Trusts' Track - another oddity...

Trusts' track on Thursday was the first laid (by Tascha) and the third done, about 3 1/2 hr. aged.
If you saw the previous entry - one picture - you'll know 'something' is up with this track. I didn't paint on my path in these pictures, as I normally do, as Trust was "so on" this track, and it's pretty clear where we are going.
Our start was in nice, green damp grass. There is a built-in sprinkler system here, and you never know when it is coming on...

Probably a picture you wouldn't always see. Yes, dogs are allowed to do this when tracking, and are not disqualified in a trial. With Trust, it is "marking". I always know when she is dead-on the track, as she marks. Just one of her quirky habits.

A nice first leg, usually a busy wide road on the left, which we will eventually cross.

Trust is making a right turn towards the paved parking area. I'm about to follow her.

She heads out straight across and towards a little grassy berm.

We have gone up on the grass and made a left turn.

We are now actually on the 3rd little 'island' of grass and she has another left turn coming up before the entrance driveway. You can see the road we will be crossing. We had to wait a while at the curb for a clear and safe space to cross the road.

After crossing the road, the track goes down into a ditch, which was a little tricky, and she helped pull me up out of it.

Trust has found her first article, wood, and is happily waiting for her treat. I always reward at articles with a treat along with praise, of course!

After the article, there was a quick right turn bringing us to a driveway crossing and over on to a brown grass area which went totally across the front of the building.

We are nearing half way across, the entrance to the building is coming up.

Almost at the end, and just before another driveway, we turn left, heading through and under some trees towards the large back parking lot.

Just before reaching it, there is a sock article. I'm fishing around in my pocket for her treat.

I have to watch carefully for cars here, there are many rows of parking and lots of cars moving in and out. We head out past the third double row of parked vehicles before making a left turn, the MOT corner.

Trust is working very nicely through the parking lot; we are headed towards the "port-a-room" on the far side. Just before reaching it, there is a curve to the left. Ending her track near the entrance (steps) to this building didn't make much sense, as we had no idea how much it might be "used" and be an unnecessary difficult obstacle. The final article then, was placed on the grass behind the portable room.

She searched and searched in circles back here, and I knew it should be here. I was looking all over as well. Tascha was behind taking pictures. She just took this shot when Trust raised her head, still scenting, and looked at the article. "What's it doing there?"

I didn't "clue in" until she went over and touched it. This was so funny. She couldn't quite reach and get a hold on it.

I was pointing it out to Tascha and Trust tried to pull it.

She decided to move over to the other side to try and get it. It was actually very solidly placed on a handle, so she couldn't pull it off, and I got it for her. Someone obviously saw it on the grass, assumed it was a 'good' leather glove, and kindly stuck it up there for the person who may be looking for it. Poor Trust and what a good girl! She really astounds me when strange things like this happen; Tascha and I had a good laugh and Trust got lots of attention, praise and treats. We had a great day!

Trusts' Track - a Teaser....

We always seem to run into completely unexpected "things" on our tracks! Trust has worked through difficulties that you'd never come across in actual trials. One thing I can always say is that our tracks are often amusing or...she totally amazes me what she can accomplish....we just need to do it in a real test situation!!!!
I have a lot of pictures from her track yesterday, so this is a clue of what's to come. Right now, I just HAVE to get back to my work list and will put the pictures/description on later today. s.

Tanks' short urban track Thursday

The location I had planned for Tanks' urban track turned out to have a difficulty I hadn't expected, so was shorter than planned. No problem, things happen, and he's not done much for some time, so a good way to ease him back in. It ended up with just 5 legs, 3 articles, but aged almost 2 hr. Tank has his TDX and so is working towards a UTD. Again, fresh cut grass, and a grounds crew was working in the area.
He starts off nicely on a short stretch of grass. He will cross a wide driveway and make a fairly sharp left turn on grass again.

Tank is working well along the second leg, and nearing his next corner, a right turn. This leg continues on grass, over another driveway, back to grass.

He was having a mighty good time. He just dove on his first article, a small cloth glove and presented it to me. We will be heading out on the driveway, and continuing across around the grass, then turning right up the driveway to parked cars.

Tank indicated the corner, just to the left of my left foot and had begun to turn between the cars, when 3 fellows stuck their heads out a doorway of a shed to the left. He lost his concentration, not sure whether to "visit" or bark...he chose a bark! Then he had to work a bit to find the leg heading through the cars again. Once he did, he hit grass and another article, a plastic lid.

Over the little grass hill, we went across another paved driveway, hit a patch of grass and then his last article.

Tank was very pleased when he found another article and here we are playing with it. We need to work more on concentration on the hard surfaces, and working hard surfaces slower and with more focus.

Thursday Track #4 - Blast

Blasts' starts at the scent pad have improved greatly over the past few weeks. I wasn't happy with how fast he was "taking off" and then sometimes, circling back. Now, they are quite reliable.
He is taking good scent before I tell him to "Find".

And he's off!!!!

Working nicely along leg two, on a good grass surface. Rain the night before, so conditions today were great! Tascha laid this track for us.

Leg 3 turns to cross the running track. He spies a fellow who was back and forth across this next leg on the grass, who was working on a foot-path bridge over in the ditch.

Across the track and over to the middle grass surface. We are actually working towards a TD, but started with mixed surfaces some time ago. I think Blast enjoys the varying work we do.

About half way across, the fellow popped up in the ditch. All you could see was his upper body, a little disconcerting to Blast, as you can see. After determining he was not a real threat, we moved onward.

Completing this grass crossing, over the next section of running track.

Having crossed it, a quick right turn on the grass.

We continue on a wider grass surface, cut yesterday, to the article.

Playing with the article. Blast lets me think I can get it faster than he can.....ha.ha.ha. As if!

Emma at the Reserves

Thursday, Tacha and Emma were working at the Army Reserves! I laid the track and put some tiny cheese pieces that Tascha gave me on the hard surfaces...to begin with. But some gulls spotted me, swooped in and stole them, so I was glad I took extra articles to use instead. The idea of the food and/or articles for Emma was to 'assist' her along on the hard surface.
Tascha and Emma are on the second leg of the track, veg. surface, but terrible scruffy ground covering, almost 'another' hard surface.

Emma is going down a little hill (I guess a BIG hill for her!) to the first hard surface.

She dives over to her second article, a very small plastic tube with a treat inside. At least the gulls didn't steal that!

This is near the end of the longest paved surface, which had two corners - a lot of work for Emma, we were 'pushing' a bit here to see how she handled it and she did great. She has just found a sock, which is her fourth article. She loves articles, so they are a reward for her.

This track was aged over an hour, windy/warming, about 1/2 veg. & 1/2 paved.

The "prehistoric" monster birds...

These are sandhill cranes, one of the most strange birds we have up here spring to fall. They are absolutely HUGE! When they take flight they look like something out of a science fiction movie. An enormous wingspan, legs out behind, long beak streatched out in front and they cackle, or croak. No pretty bird songs here. They are extremely interesting.
There were only 9 in the field when I drove past, turned around, and came back. I thought they might take flight, but think there may have been babies in the cut hay. Two wandered off into the grass field, so I'm quite certain there were some very young ones.

We often hear them flying overhead, but do not often actually see them. Another weird and wonderful creation of nature.

Carmspack Blast - 14 1/2 months

I am so glad that I convinced Carmen Duggan (breeder-Carmspack) and Mike Clay, who was taking Blast and his two brothers, to prep. them for service dogs, to let me have this boy. He was quite a handful for some time and then we finally "clicked".

He is turning out to be a great dog and always so eager to work. I just love this guy.

I tend to forget how young this guy still is. He's large, bold and confident and a very handsome fellow. We were playing on the hay wagons after Sundays' tracks. He amazed Tascha with his quick vertical jumps...he amazes me too, when he does this.

Track No. 3 today - Tank 'brushes up'

What a glorious morning it was today....still no rain, but a good dew at least. It didn't last long, though, when I arrived at these fields (on a high and open area) it was very windy. To appreciate this picture and the view it offers, you really need to double click to enlarge it. This was the field for most of Emmas' track.

Tank has been the "low man on the tracking training totem pole" for a while. Poor guy just loves to track and he had been doing urban this past year after his TDX. I want to get him back into urban, but wanted him to go out today and just have fun. This first field was actually much like an urban veg. area. It was just cut and was so very short, stubbly and dry. And naturally, he did way better than I expected. This is the first leg of his track.

On the second leg, a long one, working nicely on the track with lots of wind.

His first article, a tiny piece of leather. He's indicated with a down and I'm fishing around for a treat in my pocket. Good boy, Tank!

Third leg, head up, air scenting, but moving quickly along this leg. This is heading to the area we saw the bear recently.

We are parallelling the road here, although you can't see it. Ditches on both sides with very high weeds growing up. Tank is really working nicely along here, leg 4. He is close to a wood article and then a right turn through the ditch, and across the road into an alfalfa field.

And down we go. Tank had to help pull me up out of the ditch, it was quite steep...luckily he likes to pull!

We're a fair ways into the alfalfa field and Tank has found a sock. We are playing pull a little with it...he loves socks! We have 3 more legs to go to the final article.

The end. He's got his glove and I'm removing his harness so we can chase the glove. He enjoyed doing this track so much. We will get back to real urban work this week, hopefully with some cooler and/or wet weather to pick up where we left off.