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.