Riva and I were at a SAR certification test earlier in May. We passed the obedience, eventhough Riva reacted pretty strongly to sound distractions (9 mm starter pistol and a chain saw). Later it turned out that he had an ear infection which propably accounts for the reactions, usually he doesn’t react like that.

Riva also did very well on the actual search work, his motivation is excellent, alerts solid and we have learned to work as a team. The search area was covered with dense, high brush, the dog disappeared from your sight at 5 to 10 meters and it was one of the first really hot days this spring and no wind. I was a bit worried about how his stamina would be in that heat since he was still in full coat but that turned out to be a unnecessary worry, he lasted well. 

However, we didn’t pass since we missed one of the three victims. This was mostly caused by my handling mistake. The test rules limit the search strategy and if this had been a real search, my search plan would have been quite different and I’m confident we would have found all victims then. Well, hopefully I learned my lesson regarding test handling and now we first take care of that ear infection and then we try again.

I have also started to work more on tracking with him, to certify a dog for search and rescue you need to pass two tests of three: air scented, tracking or rubbles. We don’t have regular access to rubbles and most of the cases are also wilderness searches so air scenting and tracking it is for us. In relation to how little I have done tracking with Riva he is doing very well, he seems to be a natural tracker.

Riva and I got our first Q in a search trial last weekend and Riva got his HK1 title.

The Finnish working trial system has different diciplines: tracking, search, messenger dog, “combo” and IPO/schutzhund. All diciplines include an obedience part which is the same as in the international IPO trials, its max. 100 points. There are three levels. In the first level search trials a dog has to find three people from an area of 100 by 100 meters in 10 minutes (max. 170 p.) and one article out of three in a 50 by 50 meter area in 5 minutes (max. 30 p.), so 200 points together. To earn a title you must get min. 70/100 in obedience and 150/200 p. in search. Riva and I scored 82/100 in obedience and 162+30=192/200 in search and placed second. Riva is a joy to trial, I can concentrate on doing my bit as handler as well as I can and he takes care of the rest. With Karma trialing was always quite stressful because I had to be very careful she didn’t get out of control especially in obedience but with Riva I can actually enjoy myself .

Our next trial (level 2) is planned late October and I’m considering entering him to a SAR certification test in early November. The SAR certification test and lever 3 trials are roughly equal in requirements but certification test is graded on pass/fail basis, not scored.

My summer vacation is over and its back to the office

During the vacation Riva and I had a chance to go work stock at a new place. They have both sheep and goats and so Riva has had his first experience working goats. I don’t know if he noticed any difference, the goats are supposed to be a bit more independet and to challenge a dog more easily than sheep but at least so far none of them have thought about challenging Riva . However, the greatest thing about the new place is that we have a chance to train with larger flocks, 30-40 head at a time and even larger once all of their animals come home from summer pastures. Definately requires the dog to figure out how to keep the whole group under control. And hopefully helps us to find some steps between stop and 100 mps speed, which is at the moment the biggest thing holding back our progress. I think I have already seen some slowing down also at home…

Not really a topic for this blog but my smooth collie, Bardi, has also turned on and is working sheep. He’s VERY different from Riva, working wiiide and nicely, no biting. He could have some more power though, my own sheep don’t take any notice of him but with lighter sheep he is showing some quite nice moves, flanking wide, staying at balance and nice sense of group. We’ll see how much he gains confidence and authority with experience.

We have also continued search training with Riva and I really need to get him to a trial sometime this year. Riva has been working really good, his motivation is back better than ever. I think at least some of our problems were caused by too easy practices, he was just too bored to give it his best. Now every time I set up something new and more demanding the challenge just makes him work better .

I’m keeping a blog in Finnish these days, so this one has been quite neglected. Life goes on as usual with its ups and downs.

Riva and I hit a wall in search training in July. Somewhere along the way he lost the passion for search work and then one time the exercise I had planned for him was too much. He refused to work and I lost my temper (which is quite unlike me), basically I told him to go find that victim or else… Not the best way to deal with the situation. After I cooled down I had the sense to sit down and think what and when had gone wrong in our training.

So we started fresh with a clean slate and to make a long story short, we are doing better than ever. I intentionally say WE, because the trouble we had wasn’t all his fault and search work is always teamwork, both of us needed to shape up. You don’t bring a dog back up from a dead end like that in a flash, but now he has his motivation back and is progressing faster than the six months before. And I am much more aware of what we are doing and where each step is taking us.

There have been some happier events, too. Riva got a girlfriend and puppies are due in late November. She is a very nice bitch, very accomplished in several venues (obedience champion, performance champion in tracking, show champion and competes in agility at the highest level), a true versatile aussie. She also has some young offspring that are also doing very well in different dog sports. I couldn’t have hoped a better mate for Riva’s first litter.

Right now the dogs are enjoying the first snow of the year.

Riva has definately matured over the winter. I saw it right away in the first herding sessions we did in the beginning on May but its evident in search also. Everybody commented how his alerts had a whole new “sound” to them, more intense and confident. We did a couple of motivation raising exercises with alerts, I let him see the victim going off to the forest and sent him after right away. This was just to remind him how much fun search is, we have had almost six months break over the winter.