Princess Prissy versus the Tomboy

When Cora was younger, I never knew which one was going to come out and play.  During training it was ok if Princess Prissy was out.  Not so good when we are on an actual task.  In the past, when we were at a cadaver search, I always brought out Finn first, because the Prissy vs Tomboy issue with Cora.  Even though, strictly speaking, Finn is cross trained for live and deceased and Cora is HRD only.

A couple of years ago I made the conscious decision to use Cora first on a mission in Charlotte, NC.  In this particular situation, we were surrounded by multiple news trucks and two news helicopters were hovering over head.  We (me and another canine handler), talked over how we wanted to attack the site.  Then we had to review it with representatives from the local LE and a couple of agents from the Justice Department.  And this was the time I decided it was Cora’s turn to go first.   No pressure!   The plan was for Cora and me to take the grounds with its accompanying construction site hazards:  equipment, debris, and pits dug for no reason that I could tell.  And the other dog team took the half built apartment complexes, with the idea the subject may have been buried and the murderer hoping to have the grave site covered in concrete.

I get Cora out, hoping and praying Tomboy is here and not Princess Prissy.  I break her (“hurry up”, her cue to pee), get her costume on (collar with the bells on it) and tell her to “go find”.  And boom, she’s off like a shot.    She’s ranging around, nose stuck to the ground.  I figure she’s getting her ya ya’s out and turn to say something to my walker.   I don’t think I get more than a couple of words out when my walker points to something over my shoulder.  I turn around, and there is Cora the TOMBOY, sitting, just barely, with her butt doing a wiggle dance and tail slapping the ground madly.  She opens her mouth to bark and I throw the ball to her to fill it.  I don’t want her barking to bring every single camera pointing at her and broadcasting that we found something until I figure out what she’s trying to tell me.

It turns out that what she found wasn’t what we were looking for.  She marked the area where 3 weeks previously a homeless man had been attacked and bled out.  From that point on I trusted her, and her confidence in herself because I believed in her skyrocketed.

So over the past couple of years I saw Princess Prissy less and less and Tomboy became the norm. 

Until this weekend.

I also do hunt test competition with my dogs.  It is a great way for the dogs to have fun and I don’t have to be in charge of training. So I get up at 5 AM on Sunday morning to be able to leave for field training by 6AM, since we have to on the field early to beat the heat.  I work her son, Deacon, first.  He’s a monster in the field and he had a great time picking up the bumpers.  Go to get Cora out of the truck, warm her up and then walk to the line to send her for a bird. 

“whaaa???? You want ME to RUN across thistle, and briar's and cut cedars to pick up a stinkin’ bumper??  I believe you didn’t talk that over with me, Princess Prissy, ruler of all things prissy.

“Talk to the paw.”

I had to handle her to on a stinking single.  Arrrghhh!  I made her do it and then do it again.  And then a blind through the same crap. She looked like haven’t trained her in a year. Then we had the walk of shame back to the truck.  I should say, I had the walk of shame.  Cora could have cared less.

That evening, I took her out to do some HRD (cadaver) work.  I had the problem set up from the evening before, so the area was saturated with scent and made for a little bit of difficulty.  But nothing she couldn’t handle, and has handled before.

Finn got to work first because he had been left at home a lot.  He did well.  Got Cora dressed in her costume, a pretty collar with Buddhist prayer bells that tinkle with a pleasing sound.  Got her to “hurry up” and then sent her to work.

She promptly peed near the source to show her displeasure (at what, only she knows), so back into the truck she went.

Princess Prissy showed herself to remind me that Cora does not like being second fiddle to anyone or anything.

I planned her next training with Princess Prissy in mind, to remind her that even though PP doesn’t like to work in tough terrain, that makes no never mind to me, Head Alpha Bitch, ruler of ALL THINGS DOG.

So I set up her problems is a field of this:

And then made Princess Prissy work through it all:

And she was perfect, even if she did dance the dance of sissy feet through this ground cover:

Even better, on our search today in Giles County near Blacksburg VA, in the rain and the acres of impassable thickets of mountain laurel, she did her work well and with enthusiasm.  While I shivered in the rain and thanked which ever deity in charge of dogs for giving me back my Tomboy.