We continue to be amazed how quickly conditions are changing for our recent tracks. I checked this area before deciding to use it. A few days ago, it looked fine, but today over the "running track" oval, it looked covered in ice. Upon closer inspection, it seemed "mushy" and so I considered it do-able. The rest was a combination of bare dead grass/dirt, hard-packed snow, gravel, cement and pavement. When I laid it, the track oval was almost running water, some floating ice, a little tricky to walk in. The article I left in there was under water. When we went back to put Blast on the track, we couldn't see just how much it had changed....a lot!
Our start was good, we were on a narrow strip of grass heading into snow. He was very interested in the drainage ditch along the first leg, and his first corner was in snow, no problem. Another leg and corner took us to the approach to the running track. The snow and ice leading to it had melted a lot. The running track is very black and was drawing the heat from the sun, with the rising temps. a fast melt. But...in we went...splash! splash! I let him "feel his way a bit" until he began to pickk up the track. The early section still had a little solid ice/sluch which must have been holding the scent.
Ahead, I was beginning to see nothing but water and floating ice. Well...the track was laid, we will motor on, an article was somewhere out there, so I'd help him along...
Did pretty well through here, we were about to hit the flowing water. Around this time a city truck arrived and as it turned out they were there to check the drainage (or lack of) from this spot.
Blast has turned off the track here - look how deep the water is up his legs - and is scenting the run-off coming our way. I just gave him a bit of time, but no lead, and he shortly moved back to the area of the track.
And then on to find the plastic article in the water. I let him dig at it a bit, before leaning down to pick it take it out.
What a good boy he is. Once again, I'm amazed. I never would have planned to do this track here, had I known. However, it was a great training and learning experience and I'm always happy to have these opportunities. I think they are great confidence boosters for the handler and the dog, and unlikely to experience something like this in a test...but you can encounter bodies of water in low areas if there's been recent heavy downpours...so why not try and work it out in training?!!And Blast had fun doing it, which all it really means to him!
Bonus, was the temperature was warming up nicely, so that was also no issue. We move off the running track, across a narrow grass strip, snow, and onto a gravel road. Blast was the "lucky one" of the day having the unusual things happen on his track. While we were still on the running track, we saw about a dozen kids come down from a house way up to the right, out onto the road and over where an article was, and continue to walk over our track in front. Shortly after, they turned around and went back the way they came. I was hoping they didn't take my article, and wondered about all the new little feet all over our track and corner.
Blast made a nice left turn on the gravel driveway and we head towards the corner and the article before it. (They were close, not legal in a test, but done occasionally in training - however I never expected the other issue with the kids in the same area!) The blue line shows the route the kids took, both ways. The red arrow points out the wood article. He paid no attention to all the kids when they were trooping on down, which delighted me. Above he is motoring on with no problems. Before we reach the corner, a car drove up in front and parked right over our track where we cross the road and turn on the cement walkway....
So there's the car, and follows...the fellow also got out and walked over our track. Blast found his article seeming paying no attention to all the fresh footsteps. I'm looking for something special to give him for doing such hard work up to this point.
Bonus, was the temperature was warming up nicely, so that was also no issue. We move off the running track, across a narrow grass strip, snow, and onto a gravel road. Blast was the "lucky one" of the day having the unusual things happen on his track. While we were still on the running track, we saw about a dozen kids come down from a house way up to the right, out onto the road and over where an article was, and continue to walk over our track in front. Shortly after, they turned around and went back the way they came. I was hoping they didn't take my article, and wondered about all the new little feet all over our track and corner.
Blast made a nice left turn on the gravel driveway and we head towards the corner and the article before it. (They were close, not legal in a test, but done occasionally in training - however I never expected the other issue with the kids in the same area!) The blue line shows the route the kids took, both ways. The red arrow points out the wood article. He paid no attention to all the kids when they were trooping on down, which delighted me. Above he is motoring on with no problems. Before we reach the corner, a car drove up in front and parked right over our track where we cross the road and turn on the cement walkway....
So there's the car, and follows...the fellow also got out and walked over our track. Blast found his article seeming paying no attention to all the fresh footsteps. I'm looking for something special to give him for doing such hard work up to this point.I've also circled a kids' mitt stuck in the snow which he ignored until after this point. He sniffed at it as we went past without much interest. So we cross the 'now very contaminated roadway'...
No problem, he says, we'll just go in front and figure it out. At that point, two people show up in a side doorway which caught the attention of both of us. I remember thinking, please don't come this way...they didn't, he put his nose down, found the right turn and moved on past the car down the walk.
Reaching this corner of the building, the wind and scent always whip around the corner. For some reason, (we've been here in the past) it's like a gust sucked around the corner even when not windy. Blast takes a whiff down that way and then will come back on the track.
Hard to see, I've drawn a red line showing our track moving ahead, and the left turn shortly after we reach the grass which takes us over some snow and into the paved parking area.
I wait, he is exactly in my footsteps crossing the snow.
I love this picture. I would love this nose down posture all the time!!! Don't we all wish for that?! It always gives you such confidence when you see you dog working like this, however, that's a dream to get this all the time!
There was a right turn near the other side and he is working nicely toward his final article, an old work glove.
And there it is...he's alread begun to pick it up. I've been giving him old work gloves for his final article now and he starts to shred them right away, holding it down with his feet and ripping it apart. When I reach him, we will play tug for a bit and likely it will end up in the garbage after this!
No problem, he says, we'll just go in front and figure it out. At that point, two people show up in a side doorway which caught the attention of both of us. I remember thinking, please don't come this way...they didn't, he put his nose down, found the right turn and moved on past the car down the walk.
Reaching this corner of the building, the wind and scent always whip around the corner. For some reason, (we've been here in the past) it's like a gust sucked around the corner even when not windy. Blast takes a whiff down that way and then will come back on the track.
Hard to see, I've drawn a red line showing our track moving ahead, and the left turn shortly after we reach the grass which takes us over some snow and into the paved parking area.
I wait, he is exactly in my footsteps crossing the snow.
I love this picture. I would love this nose down posture all the time!!! Don't we all wish for that?! It always gives you such confidence when you see you dog working like this, however, that's a dream to get this all the time!
There was a right turn near the other side and he is working nicely toward his final article, an old work glove.
And there it is...he's alread begun to pick it up. I've been giving him old work gloves for his final article now and he starts to shred them right away, holding it down with his feet and ripping it apart. When I reach him, we will play tug for a bit and likely it will end up in the garbage after this!So many unplanned and difficult things for Blast on this track, but he did so well, I couldn't be more happy with him!
