Fall #18
Starts (2) near a residential/commercial area with contamination (asstd trash, dogs are walked there)
The first start track was an open angle right. FDs at 10, 15. The wind blew Otis to the left. I’d move in behind him and the magic would kick in bringing him back to the track. I used a 15 foot line and stayed at 4 to 5 ft until I neared the turn at the brush pile. It was a good marker to know EXACTLY where the turn was. I stopped, let him take the line and commit to the turn which he did beautifully then I stepped in behind him. He picked up the article for ham and praise for a job well done.
The second start track was a right angle left. FDs again at 10, 15. He tracked well stopping to check out trash (a favorite was a plastic Bundt cake cover 🙂) or other smells on the track but would get back to work. The turn this time was again easy to pinpoint as a flat rock in the ground. Again I stopped and let him take the line. He hooked back to the turn, committed and again I stepped in behind him. Great article retrieve for praise and pay.
Water and drive to the farm to run free.
Awesome! Is there a dog park in C-ville with enough land around it to track on? If you could set up a track within earshot of the dog park, but not in sight of it, might be a good way to start training him to work around dogs. Once successful at that distance, you can, on another session, move a little closer to the dog park. Clearly, not sessions in sequence, do easy stuff in between!
ReplyDeleteOther options are boarding kennels or doggy daycare facilities.
Sounds successful! Time to get away from fd 10,15. Let's go with a more random drop. There is a dog park in Goochland that I track Bean around. I can meet you there in early Jan and track across the street.
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