Tracking test #3
The weather on this day (7th August) was more typical of this dry winter. It was cold (for Perth), sunny and light breeze. Unlike last time, we weren’t first out, and there wasn’t any ‘walk in’ to get to the start. So there was time for her to get over having a fit seeing another dog while getting vetted. While I was out with another club member waiting for my time to lay a track, there was time to take Amika out for a good walk and sniff. And more time to relax in her crate in the car. She’s gotten pretty good at that. I also noted that her eyes were streaming, and put 2+2 together: bit off colour the past couple days, scratching ears a bit= allergies. Poor dog, Spring is getting here a bit early for her.
Having laid a track for someone else, I went straight back to the car to get Amika ready to go. I’d already laid out the gear. There was a quick discussion about a missing article flag on the track I’d just lait (T4 requires 3 articles on the track, I’d only picked up flags and laid for 2). It was decided I’d toss something in from the hide when I went back. And that was all the break that I had!
Amika was remarkably good coming out of the car. Probably the hay fever had taken a little of the fire out of her, so she didn’t go all out trying to greet the judge and steward. And the start was a few metres from the car and the road. She had the usual burning desire to do the start at a flat out run, but she has learnt to try to restrain herself in a sit while I transfer the lead from collar to harness. She also put her nose on the start article, which certainly doesn’t always happen. She’s generally already figured out that the human scent she’s just come across is the thing we’re after.
I was wearing my gloves the wrong way around for this track. This is because the friction had worn big holes through the fronts of the fingers over the past couple of weeks. This trick saved me some of the damage. But the sun had come out, and though not hot, it was slowing Amika down, along with her hay fever. I’m kind of glad of that, because it was still all I could do to keep up some of the time. She worded more methodically than usual. She didn’t have the trouble she’d had keeping on the track as she had at the last trial. She nailed a couple of corners.
What really blew me away, though, was her article indications. We accidentally had 3 articles on our track when there were supposed to be 2, but she found 2 of them. Not only that, but in both cases she stopped and picked them up before I even saw them. Not only that, but she turned around with them in her mouth! I chucked a party on the first one and gave her a drink, since she was really wanting one. I didn’t do the drink straight away on the second one, and she seemed to think she’d got the end article. 
She had trouble picking up a turn after this, so I got out the water in some shade. This is the first time I have seen her lay down with the water bowl between her feet while still on the track. She really was getting hot working that nose. Fortunately, when I suggested we get back “on track” she went right to it, found the corner with the newly moistened nose, and was shortly wagging at the track layer. I was stoked, and not just because people say that particular judge is a tough judge. We rocked- my lead handling has improved heaps and Amika just did everything right. Unfortunately we didn’t have a camera person, but here’s a video from the last track of an article and a drink:
I finished the morning by going back to that hide, shoving a rock in a glove and pitching it back down the last leg. Unfortunately that dog didn’t get a pass, but not for lack of articles! Then there was the lovely club lunch. It was nice seeing one of the members who has been away ill and whose dog passed a test with another handler that day. Great to hear the other presentations. But best of all was to come home with a happily tired dog, give her an antihistamine with some treats before nap time, and reflect on her change of name:
Grandwest Isura Joy TD
