11/22/25 advanced start track
65F, 59% humidity, light breeze so either across the track or with the track direction.
Outcome: Duck has really nice down indications. Need work on turns and he struggled on this exercise. I almost quit on first track but backed up and when he slightly went in the right direction I went. On that first track he was really looking for food drops. On to the next ones and the food helped him, he turned back for it. The scuff in and or out of turns led to a less frustrated dog but he struggled.
I will probably do the top hat track with his SWF as he tracked better with that yesterday than with the start track today. It’s a bit frustrating how he does ok and then the next day today I am wondering what is his nose doing. He is so happy at the end article that I just have to smile.
Jen is so right about different days, etc! Like us, dogs are not machines; we know you know that, but sometimes it helps to hear it anyway. Jen's description is perfect and the idea of setting up the turns with differing styles of reinforcement and filing away his responses is a great idea.
Different days will bring different results - even if we were to run the same track matching all conditions we could like age, food, weather. We dont fully know what they are taking in and processing and I guess in a sense, our days go in a similar way of you work the same job daily. It certainly makes some days head scratchers. One day off? Not really anything to worry about. Three or more consecutive sessions gone awry? Definitely need to evaluate.
Sounds like you made a good call giving him some additional support on that turn that was a struggle since he wasn't having his best day. Try the top hat next and give him scuffs in and…