Our main focus this last week has been tracking. Vada and I are trialing for our TR2 on the 20th in WI. Then our TR3 the following Saturday locally.
I have switched to tracking with them in a harness. I’m not sure how much I like that though after our track Sunday night. She seemed to be pulling hard and it was pulling her feet out wide. But there is less jerking on her neck when I don’t handle the line properly. So I’m still on the fence.
Last Tuesday we tracked at the Washington County Fairgrounds down past the horse arena. We have not tracked there before. The ground was very dusty and cars driving by were adding more layers of dust. I did 6 corners on that track so it was a bit longer. She struggled but got to the end. Narc had a straight line track with food in every step. He spazzed when I got him out. He is crazy about tracking. Drags me down the track.
Thursday I laid just a straight line track at home by the pond. I had an article every 15 or 20 paces. She did well. She wasn’t very driven but it’s hard to get going when you’re stopping alot. We have not tracked on taller grass in awhile either.
Friday I had Karl lay a straight line track on the other side of the pond. She did very well. She searched around a bit on the end of the leg but then got the scent and finished on the “article.” I put canned cat food at the end too.
We stopped on Sunday at the Blaine Soccer Complex on the way home from the temperament test. A few of the fields did not have games going on them. So I laid a track on one for Vada and another for Narc. On Vada’s track we had 6 corners. This time I put the food on the first 4 steps after the turn. I don’t want the food to cue the turn but I want tighter turns. By the last turn she was tighter. One part was almost under water. She had to work really hard in some places that were pretty dead but she did a great job. With Narc I laid a 2 leg track with food in every step. He wasn’t as crazy and he settled in as we went on and was much more thoughtful.
Tonight we will track again at the Washington County Fairgrounds. They have a dirt outdoor horse arena that I want to track them both in for something different. Hopefully the rain stays away or we’ll be tracking in mud.
I should start articles with Narc very soon. Dumbbell work too.
Saturday Karl played his last gig with Pastel Black. I went with. I have not gone with in a long time since the drive is so long and it makes for a very long night for the dogs. It was fun. I enjoyed it. I enjoy seeing how happy Karl is when he plays too. I got about 4 or so hours of sleep and then got up and took Vada to a ATTS temperament test. She passed but barely. The people at some of the stations were hiding in Schutzhund blinds. Vada has not done bitework in a few weeks and she was SO excited when she saw the blinds and knew that it was a trial type situation that we were in. I thought she was very cute. However, the test is suppose to test their genetics and I don’t think it properly does when the dogs has a trained association to some of the equipment. On Saturday we only did obedience as we did not have any helpers at training. Now we won’t be at training for another month. She is going to be nuts for bitework by the time we can do it again.
Last night I had dinner at the Park Tavern with Gina, Tanya and Cortney. As usual, it was fun to get caught up. My chicken sandwich was super yummy too!