretty quickly and just had to work to source.
The final search was the tables, chairs and perimeter. I put up three tables, with three chairs around two tables and two chairs around the third. One hide was towards the bottom of the leg on the table with two chairs, with one of the chairs being nearby – the dogs really wanted the hide to be on the chair so worked hard sourcing it to the table. The perimeter was made up of two walls which include a few doors as well as a low stage with cupboards underneath. The hide was tucked under a ledge at the edge of the stage – a bit of a reach for the two smaller dogs, bit they both sourced it well.
Overall some great work from the dogs in tricky conditions. A couple probably need a little more confidence working on gun oil. Well done to Katie and Binks for their win, and also to the other two qualifiers.
Thanks to Georgina for asking me to judge.
We started with the boxes, bags and containers. I chose to scent one box and one bag. The box was in the top left corner of the search area, with the scent being a little way in from the corner of the box. All dogs that found it sourced the scent well. The bag was also on the left, just past one of the starter cones. All of the dogs found the box first, and most handlers chose to come out of the search area to reward their dogs. Interestingly, they pretty much all then sent their dogs back off to the right so it was some time before they worked back around to the bag.
The second search was the exterior items. This was challenging for most as it was VERY windy – a couple of teams were faced with items moving whilst they searched, which all dogs handled well. Again, there was a hide in the top left corner on a kids wire and block toy. Many dogs knocked the scent on the start line – well done to the handlers that let their dogs take them straight there. The second was on the bottom of a placeboard. This really needed to be searched carefully partly due to the size and shape, partly because of the wind. This was the one missed by most teams.
I chose to stay outside for the third search, just in case the weather closed in. We used the back wall of the hall, running from a down pipe part way along to the end of the wall. There were a couple of down pipes along the wall, as well as double doors into the hall. The wall also has a low ridge running the length. There was some foliage with the ground surface being mostly gravel. One hide was underneath the bottom corner of the door, with the second being under the ridge shortly before the end of the wall. the wind was blowing towards the dogs, so most picked up the scents pretty quickly and just had to work to source.
The final search was the tables, chairs and perimeter. I put up three tables, with three chairs around two tables and two chairs around the third. One hide was towards the bottom of the leg on the table with two chairs, with one of the chairs being nearby – the dogs really wanted the hide to be on the chair so worked hard sourcing it to the table. The perimeter was made up of two walls which include a few doors as well as a low stage with cupboards underneath. The hide was tucked under a ledge at the edge of the stage – a bit of a reach for the two smaller dogs, bit they both sourced it well.
Overall some great work from the dogs in tricky conditions. A couple probably need a little more confidence working on gun oil. Well done to Katie and Binks for their win, and also to the other two qualifiers.