1/14/24 Huguenot Park

Track #1: stair step tracking exercise

Track#2: 3 turns- no scuff & 1 food drop per leg near midpoint

T1- on legs that had scuff prior to turn, River cut the corner short , only by a few feet but I was only out 10-15 ft. Not sure how much she'd cut if it were a much longer track. I feel she'd recover the track. She did go to the correct track line on the next leg. I am guessing that I need to figure this out as my prior dog, Daisy, didn't certify as she cut a turn too much. On turns without scuff and with scuff out, she had a nice tighter turn. There were a few teens kicking a soccer ball, but she didn't pay any attention to them.

T2- Tried not scuffing as in stair step track she did take the no scuff turn without any deviation from the track. This start found us with a dog on a walk as a distraction challenge. We waited for them to pass. Also, we had a couple trying to fly a kite on the portion of the field to our left on the 1st leg. On the first left turn, I expected a circle around me as the dog walker was parallel to the track. River did the go out and turn right then circle around me, and I tried to back up a few steps as she came toward me, but she just stopped and stood near me. When I didn't move she did go back to circling and ended up getting the track leg. I've noticed that I am usually going diagonal into the next leg. Next turn, she went and checked left then coursed right and got the track. Final turn was open right and she went out on it quickly, no coursing. Sometimes I feel that she 'cheats' and air scents the way to go. I am trying to patiently wait for her nose and head to go down before I move so I don't encourage the wrong behavior. Takeaway lesson from ourVST test. Still much harder to back up with her as she seems just come back to me.