Star Tracker Found

Met up with Jean and Joyce for tracking this past Wednesday in Mt Dora. We had another lady with a Schnauzer join us. I laid her track, while Joyce laid one for Blueberry and her dog, Henry. Jean went down the hill to lay one for Ziggy, Joyce's Golden with a TD, as he is getting ready for TDX and she wanted it to age for about 1 1/2 hours. After running the three tracks at the top of the hill, we drove to the bottom. I laid a track for Joyce's third Golden and she laid Chauncey's track. I did not use any articles this time, as we are alternating articles and time. Joyce ran her dog, which was pretty quick as he is just starting. She then ran Ziggy's track next so Chauncey's could age a little longer. Ziggy ran his track nicely and Jean had made it a tough one, with 9 turns and about 700 yds long. I then started Chacuney on her track. Chauncey started out strong on her track and made the first two turns just fine. I went slow with her this time and any time she varied from the track I made myself stop and wait for her to get back on the track. When we got to the third turn, Chauncey started circling to locate the last leg, I could not see the marker so was waiting for her to indicate the leg. After several circles she started strongly to the left, I was immediately called back and had Chauncey look again. She then started straight forward, which was another wrong decision. I backed up and rescented her with the sock from the start. She went in a couple circles and then just started eating grass. I knew then that she had quit and decided that she couldn't find the track. Joyce told me which way it went and I started walking a couple steps in the corect direction while telling Chauncey to "Find it" and she picked up the scent and went back to work again. She finished the leg nicely and found the glove. It started out good but Chauncey was off. I'm not sure what to do now. I am going to keep tracking with her and try some different ideas to see if I can get her more reliable on the tracks. I am starting to know when she shuts off on me, but am not sure how to stop that.





When Jean got back from laying Ziggy's track, we watched the Schnauzer run her track and then it was Blueberry's turn. I asked Joyce to lay longer legs for this track and give Blueberry more space to track as she did so well her last time out. Blueberry's track had aged about 20 minutes by the time we got started and she was ready to go. She started out great and I really had to hold her back and make her settle in. Blueberry was trying to run the track and bobbing back and forth for the first 50 yds. Once she settled in, she was steady and nose to the ground from the start. She nailed her first turn and straight down the second leg (110yds) for a straight run to the second turn. Blueberry didn't even hesitate at the second turn, which was right in line with a bushy area and an acute angle, she started following the tree line which curved. I knew Joyce would not have laid the track as a curve and after a couple yards I backed up to let her pick up the correct path. She picked it up and sailed home to the glove, but she did have to stop and look at Joyce and Jean, who were talking on the first leg of the track. Blueberry really surprised Jean, who has not seen her track in a while. She was impressed and said that I should start pushing her more. Needless to say, I am very proud of my little girl and we will see how it goes from here.