Trialing This Weekend

Michelle and I are heading to Mebane, NC for an NW3 on Saturday. This will be our third attempt at this level with no titles attained so far. In fact, the two trials we both ran previously were particularly grueling, due to exhaustion, heat, or a combination of both. I've noticed that both of us have taken a laissez faire attitude toward trialing recently, and I think it has to do with the process involved to coordinate our trips. Michelle was lucky to get in the Canton, GA trial on September 26th, which is only a 45 minute drive from Smyrna, but most of the NW3 trials we see are not close to home. We have already traveled to Knoxville, MD in the past month (a 10 hour drive for Michelle and a flight for me since I had to work on Friday), and now we are looking at a 6 hour drive to Mebane after we leave work around 3pm. Sure, we may stop around Charlotte and drive the remaining distance Saturday morning, but we'll be tired either way. And not just us humans. The dogs get worn out from the drive as well, no matter how many times we get them out of their crates to stretch their legs. These trips make me long for the fun days of practice at K-9 Coach, where Rip and I are rested and happy. I think much of the difficulty of trialing comes from these exhausting weekend jaunts. I earned my NW2 in Tucker, which is basically home turf! Talk to you later!

Been a While

It's been a while since my last post, but that doesn't mean I haven't been competing. Rip and I completed our NW2, competed in our first NW3 trial, and gained some titles in PSD. However, the journey has just begun, and I can't wait to see where it takes us. Today, Rip is at work with Michelle, which gave me an opportunity to work with Mason on some interiors. The little odor chaser knocked out this bathroom hide really well. Great job, little man!

On a separate note, Daphne Oliver has started a Facebook group that has been a long time coming. It's called 'Nosework Handler Rewards,' and it is a public group to share favorite restaurants and attractions near trials and workshops. Rewards for the humans! I'm hoping to find some cool places to visit while I'm travelling with Michelle and the boys. One to start: Due South BBQ in Christiansburg, VA. Michelle, my parents and I went there before our NW1 triumph in New Castle, and they had some great BBQ and banana pudding. Will always have a special memory of this place!

Finally, the PSD trial in Louisville, TN May 18th and 19th (Spring Sniffer!) needs volunteers. Please contact Rosana Dropkin if you are able to help out (ro.sunshinek9s@gmail.com). Until next time! Have a great week!

Heading Into The Season

We're now seeing more and more trial opportunities opening up in the Southeast, and we're ready to conquer our NW2 titles! Rip and I attended a 'sniff & go' in Bessemer, Alabama on Saturday and he did very well on containers and three of the four interior searches.

He continues to have problems with tight spaces such as bathrooms, as he won't go in the room no matter how much I coax and treat. If anyone else has solved this problem, please let me know. We have already entered into two L1 elements in Alabaster, AL in February (interiors and exteriors), and we're entering two more tomorrow (Clanton, AL in March; vehicles & containers). The practice this weekend was meant to simulate the conditions we'll encounter in L1 container and interior competitions, so I'm a little concerned about this small space issue. My plan is to treat him when he enters any small space and let him explore. Then, I can hopefully move on to finding hides. Oh well. As long as he's having fun, everything is all right! How do you make a small bathroom fun?

Congratulations, Teach!

Congratulations to our Nose Work instructor, Kathryn Woods, on her first NW3 title with her dog Grace! Before she left for her trial in North Carolina, she was going over the importance of collecting yourself before a search and staying positive. It must have worked very well for her! They came in fifth overall. Great job!

First NW2 Trial - Jacksonville, Fla

Originally, Michelle and I were going to volunteer for the NW2 trial in Jacksonville so we can get a little more familiarity about these type of trials, since they are different in many ways from the NW1. However, about a week before the trial, someone on our Facebook group announced that there were still spots available. We asked our instructor if she thought it was a good idea to run an NW2 so close to our NW1 success. She said it's great experience, and it's not too much of a hassle for us since we were heading down there anyway. So, we entered and both of us were in the NW2 trial!

Going in, we had no expectations and were taking this as a learning opportunity. We started with vehicles (three hides), and I false alerted on the very first hide. Day over! Michelle and Mason managed to complete the vehicles just under the 3:00 deadline. Next, we had interiors. Rip found the first hide in a very small conference room, but I got antsy in the second room (a room of cubicles) and false alerted with plenty of time left. Michelle had pretty much the same experience. So, now we both knew we weren't getting our titles.

After lunch, we started with exteriors. Even though it was a single hide, both dogs seemed lost due to the heavy winds and didn't find the crack hide near the threshold. Finally, we had the containers. Mason completed the element, but Rip excelled. We finished the two-hide search in just over twenty seconds and captured a first place ribbon in the element. So, we didn't go away completely empty handed!

Thank you to the K9 Obedience Club of Jacksonville for hosting a great trial! Next time we'll be more prepared! Below you'll see the pics of the hides.

Mason's NW1 Videos

And now Mason and Michelle's videos! They rocked it!

Ripken's NW1 Videos

Take a look at my boy and his successful NW1 trial!

Welcome!

Hi! My name is Robert Murray, and my wife Michelle and I compete with our two dogs, Mason and Ripken. Last weekend, we earned our NW1s in Virginia, and I am now officially hooked on nose work! This blog will feature a variety of different topics related to K9 Nose Work, as well as our personal journey with training and competitions. I hope you'll enjoy the content! Please drop me some comments to let me know how I'm doing. Thanks!