River's "So Close" UTDX Attempt!!

A huge write-up on the Alberta Kennel Club's urban test has been sent to the CKC Tracking Chat group. Below is only the portion describing River's track. However, in synopsis, of 11 UTDs, there were only two passes all weekend. The two dogs were both Goldens owned by Barbara Loree. What a great weekend for her! Barbara wrote up the bulk of the information below for the chat list, and my editorial comments are added. I could not be more proud of River, who did the entire track in very hot weather and in a strange place - we have never tracked at the University of Calgary. We went one day, but ended up not tracking as it was too hot. I just followed her on a loose line like I always do. She was awesome and as always, I love her to pieces. The judge, JoAnne Mcleod, said at the luncheon that River demonstrated what an urban dog should look like, and she told me we were a joy to watch. These words mean a lot to me. I have cried a few times, but I am ok...and proud!

The pass rate for UTDX is around 10% so to come that close is very meaningful. We'll keep trying! She loves tracking and everyone encouraged me to keep it up with her after seeing her do this track, which also felt great.

Here is the write-up...it was written by Barbara Loree for the chat group, and I have added a few of my own comments:

UTDX May 16, 2010

Track #1 – German Shepherd (F) Lindau’s Uncharted Course TDX UTD JHD HCT – Donna Brinkworth
SO close… *This is Barbara’s write-up with my notes added. Thanks Barbara, great tracklaying! Even though we did not make the last turn, it was a very proud day for me and my 10year old girl.

This track started in a park-like setting in full sun on a warm day beside a main road. River didn’t’ commit right away to the track after investigating the scent pad area, she tracked right and left in a circle then committed after a few short minutes. (Donna says: whew). Once on track she tracked true on her first leg and made her first turn into a small pathway through some bushes. She actually turned one pathway past where the tracklayer had entered but she completely recovered by checking left coming out of her pathway and picked up her second leg heading over the road dead on track.

She was still exactly on track as she headed over a grass berm into a parking lot where a family of 3 bold bunnies where standing to greet her (me: damn bunnies – someone has to say this!).

After a few barks of frustration from River the bunnies left and she then tracked into the parking lot right and made a beautiful right hand MOT turn and tracked straight to her first article (wood). (Donna says: at this point, I watered her, and had a short tug o war when she playfully grabbed my tracking bag, yeesh! She was in a very funny mood, she is a quirky dog, however her jovial mood made me feel very good about things).

She restarted well and headed for a shade tree (which was just past the 3rd turn). She enjoyed the shade and casted right and left and investigated a parked van before committing to the track which went over a road onto a sidewalk and heading for a small building. Before making the next turn past the small building she cast and investigated behind the building to the right then recovered quickly and tracked beside the building. She made her right hand turn on grass passed the building exactly on track. (Donna says: when River came to a set of wood stairs going up to the door of this metal building, she sniffed underneath, then went up one or two and sniffed – and at this point I was pretty sure the track passed along the front of the building so went with her).

The team tracked over another road onto a sidewalk where River was immediately pulled right of the sidewalk to a plastic cup lid (not an article). (Donna says: I knew it wasn’t, but I had this giddy moment where I was going to pick it up and happily wave back to JoAnne, but didn’t…) River continued to pull right of the track and went by her 2nd article that was on grass on the left hand side of the sidewalk (Donna says: at this point, that plastic lid did not seem so funny anymore…).

Here is her map. The B means "bunnies." Orange shows where she was off track slightly but she always came back...but at the end she got too far and it was a busy road to cross...

She indicated loss of scent then ventured further left towards the parking lot but all the time she was circling back towards the track. She searched the road and headed back towards the grass coming closer and closer to the article they had missed when all of a sudden her head snapped left and she committed to back tracking into the scent of her 2nd article (plastic) (PHEW). (Donna says: PHEW. Also, when I waved back, how nice it was to see everyone’s beaming faces. This is one of my very best memories of the whole track…)

Once back on track she checked the right side of the sidewalk a few times and the roadway once then committed to the sidewalk and tracked a beautiful long leg in front of a building passing by the main entrance. The team was right on track staying on the sidewalk as they approached a main road when she immediately committed hard across the road passing the final turn. (which was a left turn on the sidewalk onto grass before that road) She casted right and left on the other side of the road and unfortunately committed going right and heard the whistle. Once they were put back on track on the sidewalk, she easily made the turn and tracked the final 50 m of grass to her final leather article. SO CLOSE!

Donna says: SHUCK! (sorry, this is an in-joke from the test)

I’ll add here, that I am so proud of my girl too. I have had a few little cries, but want to share something here. Today I went back to work. I told one co-worker about my track and drew the fateful “missed turn” to explain it. He is a VERY experienced SAR person and understands this. He congratulated me for simply trusting my dog, and that is how I tracked the entire way, just following River.

But then, another co-worker came by to ask about my weekend. Again, I waxed on about the test. When I was done, I said “how was your weekend?” She told me her mother was in intensive care and they were worried they were going to lose her. When she left my office, I threw away my little sketch of that last turn. She is a friend so I know she didn’t mind hearing me out.

However, this is a good reminder to me about how lucky we are to enjoy such a wonderful activity with our dogs and our friends, pass or no pass. I hope that every person in the test appreciates the wonderful dog they went home with, and keeps on training to enjoy the company of friends and stillness of nature on lovely summer mornings.

And that is what tracking is all about! Good luck to everyone else this year.

Donna Brinkworth with great notes from Barb Loree, proud owner of two new UTD dogs!

Pat S and Barb L and their dogs TCH Hanna (Weim) and Likah UTD (Golden) on day one with JoAnne...