Friday, September 14, 2012

Late Night Post - The "Nose"

Life has been hectic this past week. Between being a full time mommy to two fur babies and juggling work, school, and life in general, I have a deeper appreciation for something that has been lacking: sleep. It's now 11:15 PM CST and I have just gotten back - I love what I do or else I wouldn't be up at 5:00 AM and in bed by 1:00 AM (if I'm lucky.) So my apologies to any of my readers out there who feel that I have fallen short of what this blog was meant to be. On with the pup information! :) I hope you guys enjoy.

Today's post will focus on dogs that I like to affectionately call "noses." These dogs love to use their nose to track scents near or far. Fur babies that would typically fall into this category are beagles, black and tan coonhounds, and bloodhounds.
 
Top activities:
  • Training your hound to be a search and rescue dog is a huge commitment, but very rewarding if you've got the time and passion for it. Check out the National Association for Search & Rescue website to find out if it's for you.
  • Participate in tracking trials, which involve following a scent trail to find a deliberately "lost" person and any items she dropped. The American Kennel Club puts on tracking events for purebreds; local chapters of the Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America do the same for mutts.

Other fun stuff:
  • Create your own tracking game by asking your dog for a sit-stay outside, and walking through the grass to leave a scent trail. Leave a treat at the end of the trail, then retrace your steps and release your dog to find the treat.
  • Hide treats throughout your yard and let your dog sniff them out.
  • Turn meals into treasure hunts by putting your dog's food bowl in a new spot, and leaving a widely spaced trail of kibble to the bowl.

With this information now safely penned (or typed) for all of you, Dear Readers, I bid you good night. Let me know your thoughts and share any "nose hound" stories that you might have.

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