Fast CAT record, Rally-Free Elite Novice leg

We had two Fast CAT runs over the weekend. On the first one I forgot to tell the lure operator that he's fast and to make sure that the lure stays ahead of him. Instead we got what I've now recognized as a consistent pattern: he started to catch up to the lure and drift to the side, then slowed down slightly, then picked his head up and started looking for me. He assumed that the nearest person standing ahead of him was me and sped up toward her - it was the lure operator. I called him loudly and he noticed me and finally crossed over the finish line and came right to my arms. I didn't bother to find out what his time had been (probably 14+ seconds).

For our second run, I told the operator to make sure that the lure stayed way ahead of him. I also started calling him much earlier. He set a new record for himself! He ran in 11.72 seconds (17.45 mph) rather than his usual 12.5ish (16.5ish mph). Very cool.


Earlier in the month we drove all the way down to Fetch Sam in San Jose to participate in a video event with friends. The space is great but the commute was awful. Next time I'll sign up but record at Sherry's or somewhere closer. As usual we had a few little moments of distraction and our heel position is inconsistent but Cai was happy to work with me. To earn a leg in Elite Novice, you have to score at least 165, and we got 170. (Probably would have been 173-174 if not for camera not showing the switchback at station #4.)

Private nose work lessons

I am FINALLY taking nose work more seriously now, and Chimera certainly appreciates it. When we're practicing at home, he jumps on me when I get the odor out, and then scratches at the door while I'm hiding it.

We're currently doing private lessons with Jennie Kiefer. I was impressed at how well Cau worked at our first lesson, in a brand new place, even around picnic tables with old food and dog pee smells. So far we're doing mostly exterior hides and presenting new puzzles, with the tin always accessible. Last time we did a single box drill to introduce him to the idea of searching boxes. (He was confused and offering me lots of eye contact at first, but once he caught the whiff of odor he went into hunt mode and found the right one quickly.)

Jennie says there will be an ORT in the area in early 2019, and if I keep up with practice he should be able to pass it with style.

I didn't used to enjoy nose work much, but now that agility is off the table, I appreciate it more.