We Won
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| Gromit and his ribbon our friend Dave made for us! |
One of my cousins just gave birth. I love the first year of a baby's life. It makes me appreciate my own physical capabilities. As an aunt, cousin and friend - it was often hard to say good bye to my nieces, nephew and friend's babies, knowing by the time I would see them again incredible discoveries would happen. It would make me ever so sad and joyful that amazing things would happen while I was away - like how to smile and how to roll over; and clearing vision would mean faces start to be recognized. So much happens in the first year including giggling, that amazing silly joyful right from the belly giggle - and if I was really lucky during a rousing game of peek a boo there might be a screaming laugh. No matter how silly the game might be that sound could make me forget everything else and zero in on the moment, the miracle person across from me - the amazing connection in that second - I uncover my face to reveal a great big smile and this little person giggles. It is one of the most addictive sounds there is to me.
Once years ago - I helped a friend coach a group of 4th grade girls playing basketball. I thought it was one of the most hysterical things I had ever committed to do. I mean what could I teach these girls about playing basketball, I am from Iowa where we played 6 player ball? Turns out I didn't have to worry too much - my friend was a basketball player and she had the skills down. I could help with the part about working as a team. Really though in 4th grade - you have to pull your hair back behind your ears before you shoot - you have to do that - after our coaching it would not longer be required heading into 5th grade. And then there was the confidence building - I mean I have never seen so many panicked faces when the ball landed in their hands - not like they were going to reach out and ask for it - and then when they got it and from the sidelines we would be yelling 'shoot it' a sudden blank look would appear and the flushed red color in their cheeks would disappear, the hand would go up and push the hair behind their ear and they would start to lift the ball up, point their elbow at the basket and they would push the ball with one hand and aim with the other, lifting feet off the floor...that was success, not the basket, the willingness to take the shot. Whatever happens in girls to make them so afraid of failure that it becomes an overwhelming risk to try for success - it left in those 2 seconds when one of them was willing to try to take the shot.
In my first career I worked in human services. It was a worthwhile career and sometimes I knew when I made a difference. Like when I helped get someone's heat turned on or after two years of getting to know someone you finally build a relationship strong enough that this person trusts you to help find shelter and get them off the street. Some days though, making a difference was more elusive and couldn't be pinpointed - but it might involve a cup of coffee or simply opening the door of the drop in center and welcoming people at the door. Then there were the many many days where someone made a difference for me. There are as many ways to see the world as there are people living in it. Every single time someone shared part of their story it made a difference to me. I tried always to pay attention and look out my office window as though I was looking through the eyes of the person sitting in my office and that made a difference for me.
Last weekend I tried to take everything I had understood from Gromit and create a environment for success for him. I tried to think and see like a Gromit. We traveled to Davenport, IA for a NW 1 Trial. We won - it wasn't exactly like you would think but we won.
I wanted to arrive early. I wanted to be one of the first people to check in to the hotel. I wanted a room on the first floor and close to the exit. This wouldn't be for everyone but for Gromit and I we needed to be able to make sure we did not have a long hall to walk down where a dog would be coming straight on towards him. If I was going to put Gromit first I needed to get us there in time to get our best opportunity at our choice of rooms - we won the room on the ground floor next to the exit/entrance. For some people this would be noisy but for Gromit and I noise would not be as big of a deal as trying to get in and out.
I wanted Gromit to get to know his space a little bit. I wanted him to have room to own the room and sniff around both in and out of the hotel before the other competitors checked in and before the people from Saturday competition got back for the day. I had a good 10 minutes of walking around the grassy potty area with him to sniff every not picked up dropping and every pee spot that might interest him. Then we went into the room and he sniffed everywhere, the bathroom, the door, the fan, the tv, the dresser, the bed, every lamp and flat surface. He hopped up on the bed and I opened his dog food and gave him a little early dinner. He stretched out and watched me put his crate and bed out.
Then I 'Yelped' a dog park and headed to the park to let Gromit get a little sniff and run time. He was a little suspicious of the whole situation but appreciated standing up and stretching and being off his leash. It was very quiet at the dog park. The other dogs were a bit non-plussed with Gromit and his size. But we went our way to the grass. Other dogs stayed on a large concrete oval that was painted sky blue with jumps and obstacles on it. Gromit could pretty much walk over most of the objects but they were something to sniff at for sure. He and I walked to the grass and he ran a bit between some young small pine trees. We walked around the perimeter of the park and looked over the Mississippi river. Suddenly a group of poodles ran into the park. There was on apricot poodle that Gromit fell instantly in love with and was drawn to like bee to a flower, ahem. He tried to play with a couple of dogs but no one really showed any interest. One little pug came scrambling over and Gromit looked at me and back at the little guy sniffing Gromit. The tiny one barked at Gromit who skittered backwards. We kept walking and let ourselves quietly out of the park.
Back at the hotel, I turned on a fan in the room to block noise from the hallway. I also put something up so he could not get to the door and to block the light/shadows from the bottom of the door. Gromit curled up next to me in bed and snoozed quietly next to me. He barked twice - once when there was a dog scuffle outside our door and then again not until early morning when someone pushed the receipt under our door. Pretty awesome and relaxed the rest of the time.
The next day was the trial. We dropped a volunteer friend off at 7:15am and had an hour to hang out. We grabbed breakfast. Sadly we were unable to find coffee. It was difficult to find a good cup of coffee. I let go of finding coffee to get back early enough for Gromit to get comfortable. The trial was at a baseball stadium for the River Bandits. It was an open air stadium right along the river levee.
We arrived at the stadium on time, a feat I accomplish on occasion with unpredictable regularity. I looked at the parking lot next to the Baseball Stadium and we were early enough to pick a spot, any spot. I sized up Gromit's need to be able to survey his environment and have a threshold that would allow him to not react on his leash. We had plenty of room in this parking lot and our friends Dave and Baylee were in the back along with Sandy and Ixi. We parked between them and behind a huge RV, which I admit I wanted.
There was a funnel to get from the parking lot over the railroad tracks to the stadium. It was the corner of the parking lot. All dogs had to pass through that corner to get to the stadium. I looked at options here and there were plenty for Gromit. We could use the sidewalk, the other side of the street entering the stadium or cross right where the volunteers were located. Plus there was a nice mound of grass with a sidewalk on both sides.
As I joined Dave and Sandy on the walk through of each element - vehicle, exterior, container and interior search areas I thought about where Gromit might feel cramped. The people running the trial had entrance and exits arranged so no two dogs would meet on exterior locations. There was only one way in and out of the interior search area on the second floor - the stairs. All I needed to do was make sure we didn't meet someone on the stairs head on - and that was taken care of by a volunteer.
Gromit and I won - this trial was set up in a way that we could get to every search area without causing him to feel physically cramped.
The weather was stunning. The sun was out, there was a wind and it warmed through the entire day.
Gromit successfully searched the exterior hide first. I traded his short leash with his long search line. Set him up at the line with a little focus and let him know I had treats in my hand. Then I released him from the start line - he started to walk out and with his nose still in the air his head snapped and held until he could get his body turned in the same direction and he dropped his nose and stuck to the leg of a picnic table - search time 14.5 seconds or so - amazing for us!
He hit on containers and vehicles as well. Then we had interiors. As we were waiting for interiors another competitor came over and was very frustrated because she thought she was treated unfairly. I wanted to listen and wanted her to go away at the same time. She didn't say anything about the hide location but did say the judge asked here where the hide was after she called alert. I couldn't figure out how to support her and get Gromit and I ready for our final search. An official came to talk with the competitor and Gromit and I went in for our last search.
Gromit went up the stairs to the second floor and I decided to do the search off leash. Interiors are where Gromit does his most consistent and confident searching. He could get us his title. He went to the hide right away but didn't commit. Then he went to the perimeter and tried to get outside the search area and I redirected him back to searching which he quickly got to and went back to the hide location. He worked the hide - they call it bracketing - both sides of a chair, then he picked a side and sniffed back and forth finally landing in the corner at the front of the chair. I called alert. The judge said where - I think I might have said - what -like that was as clear as it could be with the Gromit! - and she again said "where?" - I blathered on with as much detail as I could about the leg in the corner of the front of the chair and the judge said "no" and I asked where it was - it was on the bottom of the chair in the front corner. Gromit won - his nose was right in the corner of that chair. It took up the bottom the leg he had found it. I missed in my communication.
Gromit won though. I won too. Gromit and I were a team all day long. I did as much I could to see what things looked like to him. I had been thoughtful before each search and stayed focused on keeping him focused and giving him space - letting him go first in everything, stepping back if I wasn't sure if he hit source. I focused on not being sharp with my 'yay for you' - and instead used treats and a calm happy voice and always feeding him at the source. Even if he went out a little ways from the search area, I gave him leash, I wanted him to be in charge. I wanted him to know I was confident and trusted him to get to the odor.
I'll never know for sure if Gromit understands how much it means to me that he and I had such success. I don't mean the success of the title. I mean the success of being able to see Gromit and understand when he had gone as close to the source of odor as he could. I do know he waited until that last search to finally get back in his crate and sleep. I know that he got a lot of treats and I talked with him a lot. I know that he looked at me every single time I said his name during the weekend. I know that he was happy to get out of the car and search each time we got the line, even though his brain was tired. I know that I couldn't be prouder of him and how far he has come with nose work.
It was exactly what I have always wanted with him. And I am so relieved that what I wanted wasn't the title it was being with Gromit. Like that giggle, that belly laugh - I wanted to pull my hands back and have Gromit and I both smiling at each other. I wanted us to see that we weren't pulling our hair back behind our ears before we shot the ball or panic when someone threw it our way. And I wanted to see him and be with him - I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to see Gromit's world. We won -
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