Jolene Stars in a Walt Disney Movie

Last Thursday morning, we left for Texas as four bald eagles were circling high above the farm. I’ve never seen so many here. It’s April, and the pond is drying up. We have daily red flag warnings and fires. But also eagles. By the time we crossed into New Mexico, the vultures were circling, so hauntingly beautiful. As soon as we left the freeway, roadrunners zoomed across the road, as cartoonish as ever. Birds always seem like good omens.

We stopped for gas and Mister re-introduced Jolene to his favorite sniffy walks. The signs for pet relief welcome dogs to the best food wrappers, broken liquor bottles, and cigarette butts, all sprinkled with exotic varieties of dog urine. 

We’re headed to Jolene’s family reunion. It’s been exactly a year since Mister and I made this drive to meet tiny Jolene. A lot has happened since then, but Mister still doesn’t like groups of people or dogs. He doesn’t want to be left out and doesn’t want to be included. A lot of folks feel that way about family.

We arrived late after fighting construction traffic all day. Fourteen brief hours after that, we were at a nosework trial with Sandy. Everyone was so friendly, encouraging, and I was not the only horsewoman.

Jolene’s parents were there, along with a sister and a half-sister. Just a precursor to the real reunion. Jolene came to work, and Mister came to worry. All I had to do was get us to the start line and have fun.

My strategy is: the lower the expectations, the better. I always tell my horse clients at their first show, don’t think about National Velvet or any of those stupid Walt Disney movies that make you cry. Just stick with your horse because the unexpected will always happen. Chaos is dependable. Just dance with the one who brung ya. It’s a loyalty test, more than a competition.

We were ready to start, and I felt forty years younger. The first time I heard someone say that, she was the age I am now, and I was thirty. It took this long for me to understand what she meant. 

There are four searches each day. Our first search was an interior. A volunteer led us to the doorway of a small room. The judge and timer were there. I gave them my number and then leaned in close for my instructions. It was the first time wearing a hearing impaired button on my lapel. It should help at this moment. The judge leaned forward to look. I told her I was hearing impaired; she said her vision wasn’t that great. Being women of a certain age, we both chuckled. Jolene found the hide in sixteen seconds. Respectable. 

Then we marched to the second element, which was an exterior hide. Lots of tables and overturned chairs. The area looked like the aftermath of a polite bar fight. I gave the judge my number, and she looked down at Jolene and then back at me. She said we didn’t know you were coming. I had no idea what she meant. She said she read my blog. Had for years, and she had a blog, too. A bit off balance, I thanked her. It was flattering. I get recognized in public sometimes, but I didn’t expect it here. She said lots of dog people read my blog. I said because of Turid Rugaas, right? (The dog trainer who wrote about calming signals.) Yes, she said, and I thanked her again. Jolene marched in and found the hide in less than six seconds. My girl likes this game.

I let Jolene strut out in front of me, walking between elements. She leads with a tiny prance. The third element was identical containers. We worked as a team.

The last element of the day was a vehicle search. The scent was hidden in the front area of one of three cars parked side-by-side. Jolene gave me what I thought was a mixed signal. I took a guess and was wrong. Entirely my fault. At the novice level, they give you a mulligan. I breathed, and Jolene tried again. She was definite this time, at forty-five seconds. We had a hiccup, but still qualified in all four elements. Wow! 

When I got back to Sandy, I learned the whole family had done well. I told her about being recognized, feeling a little proud. Nope, Sandy said. It wasn’t you the judge recognized. It took a beat to register that, while Sandy laughed for an uncomfortably long time. She was right. My dog was more famous than me. It was Jolene, with her name on her harness, certainly more recognizable than someone who types. But who wouldn’t be proud to hold Jolene’s leash? We were flat-tired, but we got ribbons for placing in this group of thirty novice dogs. Ribbons, just like at horse shows.

Sometimes people want horse advice from me. Here goes, with my usual flair for bluntness: if you are pouting because your horse has retired or perhaps you’ve already said goodbye to your last horse. Maybe you have aged out of horses, or your bank account has. Well, I get it. I thought I’d ride forever, too.

But you aren’t dead yet, and there are still things to learn. There is probably a dog at your feet who has been waiting his turn for a long time. If not, go get one. Any age or sex. Any breed or combination. Then get out there and make a fool of yourself, in honor of your best horse. In case it isn’t obvious, that’s what I’m doing.

Part of what’s challenging about scent work are all the challenges in between the elements. The general environment was intimidating at first. We were in a closed water park with loud traffic noise. There was a bustle of activity, golf carts, and so many dogs. Some dogs were big and barky, Jolene wants you to know. She decided it would be best to hold her poop for the entire day just to be safe.

Day two, new searches, and the judges changed elements. We were more relaxed, but we got in line too early. Sometimes Jolene’s anxiety would rise. Other times she was bored. I worried she wouldn’t search. Finally, we were called. I looked at my girl. She sat. Are you ready, I asked. She barked right at me.

The first element was the interior. Jolene found the hide quickly. We went to the second, the exterior, and Jolene gave a sign I wasn’t sure about. I asked her to show me, meaning get precise. She was patient; she knows I can’t smell a thing. Then, on to the container search. We were in sync, clocked at less than six seconds.

Finally, to the vehicle search. I had to wipe my mind clear of the day before. We crossed the start line and Jolene signaled quickly. I said alert, not as a question, but with Jolene’s bold confidence. The judge said yes. We were under ten seconds.

These four Qs meant Jolene would get her Novice Nosework title. We’d done it. I flashed back to the first time my Grandfather Horse was called out for placement in a class. We got third, the yellow ribbon, but it was golden to us. There are days I wish I were still back with him.

Then the judge stood and stepped toward us. She had a Judges’ Choice medallion in her hands. I had seen one the day before. It’s a discretionary award the judge can give to honor a dog or team for a standout quality. “Something special” the judge noticed about their teamwork, attitude, or potential, even if the team didn’t place first. 

I could feel my face contort and burn as she put it over my head. She told me not to cry because then she’d cry. I don’t know what I said, but I was probably ridiculous as I tried to thank her. This time, I knew it was for Jolene, who was checking the sky behind us for birds.   

I was still wearing the medallion when we got home. Mister said it was like a Walt Disney movie. Now I’m eleven because wasn’t that always the dream for girls like us?   

To be continued…

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