Rotten Raining Tracking Day

Thumbs down to the weather forecast!!! Tascha took a day off work, we had great tracking plans for Emma, Tank, and Blast, and then some work with Kira. There had been off and on drizzle, light rain was forecast, and part way through Tanks' track (who went first) the heavens opened. Blast, then Emma got thoroughly soaked, as did their handlers! Could do nothing with Kira when wet - taking her into places, so what a write-off. We only wanted to go home and get out of our wet clothes and warm up. I (wimpy) took this pic. from inside my van. Tascha got some nice pics. of Tank, and then the rain was too heavy to use the camera, so none of Blast and only this one of Emma. Driving home, our local roads were almost flooded across. So a double thumbs down to the weather forecasters!!!

Out with the dogs...

Who is going to catch it? The rubber hose is coming down, both Tank and Blast are ready. Trust thinks they are both nuts!I'm "so good" at tossing things into trees and getting them stuck up there. Blast is taking a good look, and deciding if there's any chance that he can get it.And takes a closer look, hmmm...climb the tree or jump? That would be a big jump!!He takes a huge leap, reaches and balances with one leg on the trunk, reaches up and grabs it. This dog is a jumping jack when he's determined to get something.And I did it again, out with Kira this time...no, this is not Blast! I had thrown this from quite a distance, and was walking up to get it myself, when I realized she was going to try. Sure enough, she is carrying the same 'jumping beans' in her as Blast has.And just a reflective moment with Kira after we got rid of some of the 'jumping beans'...

Storm "smells the roses"

Storm has always liked to smell flowers...and these are actually two peonies I just picked, not roses.

I was just implying that no matter how old he gets (almost 16 1/2 now), he still takes time to enjoy........

He's such a cutie.

Kira - Head Shot

I think I'm going to love my new little camera, but until I finally learn all the settings, (how long will that take?!!) am going to try and leave it alone. There's a pet face recognition, and pet setting, really neat stuff. I especially have to work on the movement so hope my pics. will be better for tracking.

Tanks' Track from Wednesday

I've mentioned Tanks' track in the previous posting about Blast. Tank did his track first, and Blast did an almost identical track "over" this one. You can see the similarities and in this one, the building and choices available on the last leg as I mentioned in the Blast one, but didn't have a picture to demonstrate.This was the tuft of grass I mentioned they both went to. And here you can see my track out onto the gravel/sand parking area.Not sure why Tank was tracking off to the left. He was first on, the light breeze was coming mainly from behind us. He went past the corner, made a big circle to the left and then came back to the turn going right.His first article was also a metal one. He looks like he's praying!?!I skipped the big section on grass, which is on Blasts'. Tank did it ok, but head up a lot looking around, and tried to go to two trees. He moved off the grass into the driveway and made cut his turn short, but worked not badly down the gravel driveway. The corner ahead, he cut really short and rushed into the grass area.This is the area I mentioned on Blasts' track where you could lay the track here, as we did, or over the rocks on the grass on the other side, or on the other side of the cement thing, on the gravel, a narrow path with the rink boards on the other side.

Nothing you'd have in a test, but interesting for training something a little different.

In this picture, Tank has just reached his plastic article.

A plastic light switch, ok in this location, not anywhere it may be run over, as I once did.Very shady here, which was nice, it was so hot, so completely different on each side of this structure on the grass.Across the driveway, he worked to the left of the track like Blast did. Tanks' article was a leather wallet, and it was hidden over the other side of the cement entrance.He is standing over the article, and then he picked it up and brought it to me.

I plan to do some work with them both, components, and not full tracks so we can work on a few little problems and fine tune other things. Also won't go out again until the weather is less hot for them.

2 Tracks Wednesday

First leg of Blasts' track yesterday, because of heat building up so quickly, a change of plans in locations and aging. I laid Tanks' track first, and put him on it quickly, and then re-did the track for Blast, so both had only about 15 mins. aging. Also decided to do Tank first, as he's more experienced, and would be a "bonus" for Blast. My biggest concern was leaving any or both in the van for any length of time.Blast worked well across the driveway, only giving a quick glance to a fellow walking along the road, to the left, swinging a cane. I had thought this may be a concern for him, so was really pleased he was so focused on the track.He seemed to show little difference in his style on both veg. and non-veg. which is great....bearing in mind, the track was double-laid and extremely fresh.Tank had worked in this spot the same as Blast did. First checking around the flower pots, and both very interested in the little tuft of grass to his right ( I assumed a dog had marked here ) as this is also at the corner of the building. You can see where I walked out from the grass to the gravel, just to his left.Blast just overshot the corner and has turned and is now standing directly on it. Again, you can see my footprints turning right.He was tracking a little to the left of his track, bearing in mind, Tank had already been through here, and he has just turned to the article in this picture.I'm getting the cold shoulder here! He barely paused when he found the metal article, and just wanted to move on. So from a distance behind him, I asked for a down and got a sit.

I'm not a fan of obedience on the track, or killing the drive by asking for it. Right now, I'd be happy with just a momentary, but clear, stop and look. I'd rather have him happily tracking and moving at a good, steady pace right now.This was quite a long stretch of hard surface, after the corner early on. I was happy with how Blast worked along here.This area had nice, short grass and I know a lot of people walk their dogs through here. We were lucky there was no-one there fairly early in the day.Having said that, he had just taken a fast detour to a previous tree (like the one above) off the track. I prevented him from reaching it, this was a problem I had early on with Trust, and in training, I will NOT allow the dog to reach the tree and learn it is ok...because it's not.Blast made the transition from the grass to the gravel with no problem. He did overshoot the corner, on the gravel, and continued on into some weeds, before turning back to find the corner, above. Moving down the gravel driveway, he's about to zip to the left where there is stagnant water (not shown). Again, I stopped him before reaching this. Allowing the dog to search for scent is one thing, but learning to show interest in obvious distractions, IMO, are not allowed in training.Back on the track and dead on down to the next corner. Really nice working along here.He has just made the turn and I'm waiting to move forward, letting him cross over to the grass first. This is an 'interesting' area to work the dogs, especially when it is windy. This 'roofed over' structure was built last year as winter protection over top of an outdoor skating area. So you have wind gusts at times, and a large shaded area as you see above on the one side. You can go up through a paved area in between and also out on the sunny part of the grass. More of this above area shows on Tanks' track which I will put on later.We've passed through the long grassed area side of the roofed structure where he found a plastic article. Here we've just crossed a narrow driveway and the red arrow points to his small leather article. He crossed just left of the track and will turn to the article, also another obstacle as it's up on the ramp, and hemmed in by the building and fenced in generator.And there it is! Now that's a stop, and I'd be happy with that at any time, it's a clear indication.

Walkin' the dogs...

Poor Kira has to dig rocks out of the driveway to carry around with her. It's a tough life.Yesterday I took Trust and Kira for a walk together and they pretty much just ignore each other, so it works out fine now and again. However, Kira does try to get Trusts' attention, and looked like she was going to jump off the bale on top of her if the timing was right...

I'm very sad, I've lost my camera that I carry and take everywhere with me. Well, not lost, it's broken and checking on Friday at two camera stores, it seems it likely costs more to send it off to be fixed than to buy a new one. I think it just died from over-use! I dug out the previous one, and it takes pretty good pictures, above and below, but is too big to stick in my pocket, and have to sling it around my neck.

I went to Northgate on Friday with Kira for socializing work and it was too cumbersome to take pictures. While there, there was an amazing display I'd recommend to everyone if it is ever in your area: The Incredible World of Bugs created by John G. Powers (you can google it) with amazing butterflies, moths, etc.

As I had Kira working with me, I couldn't spend the time looking at it as much as I would have liked to and hope he will be back again! Meanwhile, he took some pictures of Kira meeting people which he is going to forward to me. I hope he remembers!

I think I've found a neat little camera I'm considering now, even smaller than my broken one, but more pixels and very reasonably priced.

David and I were out for three walks this morning in the rain. Trust and Tank first, Blast second, and then Kira. Rain wasn't as heavy on Kiras' walk so got a few pictures. All the dogs were soaked so it smells like wet dogs here today...fun walks though, even if raining! Here we were walking through the lupins down the side of the driveway.Awwwww....a couple of years ago I had a nice picture of Trust and Tank sitting in the lupins that the local newspaper put on their 'local' page.Blast found this toy on 'his' walk that had been out all winter a few feet of the trail. It smelled like a fox had marked it and I managed to sneak it away from Blast and left it out there. Of course, next walk, Kira discovered it! A prize!!! So off she went racing around with it.