Tracking fun

I’ve missed a lot of tracking training this year. Today was the second-last for the season and I managed to go. I even managed to get there early: 7.30am (start is at 8). No one else was along the road I train on, but someone must have been by becuase the gate was unlocked. I took us around to an out of the way spot so I could let Amika have a run.

The work I have been doing at the local park is paying off. Amika now knows she has to sit quietly in her crate before I’m going to open the door. She then knows she has the lead clipped on and that she’s expected to hop out, turn around and sit in front of me. This last bit doesn’t always happen, but she also knows that when she forgets, she has to go back in the crate and start over. Despite the excitement of being at the tracking place, I didn’t have to wait long for the initial sit, and only had to put her back in once (and only briefly).

The other thing I’ve been doing at the local park is to practice heeling work for a little bit before letting her off. She did a pretty shocking job this morning, but it was to be expected.  When she ‘disconnects’ to sniff, I stop suddenly or turn the other way. Once I got her to do a half decent job of heeling with attention for a few steps, I released her to sniff on lead for a bit. When she’s fresh and thinking, she can walk very nicely on lead with only the slightest pulling. After wandering up and down the road I called her back in to heel for a bit, got a sit, took off the lead and got a little more of a heel before setting her loose.

She ran, she romped, she sniffed at speed. She circled and kept an eye on me. I went back to the car to get some gear organised, and she stayed fairly close, checking in a few times. She got kibble dropped on the ground for this, but was enjoying running around so much that she barely sniffed it. I usually go for a run with her, so she was probably wondering why I wasn’t playing.

When I was done, and did walk up and down the road a bit, she sprinted around some more, but really was keeping pretty close. I had slipped a little something special in my pocket this morning, and wanted to jackpot a recall. I was surprised I had to encourage her to run off! An opportunity presented itself (dog headed in other direction) and I called her loudly. She turned pretty much instantly but without great enthusiasm. On arrival, she found a pile of pink smoked salmon! Yum!

Actual tracking was also fun. We loaded up and moved back down to the main road. The usual suspects (whom I train with) were not there, so I joined some other people. The usual people did eventually show up in dribs and drabs, but I stayed with this ‘new’ crew since I already had a tracklayer lined up. I was glad I did, as they’re more cheerful and out for fun than many of the others.

Amika’s first track was amazing. Awesome, really, when I think of where we’ve come from. She mostly didn’t tow me to the start. A couple of times I turned back towards the car and she did her “Oh, all right then, you annoying bitch!” thing and paid me some attention without incessant pulling.

Other dogs had run across the area where our start flag and article were, so I had some trouble getting her to focus. It was the frantic running back and forth thing. This was a perfect opportunity to try that idea the reactive dog class instructor had: I cried, high pitched and loudly. Amika bounced at me immediately. The eye contact / body orientation towards me was only for a split second, but it did work to get her back briefly. And I think it was so odd that she had an ear on me afterwards. Whatever, I was then able to get her to kind of notice the scent article (the ubiquitous sock) and let her start the track. She didn’t go on to follow the dogs back to their car, so it must have worked!

The speed of the track was much different to what is used to be. She didn’t sprint, circle and surge nearly as much as usual. Her pace was much more steady. Her head was fresh and she was able to concentrate and think. She indicated two of three articles completely on her own. Whe I say indicated, I noted her crossing through a scent pool (zigzag or circling across track) and then she located the item. She then picked it up only long enough to flick it away and keep going on the track. The second article, I had to hold her back on the line- she was stepping on it. When she figured out what I was on about, she did the flick thing and I let her go on. Continuing the track is her reward.

Her corners were really good on this track too. Because they were flagged, I could see how far off she goes, and watch how she indicates loss and re-aquisition. She was pretty spot-on the track most of the time.

Our track layer followed us up, so there was an article with treats in it at the end. And of course, the tracklayer arrived just after she found it (since she was right behind me). I was surprised that Amika was interested in the kibble on the end article and wasn’t desperate for a drink. She was, however, very easy to walk back with. Another dog was in evidence closer to the road, and she started to react a bit, but I was able to get through to her that we were not going to see the other dog, and she came pretty well.

Track two for Amika was more typical. The change was due to barking and frustration in the car. She wore herself out and fried her brain slightly. Walking to the start was interesting. She knew there was a track out there somewhere, so was getting aroused and pulling into the veg at the side of the road to try to find it. I was able to get her to turn back to me, but had to do so repeatedly.

The people were chatting together, and pretty much ignored her approach, and she was looking for a scent so not pulling towards them. Given that these were dog people, and that she was not trying to mug them- I let her run right up to them when she did decide to take an interest (as we were passing the group). She bounced up, went “eee!” and briefly said hello, and then came back to look for that track, which we were almost upon at that point.

The start article was investigated without me having to interfere this time, and she was off. There was a lot more loosing the track, circling and taking off when the scent was re-aquired. I held the lead shorter than I had on the previous track so that she wouldn’t be spending so much time searching. She settled into it a bit better by the second leg, but was wandering to the side of the trackleyer’s path for large chunks of track. This meant that she bypassed articles. The last leg was fun, because the tracklayer had walked through some damp grassy stuff and I could see her footsteps. Amika did really well on this leg too, so it was fun to “see” what she was tracking (the vegetation portion, anyway).

The end article also had her toy with it, but I think she was just as pleased to hang out with the crowd of people who were praising her. She was too tired to bounce or sing, so was patted too. Oh, and yes, she did want that drink. Freed of her harness, and having had a sip or two, she took her toy and went and laid down several metres away, and just smilled at us for a bit. I’ve got no idea what that was about. Tired? She certainly was! But not as tired as some days we’ve tracked. She walked ever so nicely back to the cars- this time we were walking a little ahead of everyone, and she was willing to wait up.

I also got to follow up another handler and dog team on two of their tracks. They were fun to watch work. The Border Collie had really easy to read body language, and just did very well at the job So today was a far more enjoyable tracking day than the last one, with good tracks, good dogs and good company. Hope I end up with this mob again next weekend.