Cold Day
I met up with Joyce and Jean today for a tracking lesson. We went to the usual fields that we track in, but they were spraying them with something. We made a quick decision and went down the rode a few miles to another field. Not as nice and a lot steaper to lay the tracks in. I laid a track for Joyce and her dog Henry, while she laid a track for her other dog Ziggy. Ziggy passed his tracking dog test on November 27th and now has the TD title. Joyce is no working on his TDX title. While we did these tracks, Jean went down the road and laid Chauncey's track for me.
I laid Henry's track down the side of the hill (good exercise) and as it was in the low '50s, I could barley breathe by the time I got back up the hill. Henry's track was 80yds, a right turn, and then another 80yds, with the glove at the end. Joyce ran Henry on his track and he did very well, nailed the turn great and went right for the glove. He is still learning to steady on the track, but then he is young and still a beginner.
Joyce then ran Ziggy on his track, which was a straight 80yds and then a left turn for about 30 yds. Joyce laid several articles on his track and worked on having him sit when the articles are found. Jean told her to vary the tracks she lays for Ziggy. Sometimes they will be aged (time between laying them and running them), and sometimes they should have articles and work on indicating them.
Joyce then ran a straight beginners track for her 3rd dog, Garrett, which he did pretty well.
Jean had returned in time to see Joyce do Ziggy's and Garrett's track. Once done there we went up the road to the field where Chauncey's track was.
I got Chauncey harnessed and started her track. She did the first leg correctly and then immediately turned left at the 1st turn. Jean said "no" as soon as I started following, so I backed up and Chauncey came back to follow the correct turn to the right. Chauncey did the track and worked the whole time, but she was tending to want to check the whole area out and take me off course. We did not have any articles on the track itself (just the sock and glove) and Chauncey did not have need to stay on course. Jean wants us to vary our tracks also, sometimes have aextra articles and sometimes don't have them. We also need to get her out more and practice. I plan to take her out again this weekend and we have another lesson next Wednesday.
I laid Henry's track down the side of the hill (good exercise) and as it was in the low '50s, I could barley breathe by the time I got back up the hill. Henry's track was 80yds, a right turn, and then another 80yds, with the glove at the end. Joyce ran Henry on his track and he did very well, nailed the turn great and went right for the glove. He is still learning to steady on the track, but then he is young and still a beginner.
Joyce then ran Ziggy on his track, which was a straight 80yds and then a left turn for about 30 yds. Joyce laid several articles on his track and worked on having him sit when the articles are found. Jean told her to vary the tracks she lays for Ziggy. Sometimes they will be aged (time between laying them and running them), and sometimes they should have articles and work on indicating them.
Joyce then ran a straight beginners track for her 3rd dog, Garrett, which he did pretty well.
Jean had returned in time to see Joyce do Ziggy's and Garrett's track. Once done there we went up the road to the field where Chauncey's track was.
I got Chauncey harnessed and started her track. She did the first leg correctly and then immediately turned left at the 1st turn. Jean said "no" as soon as I started following, so I backed up and Chauncey came back to follow the correct turn to the right. Chauncey did the track and worked the whole time, but she was tending to want to check the whole area out and take me off course. We did not have any articles on the track itself (just the sock and glove) and Chauncey did not have need to stay on course. Jean wants us to vary our tracks also, sometimes have aextra articles and sometimes don't have them. We also need to get her out more and practice. I plan to take her out again this weekend and we have another lesson next Wednesday.
posted by Kim at 8:33 PM
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