Earth Day Tracking Session - it was a GOOD Friday!

 

Caden learning to indicate articles today

 I spent five hours out with the dogs today, tracking. I chose to go somewhere different, as I always go to the college. Today I tracked at the Westerner - where there are hockey games and concerts and loads of special events. The parking lot was empty, being Good Friday. It was great! Other than some skateboarders, but that was OK. A good distraction!

 

Ted at his article. Arrow pointing to manhole which both helped and hindered with scent flow. And there is a skateboarder in the background! Dogs did well with that distraction!


I have put descriptions on the videos I took for now. I have not uploaded all of them, but you can see the parts I wanted to highlight by going to this link on the Spiritdancedogs YouTube Channel (also linked in the sidebar menu under videos).

Here's what we did today...


I put in four tracks in this order
River - 250 m 2 hours old
Jet - 520 m 3.5 hours old
Caden 1 - U shape on veg - 100 m 20 minutes old
Ted - 150 m - 30 minutes old
Caden 2 onto parking lot - 50 m - 10 minutes old

 

Caden

 Caden - did a 200 step track that was U-shaped and did a great job! He did every corner beautifully. I rested him briefly by tying him to my car's trailer hitch and let him watch me lay a short urban track.



Caden watches me lay a second track for him



He started on a boulevard and did a nice enough job as he is not used to hard surfaces. I want to be sure to keep this up with him even though he is doing SchH tracking. Some skateboarders were out on the parking lot and he kept wanting to look at them, so I had to be patient and show him he could find the track on the hard surface. Once he got it - he did a nice job and found his corner on his own, which was an awesome moment. I put the corner and turn in a wet depression on the parking lot - perfect! He was slightly stressed but I let him figure out that he could smell the track - sometimes they need some latitude to think and I felt this was one of those times - rather than to correct. I was quite proud of him. We also worked on article indications (top picture).



Ted's start and first leg along a fence to keep him from quartering - it worked!

Ted - I laid his track along the fence to start, to keep him from doing so much quartering as Ted tends to move his feet just so fast! It really worked. PS Ted apologizes for thinking he could pee as a turn indication. Yes, it's easy body language for me to read, if he did that on every turn, but, uh, no Ted...



Ted did a nice little bit on the parking lot too - his track followed the flow of water to a manhole which helped to draw him along the scent to his prize - he just loves articles! (picture near the top).







River's start - and hey, there's me!

 River - River's track aged while I tracked the boys. She is 11 how but still loves it and did well today. Her track went into a very contaminated area along the front of the Westerner, and then turned to go along a very long non-veg leg. She did this so beautifully, nailing every turn and finding her plastic, metal and leather articles.



Along the NV leg, she stopped to visit a guy sitting in his truck. It was cute, I didn't film him, but she went over and looked up at him. Funny girl. Bless her at this age tracking so well. She is out like a light now, again. It is a bitter pill that there are no tests for her, really, this year. I guess she will just have to be a Tracking Champion in my heart.



My girl - 11 years old - and still loves to track! Blessings on her.



Jet - Jet is taking over as my best tracking dog now. The other dogs took so long that her track was aged more than I intended. It was 3.5 hours old when we ran it.



Jet lies down to start, and smells the scent pad


I laid her quite a windy track on mostly hard surface because I wanted to see what she did. It went along a paved sidewalk, over a road to concrete, over a low brick wall, into a parking lot, and finished alongside a big metal building, on the grass. She was so crazy-confident - pretty much nailing every turn. She still has the funny habit of standing and looking off into the distance as she check the direction. She makes a decision then off she goes again! I just loved following her and my heart felt like it would burst! She too is fast asleep - tracking takes a lot out of the dogs!

Here are Jet's videos - I recorded them in short pieces as it was a long track. These are the highlights - -

Jet jumps a wall - this is after the second turn



Jet's sidewalk turn before the road - this is after her wooden article



Jet's great turn in the parking lot - where she backs up to be on track!



Jet's second last turn - just so confident!



End of the track



What a great way to spend the day. I have a decades long tradition of spending Easter alone with the dogs, as my (now ex) always went out of town. I guess this is one of my traditions - and I love it - my tradtion with myself and I keep the date with my dogs - whichever I have.



Jet indicates the final article




Jet always initiates a game of tug at tne end of a track! Good girl!
I just adore this dog (in case you have missed that!)
I love all my dogs - but there is something about Jet that makes me smile all the time.