September 2023

Started to get back on the track. It's 9/18, and Duck has been out 3 times. Just single straight short track as he does not like warm weather tracking. On 1st track, I dropped food. S8 W20 F10. He was turning back to get the food, but it had ants and 3 deer ran in front of us just a little ahead of the end article. Not a great season intro. He did drop at the glove and got food from my hand. On 2nd & 3rd outings, I changed the scuff walk pattern. S5W30F15 and added a right turn. As I was getting Duck out of the car...Cross tracks got added by a man who walked his dog across the 1st leg, then they turned and I watched his dog pick up Ducks food drop and pee on my article.

Duck was air sniffing at the start but I waited for his nose down and off we went. He stayed on the track, got the food, lifted his head and turned to investigate the cross tracks, first right, then left and did swing back onto my track path. At turn, he lifted head turning both ways and went a about 5 feet past the turn but swung back nicely on the track. Didn't seem to care there was no food, peed near the article and then downed to indicate on side away from pee. I was pretty happy that he had so much focus.

On 3rd track this month, I did left turn with S5 W40F20, left turn, then right turn. Good start, but may be trending to not down at start article which was his style last year. He was nose down and when he raised his head, I stopped and he turned back to get the food. Next food drop he went right by it, hit the turn, and I'm seeing him raise head as he hits the turn, glances to the turn, then the other way and goes a few feet passed it. Then, went back to the track on the 2nd leg. All good...oh, no, no....corner of my eye....here comes a buck. He's on 2 legs pulling, I bring him back to me to wait. And the buck stands on the edge of the tree line. We wait. After it wanders off, Duck does go back to tracking, when he hits the buck path he does sniff it left and then right, but....hurray ! He goes back and continues the track that he was working! Took the right turn without lifting head or passing it, then quickly to down at the article. He was great at getting back to work, did the

The 2nd turn well, as he wanted to finish up and get back to looking for the buck. The deer are to enticing and I was super pleased that he did complete his track.