1/19/2025

Brigid--Goals: To get Brigid further accustomed to tracking in unusual conditions (ground about 50% snow cover), and to start to work from close behind her, to refine handling skills.

Relatively short (230), young (20 min) track, 3 turns, food drops every 25 yards, no scuffing. Cover roughly 50/50 grass and snow (quickly disappearing). Cloudy with drizzle, 42°, calm, RH 81%.

I brought Brigid to the start roughly perpendicular to the first leg, She immediately detected the "turn" and tracked very accurately down the short (50 yard) first leg (mostly snow). She showed loss-of-scent a few steps beyond the corner (open right) and found the leg very quickly. I was pleased with the way she stuck with that leg (almost entirely grass) in spite of the strong smell of rodent under those trees. Her second turn (open left) was not quite as well-executed as the first; she went about 10-15 feet beyond the corner before stopping and circling to intercept the third leg, halfway down which she passed from grass to snow easily. Easily found the last leg at the 90° right corner; on this leg she ignored several cross-tracks of unknown age; she did track about 3' wide for much of the leg. Here I simply fell in behind her and followed as she drifted back to the exact line to the final article.

No video.

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