Tracking trial #2
It is only our fourth season, and I finally got around to entering for our second trial. 
We passed our first test in a trial at the end of the first season when Amika was close to her first Birthday. That was 2007. Our dog trainer disaster happened at the beginning of 08 and I fell back into a hole. I spent that season just trying to manage the unruly pup. In 2009 she cut her leg open about half way through the season which put us out of action for a while.
This year, we missed a big chunk of April / May due to her broken nail and my extremely persistent flu. I think that’s why I’ve been so determined and put in extra practice during the week: I’m fed up with these interruptions! Plus tracking is now way more fun. I have my management strategies worked out and Amika is just easier to work with than she was.
Trackwest Trial details:
Date: 10th July 2010 (OK, so I’m a little behind on posting!)
Weather: patchy rain, light wind, temp between 5 and 15C.
Location: Gnangara Pine Plantation ( 31°47’41.49″S; 115°55’13.72″E)
Tracking test: #2
As a test 2 track is only ½ to 1h old, we had our run early. An interesting thing was that we had to walk in to the start. During training, usually I drive in close to avoid the chance of meeting another dog. I must change that- no wonder she is obsessed with finding a track as soon as she is out of the car. So there was a fair bit of pulling on the way and she was happy to have a drink (just a nose dunk) before we started!
I think we had 4 legs, but couldn’t swear to it! I got some bits of video thanks to our steward, but can’t tell which bit was which. This is what I remember:
There was no problem on the start: sniff article and straight on. Because of the walk in she didn’t take off like a rocket and I was able to pocket the start article. She did OK and we found the first turn without much drama, though she did overshoot more than usual. The second leg was along a sand track. She wasn’t as certain as she has been in practice, but she stayed pretty much on. Unfortunately, she went right over article #1. Our judge thought she indicated, but I didn’t see it (though I did see the article and it had me worried).
Turn 2 was pretty good, though I think she overshot the corner and then ended up at the end of leg #3 off to the right. Oh, and I didn’t even notice the kangaroos, and Amika didn’t spare them much attention either. She did, however, nail her article! She picked it up and turned towards me. At this point I offered her a drink, which she was happy to have. She was tired enough that I didn’t have to hold her back, but she didn’t hesitate when I asked her to track again. This time I think she diverged from the track quite a bit, and she overshot the corner a bit, but way to the right of the track.
A meaner judge may have failed us, but Amika certainly was working the entire time. Some scent had gotten caught in some grass trees the other side of the track that formed leg #4, and I had to go in and un-tangle the lead before backing up. Once she hit the sand track again, she was able to pick up stronger scent and made that left turn. We walked past the judge at the T intersection and continued down the last leg to our known tracklayer.
This track seemed harder for Amika than usual. We’ve trained the length, we’ve been in similar locations in the pines. I think the factor that changed was the weather. Ideal conditions for holding scent: high humidity, little wind, lowish temperature. This hasn’t been the case for most of the season (we’ve had an extremely dry winter). The ground has been damp and even wet, but the air has been dry. We really haven’t been out in the rain and humidity like this since last year. Also, I have tended to lay closer to 30min old tracks recently. A book I read suggested that there is a phase in which the track’s changing properties make it confusing as well. The author seemed to think this was (depending on conditions) about 45min. Possibly this was at work as well.
I think what happened was that there was a lot of scent around, but it was patchy, which confused her. She tends to track to the fringes and back, and without the drier conditions much more scent had pooled here and there in odd patterns. Hopefully we can do some more humid weather tracking before I enter for Test 3 to get our TD title.
It was great to hear our judge say “you passed!” at the end. I was really pleased with how Amika and I worked the track. To round it all off, the club laid on a Christmas in July lunch in the pines. So satisfaction, good food and company to round out the day. And the smile says it all, really.
