February 14

Millie--obstacles--changes of cover--short grass to long grass to woods; I also wanted to get her out on what little snow/ice was left. 370 yards, 4 turns. 1:15 old. Primary purpose was to give her something relatively easy after three weeks off. Three articles plus start.

Fair start, good attention to track. Two turns needed little or any searching at all; two required work, but she got them in the end. Since I have been laying all the tracks myself, I'm not sure if I have been cuing her. Stopped at each article, but did not go down.

February 16

Brigid--long track exercise (535 yards). Old Longwood Golf Course. Overcast, 47 degrees, moderate breeze. Ground damp-wet after soaking rain the day before. Because of the lack of a long stretch (the golf course was littered with fallen branches or trees), I had to do this exercise with six turns. Age 40 minutes. Food drops every 30 yards to provide motivation.

Granted the relatively easy conditions (aside from the Force 4 wind) Brigid handled almost every challenge on this track surprisingly well. She had no trouble with the primary goal, which was to maintain her attention and zeal throughout the length of the track. She covered the track with as much energy at the end as at the beginning. Very good track discipline this time--she only wanted to track parallel 3' wide only once, and came back to the track on her own. She even followed step by step a detour I had made around very deep (10") standing water. Two problems: she had to work hard on one turn, and I suspect I cued her; she also gave a passing glance, but little more, to the glove at the end.

Next session: Age. I want to see how she does on a 2:15 old track. We will continue to lay a foundation for better article indication at home.

February 17

Millie--class. Mid-40s, breezy, ground damp but drying. Four-turn blind track, with obstacles (woods, stream bed). Two hours old. Two articles plus start.

Start fair, after a bit of searching. Once she started her body position and movement showed she was clearly tracking. Entered a narrow strip (5 yards?) of woods with a stream running through it. She clearly knew the track ran through the stream to the other side, but she balked at crossing. After about a minute of verbal encouragement she didn't walk through, but rather jumped the stream. She stayed with the track to the next wood line. There she showed much confusion, but after she tried to lead me into the woods for a third time I followed. We were quickly called back. The turn at the wood line was actually to the right. Once I put her on it she followed the track with decision to the first article, which she indicated not in the approved way, but by stopping, staring and shaking. She continued to follow the track along the woods until she found and made a left turn into the woods. 

        In the woods she seemed to follow the track well, although she missed the first turn. She did continue well to the second, which she made nicely. For a variety of reasons (mostly having to to with my handling) she went up to the point where the track left the woods, but then showed some confusion for a considerable time until she was led back to the point of exit. From there she negotiated the track to and across a gully and to the final article. Again, indicated in her own fashion.

What I liked: a) when she had the track she gave clear tracking behavior--head down, pulling into the harness, etc. I don't know how close to the various legs she followed, since I did not lay the track, but when she was on she neither drifted nor cast about; b) her turn into the woods was clear and convincing.

What needs work: a) her starts need work--she makes them, but with great effort; b) turns on older tracks--this track was only two hours old, but she only made two out of four turns cleanly. I need to enlist help to lay blind tracks, so I am not cuing her in practice and I develop a better sense of when she is really on a track and when she wants to go into the woods for the hell of it; c) her article, indications, while clear, might in some cased seem ambiguous, so we'll have to reinforce the down at the article.

Next time: an article track. She needs something easy and fun after working hard in class. She has a vet appointment later in the week, but over the weekend we'll have to do some starts.

[Note: None of these tracks has a video--I have yet another set of batteries coming for my Gopro, but if they fail to solve my ongoing problems, I shall have to pop for another unit.]