ORT Results for Tarot

  Odor Recognition Tests are the first step before a dog can trial at any level within the NACSW.  Each dog has to be tested for each of the three odors before it can be entered into that level's trial.  For Level 1 trials, the dog needs to be ORT'ed on Birch, Level 2 needs testing on Anise, and Level 3 needs Clove.  The dog has to process through the levels in order and cannot jump ahead like in hunt tests.  As a handler you can choose when to test a dog, one odor per level achievement or all three.

  In February, Tarot was ready to try her first ORT on Birch, but Anise and Clove were months away from introduction.  I elected to test her on that one odor and waited until now to try the other two.  When I entered this passed weekend's ORT, I did so with the idea we would have a round of practice in a new environment.  I know she knows both scents, but I was not sure how she would handle a different location.  Would she remain focused or would existing smells cause her to stray from the task?

  Tarot's nose is not connected to her brain the way it is for every other dog.  Where Niven, Torch and Desi"just focus in and stay on it", Tarot has this ability to process all information which causes her to try to act on every impulse at once.  The result is a "ping pong" type of working style or would be noticeable as ADHD in humans.  There is no way to change this, but I have been working threshold hides or other non-NW behaviors to help stop her from bolting through odor to chase it to the other end.

Getting ready for this round of ORTs, Tarot and I have spent a lot of time practicing with boxes and typical patterns.  During each session, there was a marked difference in her focus level and almost immediate detection of the hot box.  One element I wished would could practice under was working in a location with other animal scent, meaning a dog training studio.  Using ground where other dogs have worked is so different than a parking lot, wide open field, or playground.  We can practice in class(es) and these types of crittering issues do not pop up because they are familiar.  It is similar to the dogs who practice Agility or Obedience in the same building, but have problems with trial distractions.

  During Tarot's Birch ORT, the issue was not finding odor source, but dealing with linoleum flooring that did not support a dog who was trying to get around a musty church basement as fast as she could.  Tarot dropped her nose to each box, but was drawn to the wall, short staircase, and low stage area that pooled odor.  Fast turns resulted in slipping paws and broken concentration.  We must have circled the boxes fifty times before she abruptly stopped at one and would not move.  Her movement indicated the type of behavior where a human forgot why they walked into a room and suddenly remembered the purpose.  "Oh yeah, that is what I was doing."

  I jest with the number of times we circled, but it took a good minute before the indicating behavior emerged.  I learned in this situation to let Tarot order out what was not relevant and figure it out herself.  Under testing, I have to depend on the dog to tell me which box to call and in this case that requires patience.

  From that day in February, I knew there was an issue that would require more work, but I needed to figure out what was compounding the problem.  It took until June for me isolate issues and start to work on them.  There has been progress in working more slowly and I can tell Tarot is working to sort out her own thought process.  The more we practice, the more even-keeled the searches are.

Tarot's nose was finding everything

  I had hope the next round of ORTs would have Tarot make one pass and indicate the hot box immediately.  The passed two weeks of practice had her doing just this and I was keeping my fingers crossed.  Unfortunately, that was not the case in both tests.  The building was awesome for people flow and dog footing, but it is used for Agility and Rally classes.  Since we have never been here before, Tarot needed to work through the foreign scent before she suddenly remembered where the hot boxes were.

  She passed both her Anise and Clove tests, but I walked out into the parking lot each time feeling like we searched forever.  It was not until the next morning when I received an email with video of each test.  I was shocked to find we did not do what I remember us doing and more importantly completed the searches in thirty seconds and fifty seconds.  Here I was worried about the three minutes warning coming?

  I wish I could include the video, but the formatting is not allowing me to post anywhere or to even convert it to a new file extension.  I am however, thrilled to have it for at lease personal  use!!!!

  While we gear up for our first NW1 trial in mid-November, Tarot will be searching for Birch.  I have a couple of ideas for practice and problem solving and it will be interesting to see what develops.  Now to charge up the vid cams and get out there!

Hope you all had a great weekend.  We did.
Joyce