High Hides and the "Look up!" Cue

In scent work class this week, Jackie and I learned a new cue, "Look up!" Used when finding source that is hidden two feet, or higher, above the ground. In preparing for trials, measure on your body with a tape measure and mentally mark on your body two, three, four, and five feet.

Circus dog? Nope, just searching a high hide!

For example, if after measuring, your knee on your mental note is about two feet above the ground, while you're searching novice hides, you know that anything below your knee is in play, while anything above your knee is not in play.

If your remembered mental measure says your knee is two feet above the ground, your waist is three feet, your chest is four feet, and your neck is five feet, you'll know by that height on your person to search for in play hides at trials in novice (two feet and lower), advanced (three feet), excellent (four feet), and master (five feet), respectively.

If you walk up to an end table, for example, that is above your knee while doing a novice search, you know that tabletop is not in play. However if you walk past an end table that is below your waist while doing an advanced search, you know that tabletop is in play.

Yep, that's about four feet, so I'm prepared to tell Jackie "Look up!" if I see this object while doing an Excellent level trial search

By measuring and mentally marking where on your body two, three, four, and five feet are, then you easily know what is and is not in play during the search.

The "Look up!" cue tells the dog to search up over their head. Rather than pointing at everything in the search area, instead teach the "Look up!" cue so your dog learns to search high hides as well.

Jackie understanding the "Look up!" assignment!

To first teach the "Look up!" cue, have the dog walk past a series of small, adjustable-height hanging buckets set at about your dog's nose level. Point to the bucket and say "Look up!" then pay when the dog touches the bucket with their nose.

The second time walking past the row of hanging buckets, refrain from pointing and instead just say the verbal cue "Look up!" and mark then pay each time the dog touches the hanging bucket with their nose.

Practice the "Look up!" cue at home on very sturdy items. Hiding food treats on exterior window ledges of varying heights is a good way to practice the "Look up!" cue.

Jackie learning the "Look up!" cue: