Intuition

This week we have a couple of discussions about intuition. When you are on a trail and your gut tells you the person made a turn or went down the trail to the left. 

Here is the thing about trailing and your intuition- it can take you the wrong direction fast! This actually goes for any detection work as well!

It cannot be about where you think someone may have gone.

It has to be about what your dog says.

Using your intuition with what your dog is telling you, now that is a different story. You are listening and trusting what your dog is saying and what you do comes from the dog. 

Example-

Your dog is trailing to a dead end. You think there is no way someone would go down there. You see a trail to the left- aha they must of gone there! You stop your dog and have them check. First ding! The dog says no. But, you think there is no other place for person to go- so you make them check it again- Next ding! On the third attempt your dog keeps going down the trail- you think - I knew I was right. DING DING DING!!!! You just took your dog off trail!

Now working with the dog-

Your dog is working down to a dead end. You think where would they go??? You watch your dog- everything about them says they are on. You continue to follow.  Your gut says they are on, you trust their body language, your intuition says trust your dog!!!! At the dead end, your dog begins to cast lifting their head towards one of the houses- you cast larger catching all the driveways. Here they are searching then catch a trail towards the house, ta da the person is sitting on the front porch.

Now these are pretty simple examples, and it may not really be intuition, but whatever you want to call it- you don't listen to your gut- you listen to your dog's and you work as a team.

The dog has the nose. All your training together has built the team. You trust your dog. Work with what they give you!

Next blind problem you do if you stop watching your dog and looking for answers yourself- STOP. Take a deep breathe, relax and get behind your dog.

Yes, you may help your dog if they need it. You are a team. You help them with clues your dog tells you- not with what you think.

It is a fine line, and it is hard not to do sometimes. You may have them check areas they do not on their own. But, not because you think it goes that way- because, the dog got you this far and now needs your help finding the next direction.

Now go find the trail!