11/17/2025
- Maureen Woolley & Duck
- 6 days ago
- 1 min read
Tucker Park, Maidens, VA
55F, 28% humidity, sunny, only 5 mph WNW winds
Goal: start tracks with right turns. Work on my recognition of Duck doing a turn and following the actual track.
Outcome:
Duck is so enthusiastic and working much better than I’d expected given his extended break from this activity.
He has a nice down indication. Speedy start tracking which makes me wonder - should I pick up the start article when I bend down to him and he’s still lying down instead of picking it up after he starts out on the track ?? Although probably won’t matter with longer line.
He seems to pick his head up hitting turns and cast around to check the other directions but his head remains up until he puts his shoulder into the track with nose down. His tail is up but the very tip is flicky…maybe not an actual word.
He does come back to pick up missed food.
On next non start track, I may change S8W16F8 to S5W20F10 but incorporate scuffing, foodinto and out of turns.
Here is YouTube link to track video:
Taken from tripod so you will need to zoom in.
Nice! Enthusiastic indeed :)! I agree with Jen's comment in the text chain about practicing picking up that start article on the fly. Also, when he's tracking like this, use the opportunity to work on line handling. You were doing a great job staying close to him, but he was so enthused and on it, then that would be the time, that I'd stay on the turn a moment and play out line, then following, and let your distance be a little more behind. Then if you know you're on a longer leg, you also have time to practice, walking up the line to get close again.