Week 11 - Practice 1

1/29/2025

We practiced 4 total tracks in 2 sessions.

Wren and I met up with Flora and Finwe for the first session, then did our 2nd session alone.

We also laid a quarter track to record.

Each track is Double Laid with treats and an End Article.

Session 1: (video1 is of Session 1, the quarter track, video 2 are the maps for my tracks, and the maps i made for Flora. I ran out of wix memory for photos. whoopsie)

• Weather: 60F, 30% Humidity, Fair weather, Wind WSW 18mph.

• Located at park in Newport News, dogs and Disc Golf bros walking all around the fields.

  • Track One - Open Angle to the Right 11:07am

    • Aged minutes.

    • 70 yd on short grasses

    • Treats spaced every 8 Steps. 4 steps are treats leading into, and then 4 leading back out of the Open turn.

  • Track Two - One - Open Angle to the Right 11:47am

    • Aged minutes.

    • 90 yd on short grasses

    • Treats spaced every 8 Steps. 4 steps are treats leading into, and then 4 leading back out of the Open turn.

    
    

Session 2:

• Weather: 59F, 35% Humidity, Fair weather, Wind SW 5mph.

• Located at a field along the edge of Colonial Williamsburg / Downtownish area.

  • Track Three - Open Angle Left 3: 30 pm

    • Aged 10 Minutes

    • 70 yd on short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 10 Steps. Two treats spaced closer at the turn.

  • Paused to play super short article game.

  • Track Four - Open Angle Right 4:00 pm

    • Aged 10 Minutes

    • 70 yd on short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 10 Steps. 5 steps of treats leading into and out of the track.

GOAL FOR THE TRACK:

• To lengthen the spacing for food drops.

• Continue working on end article fun in distracting environments.

How did it feel?

• Pretty good. You can see me suddenly remember that I'm supposed to be letting the line slide a bit before I step after her. I don't think she noticed me accidentally holding her back a second to long as I changed my handling style mid track... she was rearing to go go go. Over all I am very happy with us though and know we will continue fine tuning as we continue learning the game of tracking.

  
  

List three things the dog did well:

1. Following the track in a field that gets heavy foot traffic. (little drifting towards the walking path in the first track, but she then went back tot he track and did what I feel was so well)

2. I believe I see her getting more ideas about end articles. So even when she tried to continue past (2nd track), I am happy to see her pausing at the article to acknowledge it while I'm trying to encourage her to get I get it get it. There was a man and his dog just barely off camera walking toward us, so that was a distraction too I was proud of her for being as into the game as she was with the distraction.

3. A little starting flag race horse. haha She's been doing very well waiting for me to get her harness on before I use her release word to launch to the start.

   
   

List things you’d like to improve:

1. Continue improving my handling of 'in the moment' her acknowledging the article/rewarding. (I promise I'm not just copying and pasting this to be lazy. I defiantly feel myself thinking about too many tasks that I have to consciously remind myself to be ready to support Wren when it comes to the end article.)

2. Improve my handling in turns as well as remembering to let the line slide that small bit before I move myself to take the next step. I also need to work on my posture. I catch myself leaning forward like I'm trying to hover and see what she's looking at. This little power puppy is going to send me flying one day and it'll be my own fault. haha!

3. LAYING TRACKS I need to check my front AND back line ups (when I use a back lineup because the front wasn't great.) I also need to make sure to mark important things along the track...like the ankle breaker hole... Silly Heather learned many lessons during this quarter track.

   
   

Goal for next track:

• Continue hyping up the article in puppy parties and get that value built.

• Continue stretching the food drop distance further along the tracks.

• I finally went to closing in person on my house in Georgia we sold...so... More time to practice tracking and more mental headspace to give to my pup!

Map's Video - Click Here (video being weird with youtube. I'm sorry for the button)