Scent Practice

So yesterday my mom got home early to let the plumber in and since it was still daylight when he left she took me outside to practice sniffing - I mean "scent discrimination."  I'm taking a class at the Zoom Room and my mom decided that we needed to practice at home as well.  (Now I don't think I need to practice because I'm the only hound dog in class but I still LOVE to practice.)  So my mom cut up some hot dogs and we went out where the Chopper-Mobile is parked (that's what I call my mom's CR-V) to practice. 

She would put my leash on a pole and then put stuff in the boxes we got at the Zoom Room and then come and get me to "find it."  Now we had some problems.  First, the boxes came unfolded and my mom had to put them together.  Well she kind of screwed up figuring out the first one and it wouldn't stay closed.  She used it as the "decoy" box but it was not very effective when it kept popping open.  So then we didn't have a decoy box until she kind of just smashed it together.  Second, my mom did not set up my crate (even though it was in the Chopper-Mobile) and instead just put my leash over a pole, which meant as soon as she put those boxes down I thought it was time to do my stuff.  That is until the pole pulled back (I never liked those poles, sometimes she puts my leash on one to brush me and I have not figured out a way to get away from her when she does that).  Other than that it was fun fun fun. 

My mom tried to fool me by putting the boxes near garbage cans and around corners but I found them every time and gave her the proper alert, which is sitting next to the box (and only had to be reminded to sit a few times).  And I NEVER sat at the decoy box.  Also I sniffed a lot more than I do at class - I think my mom didn't put as much of the smelly stuff in the box so it was a little harder and I had to use my nose more - I'm not really sure. 

After that I was too tired to eat dinner right away and had to go take a nap inside - all that sniffing can sure wear a dog out.