1/1/2024 Robious Athletic Fields

Misty rain, wet grass, 42F

River - S5W50F25 and scuff out of turns; crossed track pavement; distraction challenge from man doing laps walking his little white dog. New field for River as other soccer fields were being used.

Never tracked with River in this kind of weather, and she did well.

Crossing pavement on last leg went well. She did the typical cross perpendicular to the edge even though the track was not perpendicular. Didn't pick up food before change of surface so I'm going to eliminate that food drop next time. She did get the food on the track a couple of yards after the crossing.

Person and dog doing laps were not a factor, she ignored them after starting her track.

My plan was to practice running the line to 20 ft, maybe a little less at turns.

On first turn, I stopped walking as River got near the turn bc I sneezed twice and I had the line taut so that made River stop, turn and look at me. I looked up and she had already started into the turn direction. Poor timing as we really would have just kept moving. But, she coursed and went around me. Since I felt she had the turn before, I just stood and then she broke into the same track path. Next turn, left, she went only 2 ft beyond the turn and went left, so I didn't shorten up the line. She was to the right slightly of this leg on the track, but this was downwind. On right turn, she was really close to the actual pivot point. So, again, line was out to 20 ft., Same pattern for the next right turn. Final turn was open left, which she was out only a few of my steps past the pivot and she went directly to the track. As above, change of surface, she tracked parallel to the edge for a bit to take the cross perpendicular. Then after the cross she sniffed the egge back to the track and food. She got to the article and downed. Game over. Then she found her fetch ball.

River is seriously a pleasure to handle and watch track. She is so zen, on the track. Maybe, less when she's in her circle mode, but this maneuver is obviously to relocate the track. She seems to go no further than 5 yards from the turn pivot. Thinking back, when I limited the line to 10-15 ft, I would stand my ground for her head up or body turn very close to the turn marker flag.