Scent worthy: Teddy shows off his nose work (Video)

 

Teddy was our first Bernese Mountain Dog. He’s a pet, not a show dog … but he sure has shown me a thing or two. And the video above shows it.

Fun and games to start

It started when Teddy was a young pup. We played hiding games in the basement with his toys. I’d show him a toy, hide it and say “find it.” He found his toy and brought it to me every time.

Just for fun, I hid a toy without showing it to him first. He found it! Hmmmm. How did he know? I wondered if my recent scent was what he was looking for all along. After all, dogs have the gift of a superior nose

Testing a theory pays off

To find the answer, I picked up a washcloth, rubbed it in my hands, walked into my office and tucked it under my desk. I went back to Teddy who was in a sit/stay in the basement playroom.

“Find it,” I said. Sure enough, within seconds, he emerged from my office with the washcloth in his mouth. He earned big praise and a jackpot of treats. This was an epiphany. Teddy was showing off his magnificent nose skills. He was doing it all along, and I just didn’t know.

‘Find it’ turned out to be a real skill

We started playing our “find it” game outside, and Teddy continues to succeed. The accompanying video demonstrates just that.

Now I’m really looking forward to taking nose work classes at our obedience club. Teddy already has the nose … now his tracking skills just need to be refined.

Sometimes, a dog will surprise you with his instinct.

Enjoy the video!