Komu's search for Lion

Komu didn't find Lion today.  We searched from 10 to 1, with ideal weather conditions.  The conditions in the neighborhood were not ideal.  We didn't receive permission from about 25% of the neighbors, and some of the areas we were allowed to search had tall grass, blackberries, or broken glass and garbage.  Komu worked very hard, checking everywhere I asked.  He found a white cat sitting in a window, visually, not by scent.  I saw another white cat run off before he got close.  I also found a black cat under a mobile home, where Komu did not have access.  We did not find any signs of a struggle, although that may have been hard to find in the tall grass.

Komu was bitten by a Husky, which was my fault.  We thought we had permission to search the yard.  The Husky was tied up.  He  didn't bark, and he wagged his tail in a friendly manner when Komu approached.  As soon as Komu got close enough, the Husky nipped him on the snout.  I checked Komu for injuries, and coldn't see any.  A few hours after we got home, his right eye was swollen, although he didn't seem to mind.  He played with Kelsy and zoomed around the house in spite of the hard day's work and the swollen eye.

Komu's story, chapter One.

In late May of 2011, Jessica, a volunteer for MPP, was contacted by some acquaintances about a dog chained in a yard in Lakewood, WA.  The puppy cried and whined all day, right outside the windows of the office where these people worked.  They would feed him and give him water because the owners would not.  He was on a chain, and he always got the chain wrapped around the base of the shrubs, leaving him bent to the ground, trapped.  Jessica asked if there was anything MPP could do, so I went to investigate. The picture below is difficult for me to look at, knowing someone did that to my Komu.

 He was six months old.  I think they called him Puppy or something like that.  I knocked on the door and said I noticed their dog was whining and that his chain was caught on a tree trunk, and could I help?  They said they needed to get rid of him because they had one baby and twins on the way.  They wanted $100 for him.  I had $75 in my pocket.  They said they would think about it and I gave them my card.  I don't know why I didn't just run to the ATM at that moment.  I guess I wasn't thinking.  Jessica called back later and said she was with MPP, and could she buy the puppy now?  They said the dog had been sold.  Vashti, with Saving Great Animals, found their Craigslist ad.  She called the owners and did not identify herself as belonging to any organization.  She just said she saw the ad and wanted to buy him for $100.  She met them at Wapato Park, while I watched from a distance.  Once Komu was safely purchased and the former owners were gone, he sat in my lap at the base of a tree.  He was good and kind, and of course I fell in love with him immediately.

I did not want another dog, having three already.  I had recently learned that Tess had cancer, which, besides being the worst possible news, was putting me thousands of dollars in debt.  I took Komu to the vet to get him checked out.  Jessica met me there, and then we went to Petsmart to get him a new harness and a name tag.  Jessica did not want to take him home either, but she turned out to be a bigger sucker than me.  When we went to the engraving machine to put a name on his tag, we tried a couple of names, and then she picked Mocha.  Then I asked, "What phone number should we put on the tag?"  She said, "You'd better put mine on it."  Jessica succumbed to his puppy dog eyes.

Because of his separation anxiety, and because of Jessica's work schedule, he didn't work out there.  She gave him his current name, Wakomu, which means Family in Chippewa. She loved him and took good care of him, but his days alone led to destruction.  After a couple of months at Jessica's house, we decided I would give him a try.  He was very trying.  Although he had been housebroken at Jessica's, he had troubles at our house.  He chewed on everything.  He was a maniac, even if he was cute and lovable.  I had to keep him on a leash in the house just so I could keep tabs on him and keep him from destroying something.  Of course, none of that was his fault.  How would he know how to behave if he had been chained to a tree for the first six months of life?  Kelsy was especially unhappy with having this puppy around.  She felt betrayed.  He was always near me, by necessity, and Kelsy was forced away.  She had always been the one by my side, constantly, since she was a puppy, and now a new puppy was demanding all of my attention.  Tess was in the last few months of her life, and I wanted to spend more time with her, but Komu's constant demands interfered with that.  We had many good moments, especially when we went to the park, but life with Komu was generally not peaceful or pleasant for the first few months.

He turned a year old in late December, and in January of 2012 we started training him for cat detection.  From the start, he was very good at this.  However much he was a problem at home, he excelled at cat detection like he was born for it.  He followed directions well during training.  He was enthusiastic without being difficult to manage.  He was excited to find the kitties, but not at all aggressive toward them.  Other than chasing a ball or harassing Kelsy, finding kitties is what he does best.  Komu became much more manageable at home, too.  I can't help but think that having a meaningful job helped him mature, although simply growing older helped, too, I'm sure.  He transformed from a large, awkward, clumsy puppy to an athletic and confident dog.  He still has his puppy moments, but he is generally reliable and sturdy these days.

His first attempt at certification was the first time in six months that he failed to find the cat.  I chalk it up to a fluke of air flow and weather conditions.  He has been on three searches for lost cats so far.  On his first search, he found two cats, although not the cat we were seeking.  On his next two searches, he found the remains of one cat and piece of the hide of the other.  He passed his final exam on the second attempt.  Komu plays with Kelsy a little more gently these days, and she often seeks him out for play.  Wakomu is Family, now, besides being a great search dog.  I can't imagine life without him.  I have invested lots of love and training in him, but this has only brought out the goodness he had from the very start.  He now sleeps in the bed, next to Kelsy and me.  He is loved by many, and he has important work that he does well.  He is everything a dog should be, and he has come a long way from those days chained to the tree.

Certified!

At Bicentennial Park in Tukwila, on June 24th, Komu passed his certification exam for Cat Detection.  We went to Grandview Park afterward to celebrate, where the above photo was taken.  Komu whined, and he changed his gait and posture, when he located Cheeto in a bush.  Cheeto was close to one edge of the bush, but Komu came around from the far side and through the bush because of the wind.  The wind would go calm at times, and then a breeze would roll through.  You could see it move through the maple trees and stir the flag.  Two minutes of breeze and then calm.  It was a bit warmer and drier than ideal, but Komu found the kitty.  I was hoping for a bit more enthusiasm at the find, but he might be a little tired of finding Cheeto.  Komu didn't know this was his big test. 

Training at Mirror Lake

Komu found Myron in practice this evening.  He slowed up well short of the carrier, and whined at it from about three feet away.  Since he got bopped by a cat, he has been keeping his distance.  He signaled on the decomp tissue as well.  If Komu performs on his certification test as he did today, he should have no trouble.  The conditions were warmer and drier than ideal, with light winds that started and stopped.  If the conditions are like this during the certification exam, I might give him a short break during the lull in the wind, and then start him again when the breeze picks up again.

Komu's Search for Mawo

Komu searched for a 15 pound, neutered cat missing five days.  A few days ago, a neighbor's black and white cat also went missing.  Most of the search took place in the woods on the slope behind the houses.  This consisted of a uniform carpet of ivy, plus thickets of blackberry that hindered our movements.  Komu found a patch of fur that included the cat's skin, about the size of a dime.  Because it was black fur, and two black cats were missing, I couldn't say which cat the fur belonged to without laboratory testing.  The fur we found was small enough that the cat could well have survived.  We searched the yards of eight homes, plus about three or four acres of woods.  Portions of the wooded areas were too thick with blackberries to search thoroughly or effectively.  The cat's owner was advised that Mawo still had a better than 50% chance of being found alive since we didn't know whose fur we found. 

The conditions were a bit warm and dry for a search dog.  At times, there were light breezes, and other times the air was calm.  Toward the end, Komu showed signs he was getting a little too warm.  He does not heat up as fast as Kelsy, having a much thinner, lighter coat.  He performed well and went everywhere I asked.  I would never have found the evidence without him pointing it out to me. 

Komu's search for Steve

Sadly, Komu found the remains of Steve.  The evidence Komu pointed out to me was conclusive.  Although we did not find much, what we did find made it clear that Steve did not survive.  He was 17 years old, with health issues.  It appears he was taken by a bobcat, although it may have been a different predator.  Komu indicated evidence on the other side of a fence, behind a hedge, where it would have been very difficult to find, looking for black fur in deep shade on a gloomy day.  Komu did an excellent job.  I think he may have been a bit sad on the ride home, and I wonder if he understands what happened to Steve.  Komu is certainly much happier to find cats alive. 

The conditions were ideal for a search dog.

Komu's certification exam, first attempt.

Unexpectedly, Komu failed his certification exam today.  For at least five months, he has been finding cats left and right, giving me clear, unmistakeable signals that a deaf and blind person would have no trouble understanding.  Today, the day of his final exam, he walked past the hidden cat four times, within inches, and gave me no signal whatsoever.  Just before that, he alerted on an empty cat carrier because of the scent of the cat that had been there.  He might have been a little tired because of the muggy conditions, but he wasn't too tired to chase Kelsy around the field afterward.  Also, he performed the decomp detection and signal flawlessly after his failure to find the target cat.

I have been thinking about this all day, trying to learn a lesson from this failure.  It finally occurred to me that Komu may not have had any cat scent available to him to smell, even though he was within inches of the cat carrier.  This might be similar to the situation we had last week with Sage and Toby.  Toby was hidden in a carrier inside a garage, right by a pet door.  Sage, who can detect a cat from 100 feet away some times, had no idea the cat was there until she was directed to poke her nose into the opening.  I puffed the powder bottle by the opening, and the air was being pulled into the garage, vacuuming up any possible scent, leaving nothing for Sage to find.  Cheeto in his cat carrier may have been like Toby in the garage.  His carrier had evergreen branches piled on it for camouflage, and most of the carrier was tucked into the bush.  Suppose that Cheeto was acting like a little furnace, heating up his carrier.  It is possible that air was being pulled in the mesh opening and exhausted into the interior of the bush, eventually wafting out the top.  I wish I would have thought of puffing the powder bottle at the opening of Cheeto's carrier to see if air was being sucked in.   For future tests, I think the cat should be camouflaged in a bush so that air can still move around the carrier.  There may be some other explanation for what happened today, but I can't think of one. 

If it's true that no cat scent was available to Komu even though he was inches away, then we need to consider this scenario in the case of an actual search.  If the missing cat is hidden in a similar manner, how can we compensate for the unfavorable air flow?  I guess one thing we can do is to not assume there is no cat in a hiding place just because the dog didn't alert.  The dog's nose should be one tool, and we should do a redundant check by visually looking in the hiding place as best we can.  Another action I should be taking on cases is to puff the powder bottle by openings to crawlspaces and gaps under sheds to see if air is being sucked in.  

Training for decomp scent detection and signal

This video shows Komu performing the decomp alert perfectly, in preparation for tomorrow's certification test.

Training at Celebration Park in Federal Way

Komu found the decomp after passing it once. His signal was that he was excited about the find. Then he came and pushed on me and barked for his treats.

We went across the soccer field to the woods to search for Myron. I had Komu "Check this," and he did every time. Kat asked if I was sure there was no cat in one section and I told her I was sure. We continued down a trail, and Komu pulled me into a side trail. I could tell right away he was on to something. He worked with his nose down all around a tree. After circling the tree a couple times his nose came up in the air and he started to whine. He worked his nose around the scent cone and finally found the cat in the carrier hanging from a branch. He pushed on me and barked for his treat.

Practice Search in a Puyallup Neighborhood.

This search for two hidden cats took place in a quiet neighborhood in Puyallup.  We searched on five properties with large lots, around the foundations of the houses and through the landscape and around the sheds and outbuildings.  This practice search was an excellent recreation of the typical conditions of a typical search.  Komu, Sage, and Rita searched for BJ and Toby, the two cats hidden in separate carriers. 

Komu was the second dog to search, and when he found the location where BJ had been hidden the first time, he searched all over in the tall grass, convinced there was a cat in there.  Komu went past the first hidden cat one time, so I went around the building to approach from the downwind angle.  That approach was blocked by dense brush against the side of the garage, so we went back around to the other side again.  Komu ran right up to the carrier, seeming to keep his momentum from checking along the edge.  When he found the cat, he put his nose right up to the wire door and hesitated as he checked out the cat.  Then he got swatted.  I don't think BJ actually got a claw into him.  Komu cried like his feelings were hurt.  See the video here.

He got his cheese reward and continued searching for the second cat.  As we searched through the five yards, he was always alert and easy to manage.  I could direct him to sniff at any bush or bare patch of grass that I indicated.  He did stop to check out some feces obviously not related to the cat search, but he quickly moved on when prompted.  When we came to the second hidden cat carrier, he stayed well back.  You could see from his body language and his whining that he'd found something, but he wouldn't go closer when I asked him to show me the cat.  He definitely barked for his cheese reward, though, and there was no question he had found a cat.  I hope the next time he finds a cat, he doesn't get swatted at.  I don't want him to be too cautious.

An interesting note from Sage's practice run:  Toby was hidden in a garage, in a crate just inside the pet door.  On Sage's first pass, she had no clue Toby was there.  We raised the flap of the door, and on the second pass, she still showed no interest.  Kristina led Sage by two more times, and actually had to point into the opening to get Sage to smell the cat.  Once she found Toby, she gave a clear indication.  I checked the airflow with powder, and air was being sucked into the opening, making it imposibble for Sage to smell the cat without sticking her nose in.  The lesson is that when you see any openings a cat could get through, be sure to have your dog poke his nose in there.  Don't count on scent escaping through the opening.

Training at Steel Lake

Coyotes howled nearby when a firetruck siren wailed in the distance.  Komu stopped in the middle of his search and listened with great interest.

This evening search featured cool conditions with light and variable winds.  A light shower added humidity toward the end.  We searched on the south side of 312th around the historical building in order to simulate a typical residential search.  The decomp tissue jar was hidden where the dogs would find it before finding the cat.  Komu hit on the jar and did his push signal.  He worked right around the foundation of the house, accepting direction well.  He jumped right up onto a picnic table when asked to check up there.  Komu gave a nice whine when he found the cat.  He was the first dog to search, so he didn't have the opportunity to sniff at the previous hiding locations.  Komu was easy to read and easy to manage.  You can't leave him alone in a car for two seconds without him getting into trouble, but during searches, he is perfect.

Video of the tail end of the search.

Komu's First Search, for Pasha

Komu fell asleep in this position after his first real search.

Pasha is a young Balinese indoor-only cat who escaped a house in Algona. I had arranged to bring Karma, but found out at the last minute that she was not available because of a communication error. Komu is not certified yet, but he obviously knows how to find cats. I decided to take him and tell Pasha's owners there would be no charge for the search.

Komu was very anxious to work. A black cat and a white cat were in the owners' yard, although they moved off well before Komu reached them. He was pretty excited about the scent they left behind. We soon encountered a big dog and a little dog, and Komu behaved around both of them. The fourth yard we searched had a cat (not Pasha) sitting on a fence. Komu zeroed in on the scent, and the cat ran off when Komu looked up at him. Komu was very excited and got his cheese reward. He also pushed, harder than I would like.

  We worked our way around the block. Komu was always willing and never difficult.   At about the eighth yard we searched, Komu detected a cat on the other side of a fence. I didn't see the cat when I looked over the fence. To make sure there was no doubt about Komu's find, he jumped and pushed on the fence, hard. If it had been a little rotten, he would have knocked it down. An owner went to the other side of the fence and the brambles and saw that there was a cat in that yard, though not Pasha.

We continued searching about ten more yards. Then we went across Chicago Ave to the blueberry farm and searched. We found coyote scat, and before long we found a pack of coyotes. They had made themselves a home in the tall grass under the blueberry bushes. It had rooms and passages where they had flattened the grass. It was like a mansion with dozens of rooms. Komu was very excited about all the smells in there. Komu could wander through the coyote mansion easily, but I had to stoop or crawl, making the searching difficult and slow.

Although we did not find Pasha, Komu did find two cats and performed very well.  We Searched for a little over two hours, and Komu was ready and willing to keep searching.   

Training at Mirror Lake June 2nd.

Bonnie, Rita, Kristina, Sage, Dianna, Catsanova, Patricia, and Pete were here along with Komu and Kelsy.

Komu was the third dog to search, so there were two locations where Catsanova had been previously.  He went to the first location and checked it very thoroughly.  At the playground equipment, I went down the slide and Komu followed, not too gracefully.  At the second hiding place, Komu was convinced the cat was hidden in there somewhere.  At the third and current hiding spot of Catsanova, Komu caught the scent from about twenty feet away and zeroed in quickly.  He gave me a good whine, a little quiet at first.  When he barks to demand a reward, there's no doubt he found something.  Video here.