This is really going to take time...on the third of seven tracks from Sunday. So this is Tanks' track, fun mix of veg. and non-veg., three articles, aged 45 mins. had gotten much warmer than expected by now.
As usual, he's off to the races when I release him at the scent pad. I brought him in from the side like I did with Blasts' start. 
Heading out towards the road, right on the track; I spent most of this at a fast trot behind him. He has a right turn up near the road, which he paused, checked left and turned right back fast along the next leg.
I just noticed the fellow in the red shirt hadn't gotten too far on the other side of the road! We're catching up to him!! We've crossed a driveway and he's just reached his first article, a small yellow plastic lid. He had actually run past a bit, circled back around to it. He's not great with plastic, to tell the truth.
Through the tree area, down and up a little ditch and heading to the next driveway.His track is just to the right of the tree in front of him, before the pavement.
Tanks' right turn was on the paved driveway and he's heading along pretty good about 2' to the left of the actual track. You can "just" see a red cloth article further up on the darker spot. Tank still likes to check out any grassed area near to the track, I have to keep firm tension on his line in these areas. He darts over quickly and nearly drags me with him.
If he "likes" the article, like a cloth one, he will pick it up. If he doesn't "like" it, as in plastic, he tries to ignore it. A bit of a problem! We have a turn shortly after this area. When training, unlike in a test, I will often leave articles closer to corners, or in tricky spots, sometimes just because I'm trying to avoid them being picked up as well.
We've moved off the drive/park area and this is a very short leg over to the building. I'm walking between two sewer covers here, he ignored as he went through. After crossing a walkway, his turn will take us on to his last leg. He hugged the building along this leg, 4' from his track, and turned the corner around it to check it out....found a big bird feather there. Then immediately curved back to the track, still on grass.
Off the grass, onto another paved area, and you can see, and now he has, the final article. I placed it so it was not too obvioius, he probably tracked about 1/2 way out then lifted his head and saw it. That's fine, he was right on the track. This was a big bonus for him, a leather baby shoe to play with.
Thank you, thank you, he says. I love the baby shoe, and haven't seen it in a long time! I really would like to keep it...
Tanks' right turn was on the paved driveway and he's heading along pretty good about 2' to the left of the actual track. You can "just" see a red cloth article further up on the darker spot. Tank still likes to check out any grassed area near to the track, I have to keep firm tension on his line in these areas. He darts over quickly and nearly drags me with him.
If he "likes" the article, like a cloth one, he will pick it up. If he doesn't "like" it, as in plastic, he tries to ignore it. A bit of a problem! We have a turn shortly after this area. When training, unlike in a test, I will often leave articles closer to corners, or in tricky spots, sometimes just because I'm trying to avoid them being picked up as well.
We've moved off the drive/park area and this is a very short leg over to the building. I'm walking between two sewer covers here, he ignored as he went through. After crossing a walkway, his turn will take us on to his last leg. He hugged the building along this leg, 4' from his track, and turned the corner around it to check it out....found a big bird feather there. Then immediately curved back to the track, still on grass.
Off the grass, onto another paved area, and you can see, and now he has, the final article. I placed it so it was not too obvioius, he probably tracked about 1/2 way out then lifted his head and saw it. That's fine, he was right on the track. This was a big bonus for him, a leather baby shoe to play with.
Thank you, thank you, he says. I love the baby shoe, and haven't seen it in a long time! I really would like to keep it...
