Tracking Practice - July 31, 2008

Last Thursday I met Donna in Crocket after the Splash Dog Event in Santa Rosa. I laid a track for Dino on a concrete path with 1 1/2 steps, then two steps, then three steps. I then walked on the grass of the field and placed his toy. He followed the track really well and then wanted to keep going onto the grass where I walked, but no treat. I then had the toy for him at the end.

Then I walked Dino around to set a track for Loki. Then I put Dino through the above track. Then Donna laid a track for Annubis.

On the same track that Annubis was on, I put one down for Din, but I extended it longer with turns with and without treats and then at the end I put no treats for several feet where I walked, and then put the toy at the end. He did great and was following the track without the food.

Saturday, I took Dino to a business park in Dublin after getting Mercury's shots. We did a single long track with turns, curves, turns with treats and without. There was jackrabbits and squirrels nearby. He was right on the track the whole way. He followed it across the an bark and to his toy wit the treats. I still had a hard time getting him interested in the tennis ball. He seemed to want to keep following the trail which I did back to the car where Mercury was. We repeated the track and he picked up more treats. He still followed it but he was a bit more rough, but he was still following something.

Dino Earns His CGC Certificate!

Second Attempt: Pass!

First Attempt:

We did the CGC training and test also with Vicki. The training went very well. Everything moved along well without any problems. I had absolutely not indications that there would be any problems. We barely got to the third test of the tester trying to groom him, We did not even get to the grooming because Dino would not stop jumping on the tester. I told him "sit" numerous times and he totally ignored me. That essentially failed the test. After all that training and preparation.

I was late to get to a dog show in Turlock, so I just got out of there as fast as possible.

Tracking Practice - July 22, 2008

I worked Dino twice in tracking over the weekend while on lunch break at Petaluma agility show.

Tracks were on concrete paths in a busy fairground. Some parts were straight (beginning legs) and then I would make a right or left turn and then fade into wide curves at two steps. He got all them dead on. He never lifted his head. On the last track on Sunday, we went into gravel from concrete. I think he was inhaling the gravel, but he stayed on the track. He even found it when I couldn't see it. The turns were tighter curves at two steps. He did great.

Tracking Practice - July 16, 2008

Yesterday I took Dino to Memorial Park and did three tracks. One was at the girl scout cabin with a right turn, up a set of short steps and to the left. He did great. The last leg was with two steps. then down in the park, I did a left urn up some steps to the bandstand and straight ahead. He did great. He followed them right up the stairs. I did 1/2 steps up the stairs.

On the last track I did 1/2 steps all the way up a long set of stone steps. He did great all the way up.

Tracking Practice - July 15, 2008

I went on a search for a dog today in Albany. It was at 2:30, so I brought Dino and Mercury to do training afterwards.

The search for the dog went several miles all the way to the water starting at near the hills. Halfway through, I decided to walk back to get my truck because I wasn't sure how the shade was. I walked back and then met Donna where she had walked to. I drove behind her for several blocks, then picked up her and the dogs and drove to the lagoon at the park where we picked up the scent again.

I parked my truck at a private lot and Donna followed the trail around the lagoon and I drove the other way, parked and walked the other direction.

After the search, we took Dino out and set up a track with a right and then a left turn. the steps were one full step in the straight, then 1/2 step at the turns. At the last leg, we spread it out to two steps, then three steps. He did seem to loose the track at three steps, so I will go back to two steps on the last leg for now.

Then Donna laid a track and hid behind some parked cars. Her phone earpiece was at the start. He followed the track right to her. Donna said there were two cats in one of the cars, and I asked Dino to "Find Felix." He found them pretty quickly.

Then Donna took Mercury and walked him down a path and I had Dino follow him. He practically ran there. He was definitely following the scent. Then Donna walked him down the path again, and Dino found him pretty quickly. He was more air scenting but he did have his nose to the ground some of the time.

Then Donna took Mercury to another spot on the street and tied him up. She had me walk Dino past the spot where Mercury was tied. Dino had to jump up onto a ledge and then found him. Mercury was so cute and such a good sport about everything. He was great on the leash and walking.

Tracking Practice - July 3, 2008

Met with Donna at Briones Park to walk dogs and train. We laid a track with Scout for Loki. Then we went for a walk through the park. Scout zeroed in on a small lake where a woman was playing with her dogs. Scout started to chase the ball into the lake and would not stop. I had to eventually drag her away and put her on leash.

After, we took Loki around on the track to find Scout. He did great.

Then we took Dino to a park headquarters parking lot to work on tracks. I told Donna about yesterday when I took Dino to Memorial Park and laid three tracks with right hand turns. He did the first leg fine, got a bit loose on the turns and then lost the second leg on all three tracks. I started to move the kibble closer, but he still looked like he wasn't tracking, but trying to find the kibble.

So today, I showed her a similar track from what I did with Dino yesterday with a right hand turn, and the track was very sloppy. So we tried some other tracks.

1. First leg 1 1/2 steps apart. 1/2 step apart on left turn and 1 1/2 apart on second leg. Single pieces of kibble. Strong on both legs.

2. First leg 1 1/2 steps apart, 1/2 steps apart on right turn and 1 1/2 steps apart on second leg. Donna laid track with small piles. Strong on both legs.

3. First leg 1 1/2 steps apart, 1/2 steps on left turn and 1 1/2 steps apart on second leg. Small piles of kibble. Very strong on both legs. Left some kibble and let him go back and do small track again to pick up extras.

Let leash loose so it is not tight while he is pulling.

For next track continue with small piles. On first track, see how he does. On second track compare to first. Which ever was worse, then do again with either left or right turn over same track. Continue with small piles and 1 1/2 steps and 1/2 steps on corners.