Week 57 - Practice 2

• ***Update 12/21/25: I just noticed Wren is in hwr 2nd Heat Cycle, so maybe that was a factor or maybe it wasn't. Either way, good to note for myself to keep an eye on. ❤️

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• Track 1

  • Located at open field used for parking.

    • Single laid. Article Track

      • Short cut field grass.

      • Aged: 30 Minutes

      • 6 Articles Total In this Order: Hat, Wood Block, Knotted Scarf, Hard Plastic Case,  fabric webbing with hard plastic, sock.

      • Start flag with article, 10 yards 1 food, 10 yards article, 10 yards food, repeat.

• Track 2

  • Located at open field that gets lots of human and wildlife cross tracks.

    • Single laid. 2 Turns, Left and Left.

      • Short cut grass.

      • Aged: 35 Minutes

      • 262 yds total.

      • Start Article: sock, End Article: knotted scarf

      • Food Drop Pattern: Shuffle 5 steps -->15 Paces--> Food Drop -->15 Paces-->Scuff 5-->15 Paces-->Food Drop. Repeat.

      • Scent Pad w/Food at 5 Yards, and after each turn.

        
        

GOAL FOR THE TRACK:

• Article indications, and continued practicing of tracking in a field we haven't been in a while.

  
  

How did it feel?

• Article Track felt amazing!

  • Look at that little girl slamming articles around. Big difference.

  • It was really hard trying to be fast enough to move the article a little foot away while she was getting her treat so she can 're-find' it for the 3x indications. But it was a fun exercise and I felt like we were both having fun verses frustration. (Please refer to my last blog post with my private lesson at Judi's)

• The 2nd Track. Ok it felt decent other than Turn #2. However, is it weird that I am glad this hiccup happened? Well not glad, but excited to learn from this.

  • I have never experienced a puzzle like this with Wren and I. Honestly, I do not think I have ever had to throw food on the track to get her back into tracking before. (Even in her early tiny baby tracks)

  • Not to make stories, but something had her insisting on going straight towards the woods. Maybe it was the squirrels running into the bushes, or maybe the scent was wafting down this bowl (3 sides are a hill going down towards the woods) and maybe the woods were catching the scent? Who knows! But my girl was pretty frustrated with me. I felt bad about that in the moment. I will say my brain was like Oh No Now What? I know this turns, I know it isn't straight, I am trying to hold her back from continuously checking the wrong direction. (Golly is this 47lb Terv Strong!)

  • I can't decide if I should have tossed down an article and called it done, or if the food toss I did was right? Or if there is a better way to handle that?

  • I am very happy that even though she got so fed up with me, that with a little help, the food toss, she popped right back to work and still did great finishing the track.

  • I am super super eagerly awaiting feedback on this one because I genuinely have never had Wren so fed up with me before, that she doesn't know what to do. I also am watching the video back and can't decide if she tried to go Left, or if that was her normal circle for loss of scent.

  • I really want to know if I misread her left check as a loss of scent when she was actually trying to take me that way. If so, it would still be unusual that she didn't seem to try that way again.

  • I realize I am rambling now. I am just genuinely excited to learn from this because it is such an unusual event for Team Wren.

    
    

List three things the dog did well:

1. Articles! yay Wren. Thank you Mary Ann and Judi for the constant help on this!

2. Working a field tore up by moles and voles (Very fresh ones! If you check out Finwe's video you'll see how fresh. haha!)

3. Even with that odd 2nd turn on track 2, the girl doesn't really give up. She wants to give it her all and I just so appreciate her desire to keep on. She is every bit the best part of this team and I love her so much.

   
   

List things you’d like to improve:

1. Ahhhhhhh! Feet feet feet! I started picking up a bad habit of immediately stepping off with my dog. Ha! I kept catching myself and you can see me half shuffling half leaning. That's ok, I will be more on top of it next time.

2. Setting up scenarios to better support my girl in those tough spots.

3. Get better at my timing for rewarding articles. A bit clunky