Just doing individual walks this morning, "cleared the way" first with Tank and Trust. There was a lot of shooting early and wanted to make sure no deer were taking refuge where we might scare them out of the front fields and back towards hunters. While walking with T and T, was thinking I hadn't done any searches for a while so decided to do a few little ones with Blast and then Kira.
When T & T and I walked past the rock pile, I spied a couple of suitable rocks and set them aside near the bottom. Heading out that way with Blast, I picked up one, rubbed it twice, and when he wasn't close enough to notice, I tossed it up into the pile. Called him to find it, and he raced to top, it had bounced up there and dropped down. He scented down to it, found it, and braced himself to pull it out.
It was pretty locked in where it landed, so I decided to go up and take it out, before he went crazy working at it and hurt himself.
Further on, I had tossed a partial old glove into the high weeds. Told him to look for that and he circled out, scented it, and moved in. He has just found it, above.
Poor guy, when we were walking up along the east fence, I tossed a sock towards it, told him to go back and find. He worked and worked, and then I realized it must have gone through the fence. He stood up on the fence, pushed and pushed trying to get through. I ended up convincing him to go down with me to an opening so he could go through and up the other side to get it. He is so amazing to me.
And here he is coming back on the other side of the fence, to come through and back to me. Such a smart guy!
So, then his reward for his hard work (just play for him!!). A few ball throws out into the weeds again, good exercise for mind and body.
Kira was next. A different rock tossed up, and like Blast, she headed to the top first, and worked down. Hers was a larger one and she was determinded to work at it until she could pick it up.
She did get it out, it wasn't wedged in as tight as Blasts' was, and brought it down. I played with her a bit, and we ran off so she would leave the rock behind.
I had dropped another half glove on a low tree branch on the way through, and when I told her to find it, she turned back (we had walked past) and first scented all around the area on the ground, then began to lift her head and scent, and zeroed in on it.
In another area, just off one of the paths, I again left an article behind, and this time said nothing, just let her realize she had run full speed past "something" and come back to find it. I had a ball hidden and we finished the rest of the walk playing ball.
Before heading back to the house, did a couple of throws into another tall area of weeds. She really had to hunt for this, I didn't let her see the direction I was throwing two of the three. They were 'somewhere' back in here....
This was the last one coming out. Kira just loves this "ball game". Well, this should tire her out for about 20 minutes!!!
