11/21/24 Tracking foundation skill track
- Maureen Woolley, Duck & River
- Nov 21, 2024
- 2 min read
58F; 65% humidity; dry short grass on sport field with no wind @ Huguenot Park
Goal- maintain spine along track line
Parameters- shuffle/scuff entire track then rewarded doing shuffle/scuff for 4 steps and FD, for total of 50 yds. Did two separate tracks this way. No articles, only start flag and end flag. Took a break before more tracks. On third and fourth tracks, I didn’t rewalk, scuff was more one foot placed ahead of the other not feet side by side and left an article at the end of the fourth track, but not near a flag.
Results
Track#1&2 River started with nose down at the flag area and went right out with spine on the track. Picked up food continued and went just to the left of the track. I did stay right behind her as she reached her head to the right to get the next food. I moved directly behind her but she stayed just to the left and reached out to her right for the food drops to the flag. I moved the leash off her harness. Walked her to the next start. Track 2 was very similar except she went past and turned around to grab the food which was next to my right foot.
Track #3 - She started out with spine in track and actually moved forward more quickly on this track line. She did pick up almost all food, did not turn around to get the food. At the end when I tossed her food she started sniffing around to continue on. Track #4 was at a right angle to #3 so I just let River keep going. She again stayed much truer to the track line, but did move over to the right of it briefly (turned out that was area where shade began). Then, she went back to being on the track. Quickened her pace on this track and as she neared the article and downed turned head to look at me. I was very happy with her starts in all the tracks and her down indication at the end article.
I did track #3&4 as I was puzzled by her being just to the left of track path on 1&2. Is it possible that she moves just off to the edge to decrease the intensity of the incoming odor and the left nostril is helping out by not having as much article odor and picking up different odors? On #3&4 which had less concentration of odor she kept her spine on the track.
Sadly my video attempts with my new device did not prove helpful as I don’t have the placement on my body correct to see the dog on the replay. But, I’ll keep trying.
I tried to post but it did not publish. So I will try again - make sure that you are using that 6 ft leash. I would continue multiple straight line tracks with her returning to the car in between.
Yeah, Valerie is correct. Let’s just look at the data…On Nov 21, she was slightly off a scuffed track, and more accurate to a heel toe walked track. That is all we know. You want to assume it’s concentration of scent (humans have scent, things have odor). It could be she’d learned from track 1 & 2, and that was demonstrated on 3 & 4. The cover could smell different. Track direction might be different. The rabbit who ran parallel to tracks 1 & 2 didn’t run next to 3 & 4. The possibilities are endless.
We gain nothing when we make up stories, and stories tend, over time, to blame the dog. Just the facts please!
Hi Maureen
I can hear Judi telling us that we don't know what they are smelling so I don't think trying to figure out what nostril is smelling what is going to help you.
It seems the difference in her tracking behavior was how you laid the track. Track 3 and 4 were more successful which you wrote was a step and then another step, more like heel toe, than steps beside each other. I would continue with the track 3 and 4 method if that produced the straighter tracking.
Of course, I defer my comments to JSE and MAM.
Yes, videos do help. I also have to try to video myself.