I recently reread one of my favorite books, "An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth" by Chris Hadfield. In this memoir, Chris outlines his journey to becoming Canada's first astronaut and what preparations are needed for NASA missions. I started thinking about nosework trials and ways we can be more prepared for unforeseen challenges.
The teams at NASA do something called "green card exercises," where the entire team talks through various disasters that COULD happen, then someone throws out another Really Bad Thing into the situation. The exercise is to think about the WORST things that might happen, and have a plan in place for that situation. Hopefully, they never need to implement the plan, but they are ready for just about anything imaginable.
Really Bad Things happen at nosework trials regularly. These are things that can upset a handler's mindset and focus, add stress to an already stressful trial, or maybe even ruin a handler's day (no one wants to sit in the car and cry!).
We've been having fun talking through some of the scenarios in class, brainstorming ideas for dealing with worst case scenarios.
What would you do if:
You missed the walk through or you can't access the videos, and you've never seen this search area before
There's a 15-minute delay while you are waiting at the last station
You arrive at the trial without your nosework harness/collar/leash
You arrive at the trial and realize you left all your treats at home
Something scares your dog as you are walking into your search
Something scares your dog during your search
You call ALERT, reach into your bait bag, and realize you left your treats in your car
The timer forgets your 30-second warning and calls that you have 10 seconds left
You realize after your dog has been searching in Elite/Master/Detective for a while that you forgot to start your self-timer
Your dog REALLY needs to pee or poop, but the steward is calling you in to the search
You get back from walking your dog and find out that your turn to search was two dogs ago.
Be OVER Prepared!
Keep a list of trial essentials on your phone. Check the list before you leave for the trial.
Make every effort to learn as much as possible about your searches. Try to watch your walk through videos, or attend your in-person walk throughs. I take notes as I'm watching the briefing videos the night before the trial.
Days or weeks before the trial, I check Google maps and look at the images of the location. What are likely exterior search areas? Is it lots of grass and gravel? Lots of concrete or asphalt? What does the parking lot look like? Where are the places to potty the dogs?
Attend the briefings and take notes. Before the trial, I have a page prepared, ready to fill in the blanks at the briefing. During the trial, I refer to my notes on search parameters (time, number/range of hides, special considerations for the search areas, etc) so I'm ready to step to the line. If possible, I watch my walkthrough videos again before the search.
Check your weather forecast, and be prepared for extremes (especially for Colorado trials). Rain gear, fans, water-proof shoes, sunscreen, hats, cold weather gear in the fall, winter, and spring - what needs to be on your trial checklist?
Practice your start line routine in training. If you perform your start line routine every time you train, it will become ingrained. It's also better for your dog to have a predictable routine at the start line. Don't NQ because you forgot to start your self-timer!
In training, sometimes run your dog in equipment that you don't normally use. If you forget your harness at home, you might have to run in a collar. Practice that! Forget your long line? Practice with someone else's leash.
What other tips do you have for being REALLY ready for a trial day?
