Week 13 - Practice 2
- Heather McNamee
- Feb 10
- 3 min read
2/10/2025
Today we met up with three Tidewater tracking people and Flora at Yorktown.
Each track is Double Laid with treats and an End Article.
Right now I am currently about 5' down the long line from Wren.
We have also successfully been adding the cue 'go tracking' to pair with the start of the track when she's eager to start.
Session 1:
Weather: 43F, 65% Humidity, Overcast, Wind NE 6mph.
Located at open fields at Yorktown. Rough chopped straw/brambles.
Track One - Double laid. Open Angle Right 12:50pm
Aged 20 minutes while we ran Finwe
80 yd
Treats spaced every 18 paces. One treat also placed for 5 steps leading into, and then 5 steps leading back out of the Open turn.
End Flags are in a V 20 paces past the End Article.
Track Two - Double laid. Open Angle Right 1:59pm
Aged 30 minutes while we ran Finwe
90 yd
Treats spaced every 18 paces. One treat also placed for 5 steps leading into, and then 5 steps leading back out of the Open turn.
End Flags are in a V 20 paces past the End Article.
Track One - Double laid. Open Angle Right 3:40pm
Aged 30 minutes while we ran Finwe
100 yd
Treats spaced every 18 paces. One treat also placed for 5 steps leading into, and then 5 steps leading back out of the Open turn.
End Flags are in a V 20 paces past the End Article.
GOAL FOR THE TRACK:
To lengthen the spacing for food drops.
Continue working on end article fun in distracting environments.
How did it feel?
The tracks themselves felt pretty good! Wren was pulling her weight and I feel like I as her teammate was not on my best game mindset today. I'm so proud of her for handling the terrain and tracks in the rough fields.
List three things the dog did well:
Working through a nice smelly wildlife filled field with rabbits and plenty of deer scat.
She's doing so well waiting patiently for her cue to start while I hook up her harness.
Turning her little nose back to find the center of the track verses tracking beside the line a few times I noticed her turn that glorious little head to the side and pop back over on track.
List things you’d like to improve:
My handling as far as supporting Wren and I learning to track on the 'line', verses drifting to just beside the line. I feel like we stay on track pretty decently but want to sharpen up my hands on understanding of supporting her learning.
Being a better track layer! I failed poor Team Finwe on their Track #3 when I did not get the drag line properly tightened on their article to wiggle it for them. I then made the bad judgement call to try slipping the loop back around the article while Finwe was distracted.
Being more mindful of how i interact with Wren when rewarding her on the track. Specifically our track #3. For some reason I have no clue why...I snatched up the article instead of leaving it for her to grab and be rewarded again. I caught myself and dropped the article while her back was turned but still. I need to be more mindful in general when I am in the moment instead of just giving kneejerk reactions whether it is working with my dog or with someone else.
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.
Continue reading her cues better with directions and drifting vs recentering.
the only thing i would add to judi's thoughtful comments, is there is value in using TWO flags on the first leg - start and +30 yards, just like in a test. it can give you valuable information to support a confident correct start. and sometimes i think your excitement at the article may be a bit much for her, try a whisper. and when you put out articles for a game, have Flora hold her while you whisper to the articles and quietly put them down having such a good time with them. then go get her and walk her in a serpentine through them. maybe less will be more!
Who besides Lauritz? Some great people in that club!
When Wren is motoring straight down the track like this, go ahead and let her take line. Your goal is to keep the line pressure the same…so pinch it between your fingers and let her pull it out to about 10’. She starts to waver? MOVE UP!
PERFECT job supporting the turn on track 2. Any, BTW, what made track 2 hard was that Flora laid it diagonally across the mow pattern. And Wren did not care! Awesome training!
She’s definitely showing more interest in the articles, still not what we want. Wanna try the article on a string with her on your tracks? SHe’s playing nicely with them on t…