Tracking 3 dogs today...

Blast worked great on his urban tracking today, but as I really needed both hands working with him, I was unable to take any pictures. The area he worked in had almost no grass, cinder paths, and sand going through playground equipment...a few gulls watching and hoping for food as well. Blast had 3 articles, a plastic lid, a Timmies' card, and a glove. I was really pleased with him.
I have to apologize for some of the pictures. I don't know why some are fuzzy, but used a few anyway, as I didn't have an extra to show some locations.
This is Tanks' track. He did pretty good, but he's really "getting back into" urban tracking and I think I need to work him like I am with Blast...very short. Tank is always rushing, he's just so excited, and he needs to slow down on hard surface, get that big nose down, and pay attention. He just loves tracking, but it's a bit too much fun right now!!!
Tank has found his first article, second leg, a plastic lid. He had just picked it up and tossed it!

We had crossed a very wide paved driveway and turned into this area. There is a sock coming up ahead, marked by the "X". He's concentrating along this area.

Tank has picked up the sock and coming back to show me...most of it is crammed into his mouth! He loves socks! It was a very dull morning, perhaps that is why there were so few walkers and joggers in this area today. Sometimes it is very full of vehicles and people. Tank is working pretty well on the short grass surface, heading towards the long stretch of paved parking area.

He transitioned nicely from the grass to pavement. I have dropped the occasional piece of kibble on this stretch. I decided to use 'something better' next time, and try to keep him more focused on the actual track. It doesn't take a lot to distract him, although he did fairly well.

Of course, I wasn't giving him a lot of slack, either. This was a short track, but a track nonetheless. I think we will work on some strictly hard surface next time and work on his concentration.

He made a nice turn here. The final article isn't too far along, so perhaps he got wind of that.

He is moving nicely along this last, short leg towards the grass where the glove is. He certainly knows it is there right now.

There's the glove. He has also forgotten his indication, which was a down. Right now I don't really care, he is clear and usually seems to be picking up the article, but eventually, I'd like to see him go back to a down on the article. He used to 'walk over' plastic articles.

OK, he says, let's play with this one! So we did....

Trusts' nice track today..

Trust went on this track at about 3 1/2 hr. It was approximately "a half length" and supposed to be just a fun track. Since hers was the first to be laid, and I had other things to do in town including Tanks' and Blasts' tracks, we were a bit later than I planned getting back here. However, not a problem, it was an unusually calm day, and she was eager to go...

She has just turned her first corner and really working nicely.

Moving along the third leg and she was picking up other scents here...as I found out shortly, there had been deer all over this area.

We had just climbed up a little hill, Trust is moving really nicely along the track.

Here's her first article, a red plastic lid in a little hollow.

And what I had NOT seen...directly beside it....fresh deer poop. She had totally ignored it and I'm always amazed I don't seem to notice "this stuff' when I'm laying tracks....Poor Trust is probably saying to herself "what was she thinking?!"

Really nice, right off the grass moving out on the pavement, almost dead on. The yellow line shows where she moved off the track over to the little grass island and curb, then moving back onto the track ahead.

She had worked through the parking area, between the parked vehicles, almost to the end and again, moved over to the curb before coming back on the track across the driveway. We know scent collects along curbs, but there was very little breeze this morning....who knows!?!

So again, she's moved to the track, and follows right along, over the grass and across the next driveway. These are the two main, well travelled, entrances and exits to and from the main doors of the resort.

A slight deviation, then over to the grass, up a little hill, beside the tree and then over the curb and across another driveway. She certainly knows exactly where she's going here.

Right on the track!

Above, I purposely stepped in the broken portion of curb as I stepped down, she was about a foot and half to the right. The arrow shows the article on the far side, bottom of hill.

Right to it. I just love how this girl works. She's a champion tracker without the title!

"So, I saw the van when I was passing by, here's the last article, let's get going!"

Remembering....

Remembrance Day is important and special every year. I always watch the Ottawa services and each year am impressed with the numbers of WWI and WWII veterans in attendance, determined to attend. Our last WWI veteran died this year past. But now we have so many "new" war veterans from "newer" wars....wars that were never meant to be.
In many ways, the coverage to honour our war vets has opened our eyes to what so many have endured; horrific and unbelieveable stories in most cases. Humanity? What is that....
As lucky as we are to live in Canada, we often forget our veterans throughout the rest of the year. So does our government. They should not only be honoured on November 11th, but appreciated and cared for throughout the year. And we still have many in Afghanistan, losing their lives or returning home wounded. Let us not forget them nor their families. They are all heroes.
Next time you silently curse getting a red light, maybe instead, think about the men and women that have given their lives, or parts of their bodies, and are still doing this daily, to try and better the lives of many and so we can be free.
Let us never forget them.

some sad news today

Look carefully in the pile of toys, you'll see a cute little golden puppy! Some years ago, we fostered this little golden puppy for three weeks until some wonderful new owners took her home. We had almost decided to keep her; if they hadn't come along when they did, I'm sure she would have stayed with us. We called her "Toad" and her new name became Maggie.
Here, Jewel, (one of our old puppy mill rescued GSD's) was keeping an eye on her.
We just heard today, that Toad (Maggie) died suddenly after spending a wonderful day with her family swimming and playing with the other two dogs in their household. She was a sweetheart.

Back to Tracking...

Today I finally got back out to do some tracking. I have fit an extra crate in my van and can now take Trust, Tank and Blast at the same time, if I choose. Since we will soon have winter weather, I am trying to do this now, just little fun tracks for all three, but working mainly on hard surface with Blast.
Today, I was able to do all three of them in pretty much the same location so it worked out well.
Todays' distractions were: people (as usual) with Trust, who now seems to think it's part of her job to visit anyone who wants to see her; Tank had two separate instances with little kids calling "puppy, puppy, puppy" and running up behind us; and Blast found a lovely street hockey ball, luckily near the end of the track or that would have been the end of it!!!
Going out again within a couple of days as weather is wonderful and will try to get some pics. then.