Tracking With Otis

 January 26, 2024  8:10/8:35 68 degrees 4MPH Fog burning off to sun 67% Open angle left turns; S5W5FD; easily distracted today from track-squirrels, man loading truck on proximate property, geese over head. Although a sighthound that does stop to gaze, Otis was much more easily distracted today than usual. When he would return to the track, he did well including the turns. Article indication today: pawing and flipping at the end of each track, actually pawed each start article

 January 24, 2024  36 degrees 4MPH 79% Cloudy Snow melted      8:45/9:00 Observing behaviors esp at turns (both open angle left) ; work on article indication S5W5FD Both tracks today he was often off to the left, on the turn of the second track he pulled hard left before the turn and seemed frustrated when I wouldn’t go with him, wondering if he was trying to cut the corner and how to handle  Article indication: pawed and flipped articles up into the air. I had the thin slices of lunch meat at the ready and was able to throw them down on top of the article as he started his pawing motion (slices work well for me as they are easy to grab in my pocket, hold on to and throw down where I want them to land) 

1/22/24  27 degrees 2 MPH 19% 3 tracks with goal of working on article indication About 60% of snow melted, ground frozen All tracks had open angle left turns; pattern S5W5FD Otis would get slightly off the track and self correct; overshot turns then hooked back to them On the first track he completely walked over the article (bright green eyeglass case) I kept his leash short, said nothing, stared at the article and kept my hand ready to get treats. When he recognized the article and pawed it, I threw on top of it his cold cut. Waited until he repeated and lots of verbal as well as culinary reward each time. Track 2: recognized the article, pawed it. Rewards for his brilliance! Track 3: indication again with no prompting!

 

1/18/2024  31 degrees 2MPH 57% First open angle left turns, did not do food drops as they drop into the snow and are more distracting (stopping to paw in the snow) in my opinion than helpful so the pattern was S5W5. Otis almost pulled me off my feet following both tracks  and barely overshot both turns. Big party time when, at the end of each track, he pawed the article in the snow and I threw sliced cold cuts on the articles! 😳 Partied all the way back to the car!  I had an amazing GoogleEarth lesson from an amazing friend!

 45 degrees Windy (Note: Tracking on 1/12) 3 tracks, Videoed 1st: Open angle right 80 yds, 20 yds—tracked well and at the turn circled behind me and took the turn; however article indication non-existent so note to self: article indication inconsistent and needs work 2nd: Open angle right 150 yds, 50 yds—I did not pick up the start article ;-(  Could have used it to get O back to work after distraction; did not follow him when he told me clearly the track went right, he did a super job on the turn, practiced article partying at end of 1st track so this time indication much better 3rd:  Straight 80 yds practiced article partying when he indicated it