Now this is a Bum View - actually, two bum views! At the scent pad with Blast. I'm trying to get him to spend a little more time there, as his preference is to move off quickly, and then to check the directions.
Which he did, then moves out on the track. This is a really nice location, behind a building and then we move around to the front later.
Above, we are on our third leg, I made short legs through a treed area for the first section.
The fourth leg curved around a bushy area and his first article (wood) is there.
No reason, I just liked this shot of him. Tascha took some nice angles of us tracking, and I had a huge number of pics. to go through to pick from.
As we move out past the bushy area, we go through a narrow portion on veg. still, with the building on our left. This takes us out to the front area.
Another left turn out here and we start out over hard surface on a driveway. Blast went a little to the left of the actual track while I waited, and he came back to the track.
We climbed over a grass hilly berm and then out onto another driveway/parking area and over to grass again. I've put on the track in red above, and a broken yellow line showing where he went. As I expected, he checked around the corner of the building before moving out parallel to the actual track.
Doing this, he went "past" the article on the grass, just before the pavement. He has just picked up the scent and will circle back to the article (sock).
This would be poor article placement in a test (in my opinion) but is something I like to train for as I know exactly where the track and article are. It's really like you are tricking the dog, with scent swirling around the corner of the building.
He has moved into the parking area and cut the left turn short, heading towards another article. This actually surprised me, as it is metal and flat, so I know he didn't see it. I'm not sure if he just picked up the track, or smelled the article, which would have been hard.
Blast went right to it, and pawed at it. This was just fine with me, I have a treat in my bag for him. This was a very good find!!!
We've continued past another driveway, short grass area, another driveway, and into this verg. area, turning left. He's working very nicely through here, it was actually quite sparse with some tansy and ragweed in there, not too pleasant.
I just liked this picture, too. Certainly shows a nice working tracking dog, I think.
Moving off veg. and onto another parking area with one more turn taking us to the end.
Blast was a bit to the left up here and began to follow a crack back to the track. Soooo interesting to see this. The red arrow farthest to the right points out his glove and the other arrow a container with sardines...yum.
Right to the article, he's such a good dog. He's paid no attention as yet to the sardine container. If he was "looking" rather than using his nose, he could have seen both of these a long ways back.
So, big praise for the article and then I showed him the container with the sardines, took the lid off and in he goes! I can't stand the smell of them, myself, but both he and Tank absolutely love them at the end of the track. Blast did a really nice track, working happily all the way. Having done so little work these last two months with the extreme heat we've had, I'm absolutely thrilled with how he is working.
