Week 7 - Practice 1 (With Catch Up Post of Week 6 - Practices 1 & 2)

Week 6's (12/23 & 12/26) were our return to tracking after a tummy bug bounced between Wren and Stella. (Putting Wren off of food motivation)

Both days the tracks are laid with chicken and no articles.

12/23/24 I laid 3 tracks back to back: (no video)

• Weather: F, % Humidity,

  Partially Cloudy, Wind WNW 13mph. Gusts 25mph.

• Located in random field along shopping center.

  • Track One -

    • 40 yd on short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 15 inches.

  • Track Two -

    • 40 yd in short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 15 inches

  • Track Three -

    • 50 yd in short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 15 inches.

• Wren was a bit distracted by vultures on track 1 (they were flying low) but then consistently stayed focused on track 2, and 3.

  
  

12/26/24 I laid 3 tracks back to back: (no video)

• Weather: 50 F, 52% Humidity,

  Partially Cloudy, Wind NE 9mph.

• Located in open field near marshlands Savannah, Ga.

  • Track One -

    • 50 yd on short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 15 inches.

  • Track Two -

    • 60 yd in short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 15 inches

  • Track Three -

    • 60 yd in short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 15 inches.

• We had pedal to the metal Zoom tracks for tracks 2 and 3. I did not run after her, keeping a steady pressure with a little faster walk.

12/30/24 I laid 3 tracks back to back:

These tracks were laid with chicken.

I added an article (wallet) at the end of tracks 2, & 3.

• Weather: 57 F, 66 % Humidity,

  Sunny, Wind W 12mph.

• Located in picnic area along river bank on Fort Eustis.

  • Track One -

    • 60 yd on short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 15 inches.

  • Track Two - wallet

    • 60 yd in short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 15 inches

  • Stopped to play article game

  • Track Three - wallet (video)

    • 60 yd in short grasses.

    • Treats spaced every 15 inches.

      
      

Below are all written for 12/30/2024

GOAL FOR THE TRACK:

• To introduce end article to tracks.

How did it feel?

• Felt solid on track 1.

• Track 2,

  • she immediately grabbed one piece of food off the article (left the food I dropped on it while marking) and wanted to zoom to follow my path off the track. (Nose down, following my steps away from the track.) So I tossed one piece of food on the article then the went to eating all the food and nudging the walt before picking it up and dropping it at my feet.

• Track 3,

  • we stopped first to play an article game then I laid track 3. (video)

    
    

List three things the dog did well:

1. Staying on track, not really trying to weave off path much.

2. Staying focused on the ground to smell.

3. Ignoring loud equipment. (We had a very very scary incident where some strangers set off very large ear ringing fireworks on 12/28 just 20 yds from me and the dogs while on a potty break at a hotel traveling.)

   
   

List things you’d like to improve:

1. My skill set in clarifying to my little espresso bean pup that the article is the goal, not following my steps off the track.

2. My timing in rewarding her engagement with the article.

   
   

Goal for next track:

• Continue working on her recognizing the article as a 'goal'.

• Play article games in more public settings.