NW3 Reflections: Annapolis, MD
Buddy and I just wrapped up our third NW3 attempt this year. No big NW3 title, but we came home with our NW3-C and a few training goals :)
In NW3, there are six separate searches throughout the day. One of each of the four elements: containers, vehicles, interior, and exterior. Two of the elements will have two searches — in this trial, we had two container searches and two interior searches.
In each search, there will be a range of 0-3 hides. The handler does not know how many hides are in each search, and outside of the judge confirming yes/no when the handler calls alert, you don’t receive feedback on any of your searches until the end of the trial. It’s a big mental challenge for the handler to keep your head on straight all day, not knowing how you’re doing.
Some noteworthy antecedents to this trial: handler health was not great. I was sick for most of the week and felt I was over the hump around Thursday, where my symptoms were gone but there was still some congestion clearing. I was still not feeling 100% on trial day, and paired with the mental/physical fatigue of being sick all week, I made come critical handler errors.
Our theme of the day today was pooling odor! I’m learning a ton in this level about more detailed behavior changes, and paying close attention to the search area and conditions that could be affecting the hide.
Some good (and cute) advice that my instructor gave at the start of our NW3 journey was to let Buddy be the salesman. He has great odor obedience, loves problem solving, and is clear in his alerts. Read his changes of behavior and let him sell you on each hide. Now, in staging, I tell Buddy what a great salesman he is. I picture him going door-to-door in a little suit with a little briefcase. LOL.
Here are some thoughts from out searches yesterday. I tried to connect what I was thinking in the moment with what I am thinking now after being able to rewatch our searches a few times.
Search #1: Containers — 2 hides, no distractions
I was happy with our performance here, and the judge was, too, as we earned Pronounced! Buddy was in optimal arousal right from the start line and was methodical in his searching, which earned us that lovely ‘P’. A great way to start our trial day!
Judge’s comments:
‘Great job’
+ Pronounced!
Search #2: Vehicles — 1 hide
Vehicles are quickly becoming my favorite trial element. I loved Buddy pulling right into a wrap of the first vehicle from the start line. The wind was coming toward us at the start line, and the hide was blowing through both of the other cars. He quickly takes us to the white productive car and is clear in his alert on the front license plate. Good boy!
We get caught up in an odor pool on the truck from the hide blowing in that direction. I was quick to call a false alert on the truck step, and looking back I think if I had given him a second there, he would have dismissed and moved on his own. Handler Error #1 of the day.
Watching the video back a few times now, it’s clear that there’s nothing once he wraps that first vehicle. He finds the license plate hide within 30 seconds of the search starting, and then does not find anything else for another 1.5 minutes. He pulls out of the search a few different times - another clear indicator that he’s done. Easier to see after the fact than in the moment :) BUT, also becoming easier to spot in the moment.
Buddy humors me and checks everything a million times and after I call finish, I am confident that there’s only 1 hide.
Judge’s comments:
‘K9 displayed nice focus on task. K9 found hide very quickly with strong alert. K9 has nice, detailed style of hunting. Very nice team.’
Search #3: Exteriors — 3 hides, we found 2
I’m happy AGAIN with the zing & pep coming off of the start line. Buddy pushes up toward the front of the search area but gets distracted briefly by someone walking by. He is not in search brain here and I mistakenly forget this area even exists once we leave here and do not bring him back to re-cover our area. Handler Error #2 of the day, as the hide we missed was under the yellow garbage can.
Buddy sources the first hide under the picnic table under 30 seconds again, and he solves the problem quickly after his distracted moment. I’m happy with the bounce back into work!
I can tell Buddy is in odor again with his head pops on the back tables, and then he confirms by quickly sourcing hide #2 on the chair. He finds this hide within 20 seconds of being sent off from the second hide. More proof for me that he knows his job and will source the hide if it’s there.
In the moment, I am thinking that all of his interest in the vehicles was diffuse odor from the chair hide. Now, after watching my videos back, I think that trash can hide, which we missed, is pulling out toward the heat of the sun. Maybe some convergence with the chair hide that’s collecting on the vehicles. Again, had Mom gotten us back into that front right section of the search area, I’m confident we would have gotten that hide.
I call finish (confidently at the time!) as I see him shake off when really, he has not shaken the entire search and really just needed a reset… we still had ~25 seconds!!! I am still very happy with Buddy’s work here.
Judge’s comments:
‘Good teamwork’
Search #4: Containers — 2 hides
We go directly from our Exterior search to the second Containers search with no break. We’ve been stamina building! We have not, however, trained with ORT boxes in a while. They’re more of a hassle for me to cart around and I’ve been lazy with just bringing tool boxes.
Buddy has always used feet on containers, which I’ve also known and been lazy with since it has yet to cost us. It cost us today :)
I am happy with how Buddy is taking to his patterns of containers. I contribute this to A LOT of circular-style setups in training. I am also happy with his … enthusiasm! We’ve been on a distraction kick, and so ‘choosing odor’ is what I’ve been prioritizing. We’ll work on the feet this winter.
Judge’s comments:
‘K9 has very nice search style. Checked every box. Work on box touching :)’
Search #5: Interior Bunk Room — 2 hides
It’s just amazing to me the ease in which Buddy moves through pressure now compared to even this time last year. Not to mention when I met him in 2020 or brought him home in 2021! Look at the cramped start line. No problem for this guy.
Again, I’m really happy with the enthusiasm here, in search #5, toward the end of a long trial day. He immediately takes us toward the back of the cabin and I can tell he is in odor, so at least 1 hide. There is more directionality toward the left hand side and he is air scenting over the top of those bunks. A little sweep of the room brings him back for a clear alert on the cabinet in just under 1 minute. Good boy!
Quick stress release after the first hide and then LOOK AT BUDDY moving into human pressure and investigate the judge. Nosework is so magical. He sources the second hide on the shelf nicely in under 30 seconds. I think the jump on the bed is my first clue that we’re done in this room.
I had warned myself about pooling odor in that back area of the cabin after watching the virtual walkthrough, and noticing the exit door right there. In the moment… I forgot that even existed. I see odor behavior back there and my handler brain sees the chair and the fire extinguisher, AND thinks ‘shouldn’t there be a 3-hide search?’ — uh, you missed a hide in the Exterior.
BUDDY IS A GOOD SALESMAN. A great one, really. He tells me so clearly there’s nothing AND I have my watch go off before she calls time. CALL FINISH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!
Handler Error #3 :)
Judge’s comments:
‘Handler used nice, loose lead, conducive for allowing K9 to work independently through the area. K9 located inaccessible odor in cabinet with nice, clear alert. Handler & K9 cleared area well.’
Search #6: Interior Bunk & Storage Room — 1 hide
This was another back-to-back search from the first interior — I am really happy with Buddy’s stamina all day. He takes us to the back of the cabin first and I don’t see much ‘odor’ behavior. It all just seems like curious sniffing.
He comes back toward the front of the cabin and shows interest in the bunk on the right and the corner of the wall/whiteboard. He quickly moves into the storage room and I make the conscious choice to move in with him from an exercise in class and watching a search over the summer where handlers that did not support their dog in the tighter space missed the hide. I’m happy I made this choice because I think with his arousal rising and his tired-brain, he may have just done a quick loop in there and come back out — and I may have talked him into the whiteboard.
His alert is very clear on the storage shelf and then he moves back out into the bunk room. Again, no changes of behavior. He bites at my glove at one point - he’s being goofy which is an indicator that we’re done. I ask him to recover the front area again and then learned from the last interior to CALL FINISH if he doesn’t sell me.
Also, again with the human pressure. I’m done for.
Judge’s comments:
‘Viktor did a great job sourcing hide’
What a fun trial day with my shark. I am so excited for our 2026 trial adventures! Good boy, Buddy!
