Last day of 4 wk. workshop

 We started with a beautiful early morning for our last day for four of the class members.  The rest will be finishing off on Sat.  This young buck was deciding whether to carry on, or turn and go back into the forest.

 Wisely, he decided to join his buddies, and off they went, so we could get started!

 Maurita and Thomas are preparing to enter a TDX this year.  They did a very nice track in a rolling area of the field.  I was so intent in watching, I forgot to take pictures until they were finished!  Maurita (black fly hat!) and Thomas are playing with the glove following their track.

 Carrie and Chimay did their first straight line track and 90 degree corner today, having been doing serpentines previously.  Great work, Chimay has done well with the nose-down work from the scent circles and serpentines.  She did a beautiful job on her corner.

 Ramona and Gracie (one of our elder dogs) heading out on their first straight leg.  Gracie made a little circle at her corner and then headed right onto her turn. Looking good again!

 Ramona again.  Gracie has just crossed a ditch with stinky water and dead grasses.  Gracie checked each way in the ditch, climbed out and immediately nose down on the track, and moved out. Very clear she was on the track.

Second short straight track for Chimay on her second leg, nearing her article. Good work again.
It had become very hot part way through our work today but the dogs worked very well.  I was very pleased with the dogs and handlers also.  We discussed a number of things they've learned and what to practice on, and getting together perhaps in a few weeks and seeing how everyone is doing.  I have one day left with the other group in this 4 wk. session, will post pictures from them in a few days.  I think there will be a few that plan to continue to work towards entering tracking tests, hoping to be ready for the fall, or next spring.  They are certainly capable if they continue to work towards this.  Now I need to work more with my own dogs for a while!

Waaay Too Hot Today!!

 Early morning I drove to the site we planned to use today, walked into the first field and these deer didn't even pay any attention to me.  On the road in..there were two female moose crossing, too far ahead to get a picture before heading off into a field.

 It was already over 22C when I started to set up some tracks.  Luckily (in one way) a couple of people couldn't come today, so it shortened the day a little.  It was honestly too hot to track today...getting up to 32C in the afternoon.  Above is Hunter, one of the blind dogs going out on his track.

 He has finished it, and is being rewarded by Rosemary.  Hunter did a super nice track, we did a full 'U' shape for him today, and he had absolutely no food on his track and worked very nicely.

 Loris' dog, Cruiser was really feeling the heat this morning, I think.  He has a thick coat and was reluctant to start.  We ended up quitting his track, and put him away for a while.  We then had Lori lay one for him with food on it, also a "U" and he did just fine.

 Little Charlie, the other blind dog in the class, is moving out just in front of Karen.  Once he got going on his "U" track, he did well.  He did another track later, laid by Rosemary, a simple 'L' shape and did very good on it as well. 

 Charlies' face is there somewhere!  He has no interest in the article as yet, so Karen gives him a squeeky ball toy when he reaches his article.  He has a lot of fun with this.

 Rosemary wanted to practice mainly on her starts today, so we did four tracks, from just one straight leg to two leg tracks, all varying lengths and all aged from short to long and in different fields.  I had Lori do a cross track on one, and Karen do a cross track on another.  Reese did exceptionally well with her starts today.  She also had no interest in the cross tracks.  She moved out from the scent pad really nicely and looked great.

 This was a second leg (you can see it) with Reese.  She has just reached her article.

She always lies down on her article and is being rewarded by Rosemary.
Really happy with the dogs working today, and it was unbearably hot, and NOT a good day to train.  Told them to wait for rain before going out again, supposed to get some, we are under fire bans of any kind right now.  Everyone did a good job!

Wed. Class

 Last Wed. was a cold and windy day.  I thought I uploaded these, but then remembered I had some problem and didn't go back to check.  Working on scent circles, much smaller and less food, and longer serpentines, mixed with straight legs and little food.  Even with the strong and gusty wind, the dogs kept their noses to the ground.

 So why don't we hear of more Bouviers in tracking?  Chimay has come along really well, but Carrie is also good at reading her.  Here they are doing work in a square.

 Had sharp rain blowing in nearing the end of the class.  Dogs just worked on well.

Cheryl is letting Gracie head into the small scent circle on her own.  Gracie didn't spend long in it, and headed right out onto her track.   (That's the wind blowing up Cheryls' coat - funny)  Nose down on Gracie.
The scent circles and serpentines have worked amazingly well with the dogs in classes this year, and wonderful for my Kira.  This was the only way I got my old Jess to start out on her own www.dogsincanada.com/jesss-story-an-old-dog-learns-new-tricks
I learned this method from Orrin & Susan Eldreds' book "Fascinating Scent".  It truly works well to start new dogs independently, nose down and stay on track.  Also helps to focus or slow a fast advanced dog.  I highly recommend it.