Here was Divine's big debut in an NW2. I figured having trialed Mickey to NW3, this should be easy. But, I also had something going on. My mind wasn't in the right frame of mind. I was stressed. I had too many events happen prior and they stuck to my head like the sticky dew of the morning. I didn't sleep well the night before and didn't get my coffee in the morning. But good handlers will rise above that, so sound buzzer, and say, can't use that for any excuses!
For some reason, the stress of the morning and the negative thinking just kept creeping through. I tried to do some meditations and an inspirational phrase over again to help. They helped calm me down, but I needed a little more meditation.
A week and a half ago I had emergency surgery to correct a leaky peritoneal dialysis tubing that is inserted into my abdomen region, and anchored to the lower part of an internal membrane to have a passage for fluids to my peritoneal cavity. i had to back out of Duffy's trial because of this trial, but I didn't want to back out of Divine's. So strong willed and all, I came to the NW2 trial. I had only practice with Divine like one time in the past two weeks. But still ready to go!
I was #19, and my first search area was Interiors. When I took Divine out, I let her sniff in grass heaven, she sniffed and sniffed and sniffed. One of her favorite things to do. I walked her to the warm-up boxes and when she saw them she pulled me over there and bang! Right at the odor box. I treated her and said WOW, she is ready!!! As I walked to my search area my student was coming the other way telling me she didn't pass. I was thinking, "I don't need to hear that before I go in!" I did have creeping thoughts we were not going to make it, and I kept telling myself she nailed that warm up box! I was having this internal battle, think POSITIVE, and the negative would seep in like mud from a landslide.
The interiors were in trailer classrooms that have ramps to the door, so when you enter the ramp to one door, you are next to the door to the second room. Divine pulled me twice to that door, she could already smell the odor! I walked her up the ramp to the door, unlatched her, and let her go in the room. As I walked it, I couldn't see. The room was dark, and when there is a dark room with windows, the glare from the windows is so strong, it blinds my eye. I have no vision in my right eye, not even light perception and my left eye has many floaters and light sensitivity. I simply couldn't see. I saw Divine fringing around and bouncing around. It was really hard for me to get a grasp of her flow of sourcing. It didn't look smooth to me. I was tense not being able to see and my stress and panic was fairly high.
I even told myself what to do if she fringed or wasn't clear, hook her back up to the leash and do the search on leash. If she fringes, take her to a different section of the room, but that all wint out and my brain froze, couldn't think of what to do.
Usually I will walk in a room and if I can't see, I tell myself it is ok, trust your dog, but for some reason this connection didn't happen. Divine ran to an area, stuck her head in and I called Alert. No. We were WAY off. It is so hard to get that NO the very first time. It can really ruin the mood for the whole day. The judge showed me where one hide was, and we went to the next room. There were two hides in this room we missed.
The next room there was only one hide. The pressure of getting a title was off. Half way in the room was a ribbon to mark the boundary of the search area. Divine went to the other side, in a sweet singing voice I said "DIVINE!" and she came tharumping back with glee, we went to another area of the search area and she went back over on the other side of the room going past the ribbon. I again, said in a sweet singing voice "DIVINE!" and she tharumped back to the search area, put on her breaks, put her head on a plastic container, I called Alert and YES!!!! She got it! YAY!!!!!The change from the negative talk to positive thinking had changed and our day was just fantastic for the rest of the searches.
When I returned to my truck, i told myself, i can't do what I did with Mickey, get so upset I ruin the rest of the searching day. I changed my mood and we did get better. I succeeded in not going into a spiral down and what am I doing at this trial. I saw a few others didn't title and harp on "what am I doing here?" I've been there, and it is not a good feeling at all. I changed my attitude and outlook at it made the rest of the day FUN.
Divine again puled me to the warm-up boxes and she knew where the next search area was because she started pulling in that direction. She was ready!
Containers, Divine did not get distracted on the detractors and they had grapes and muffins in two containers and Divine LOVES both of those! She nailed it and got the right container! Beautiful job.
Exteriors, she got the first one fairly fast, and the second one I accidentally was on the other side of the planters, and I had to stop her to allow her to come back, so I could walk around and let her search the area where the odor was, and ALERT! and we got it!
Vehicles I covered my first two vehicles and half way through the second one Divine darts off to the other one, I followed and bang, she found the odor, Alert! YES!!! What a great day. the first one made us look like we didn't know what we were doing and all the following searches Divine looked like a pro.
Right after my Interior, of course I dwelled on what happened and trying to figure out how to resolve this issue. I first thought that Divine and I really don't have the mileage. And maybe that is really cutting ourselves too quick. I do have problems with Divine fringing and I worried about that in the back of my head. And it happened. It is like I thought about it, it happened and once that was all over, everything happened fine. What we think is really influential. Worrying is something that never helps. itt takes away from focus and task and it doesn't help. I realize what I need more mileage of is working more on sourcing, which has always been an issue with Divine and I need to keep my head clear to problem solve. I have been in situations where I thought good on my feet during a search. This wasn't one of them. With my vision loss, what helps is practicing more. I do have to practice more than the average person to learn my dog better. I did this with Mickey and I can work him when I don't see him well. That extra work on this is what I mean I need more mileage with Divine. Divine and I need to put the mileage in to over come when I can't see. It is a handicap in the sport of Nose Work, but I have worked through it with Mickey, I can work through it with Divine. This interior search was a great set up to remind me what can happen and what I need to practice in. That is the beauty of not titling, you learn. I always learn more in a trial I haven't titled than the ones I do title.
I also have more confidence with Divine, that wrong thinking was that worry, creating a negative energy that is simply sabotaging myself. I didn't think it would affect Divine, but I think it did, even though I always thought she wouldn't be affected by my stress, I think she was because she did so well the rest of the day. She felt my "I can't see" panic. So she just gets silly. Her stress relief.
Even though i am experienced in an NW2 level trial, that doesn't mean it is a shoe in. I have been to the Mind Management seminars, and sport psychologist, but you really need to get your head in the right frame or you can screw it up! My last two trials I was in sync with Mickey. I thought compassion about him. With Divine, i did think about making it fun for her, but my mind as preoccupied. I also didn't think compassion for Divine. That worry kept leaking into my conscious thought. And yes, I know better, but you really need to set yourself up sooner to get yourself in the right frame of mind. Especially if your day started out bad, which mine did. I need to learn how to put that stress aside and not let it leak into my head. What would have helped and does with Mickey, I need to "fall in love" with Divine. When I "fall in love" with Mickey, the last two trials we have done were fantastic.
This is all a learning experience and each time I learn more and I become more seasoned. I did have surgery 1 1/2 weeks prior, I did have a lot on my mind, but it is when you get work through that and over come that, we become better handlers and better people because we learn to focus on what is right, not what our frantic brain wants. We are the best coaches for ourselves and I have to remember before any and every trial, my coach, me, needs to be there for me.
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