Tracking With Otis

 Goal was distance and maintaining attention to track. The start went well I thought. When we approached the first turn I gave him more line. Looking at the video I can see he clearly showed me the right turn and I didn’t go with him which caused his frustration. As I remember I knew the turn was at the light pole but should have had a ground marker as well. On the second leg I cannot figure why part way into the leg he kept wanting to go left. Maybe from watching the video and with your knowledge you will know. The track was even to the right of where actually I was as you can see his taking a food drop to the right. Second turn was made well with a “leave it” for track trash at that turn. He did a nice job I thought of not being distracted by traffic, by a loud trash truck picking up trash on the road adjacent or by the track being close to the woods. He missed the final article and so did I! Then I see I pointed it out to him! UGH! I think I did a better job of line handling and...

 As suggested, I laid a track proximate to the woods with rewards on the track for staying on/coming back to the track. As rewards I used food drops and articles. I also used an article on the 2nd turn. I missed videoing the start, 1st leg and turn. The 1st turn was to the left away from going straight into the woods and then on to parallel the woods. Otis did a good job I thought of not pulling into the woods, turning left and staying on the long paralleling leg. He retrieved the articles on the leg and found the food drops. Unfortunately I am still dropping the line when he retrieves articles. My excitement gets the better of me but I must do better and remember to hold onto the line. Otis did a nice job of retrieving the article on the second turn then taking the turn rather than continuing straight. A great article retrieve at the end of the track.  https://youtu.be/1rA3YzdzkNg     https://youtube.com/shorts/MEiNvRDbWk4

 Mistakes today but I will learn from them. Some good takeaways to feel positive about as well. My idea was to have 3 turns with an article on each turn and intermediate articles on the 100yd legs. Articles and their reward for indication. No food drops. Since I was going to double lay the track, I marked each turn with a flag so I would be sure to rewalk accurately. Got so excited about the track and all its possibilities. Had an errand to run for Dan so Otis stayed at home with Dan while I laid the track and ran the errand which aged the track an hour and 20 minutes. Not a problem. The problem came when I picked up Otis and took him straight to the track. In the AMs he has yard play or a farm run with me. He had neither. At the start as I rewatch it I see his behaviors trying to engage and play. 1st mistake ie not having a time of some type of engagement before tracking. As he seems more off track and “playful” I move up to 10’ and what I think was my double line up is one beside...

 Great day for tracking! With the snow/rain/sleet I was sure there would be no one at the farm this AM when it opened. Wrong! Just as I began to lay O’s track, 2 dogs came running down the hill toward me followed by a young man. He was the house sitter for the farm manager and had the manager’s dogs out for their walk. They marked the gate posts of course and ran here and there finally going on their way down the road and home. I walked back to the beginning of the track (not far) and started it again with heavy scuffing about 6 ft from the gate post as I went with an article in the scuffing and a jackpot at the end then continued the article track pattern. I went home and got Otis, brought him back and started the track. He was awesome! There were some places where he was definitely checking out where the dogs had been but he ignored the gate post and really enjoyed retrieving all his articles. After he finished he had his water and we drove up the hill where I put on his gps and ...

 Top hat track: Turns Start and Turn 1: I created issues by not being thoughtful in placement ie I placed the start just beyond the gate (scent) post where he and other dogs mark. He kept getting drawn back to it. Then he seemed very distracted. Once he made the first turn his tracking was much better and got better and stronger as he made the next 3 turns. No food on legs 3 and 5 did not seem to be an issue.  For his next track I want to do an easy article motivational track. I’d like to start it 25 yards  before the gate post that’s on the other side of the road, heavy scuff past it (6 feet away) with nice jackpot just beyond then 10 yards to an article then continue the usual article pattern.  https://youtu.be/EWBBABapfwo https://youtu.be/vRGcmFqS3Vg https://youtube.com/shorts/YhqrXu4ZLFI

 Goal of starts today. 1st track aged an hour and 15 minutes; 2nd track @ 30 minutes. The aged track had more frequent food drops. Brought Otis in from an angle and he hit the track, overshot the left turn by just a bit but came back to it and finished strong. He did well with a “leave it” on some dried bones. Great article retrieve. Water and back to the car. Laid the 30 minute track and waited for it to age. Again, brought him in at an angle. He hit the track, played the line again out to 20’ then at 30 yds worked back up to 10’. He hit the open angle right and again finished strong. Good boy!!! Happy walks back to the car then on to the farm to run. Track 1  https://youtu.be/qlEbcKjPuIg    https://youtube.com/shorts/hi7P94c57-M Track 2 https://youtu.be/pEUz9j58VHY    https://youtube.com/shorts/Cyo7sMzWvHk

 Panorama Farm Distance 200+100 35 minutes FDs @ 15, 20 Long line Sunny and very windy blowing across track right to left: Otis’ start was strong, I let the line out to 20. When he got to the FD at the 2nd flag, I moved back up the line to 10. He tracked well occasionally blown left off the track but he would come back to the track each time. The farm has a natural burial cemetery and there was a service/gathering while O was tracking-people gathering in the distance, cars arriving. He stopped tracking to watch the cars traveling the road and people gathering in the distance. He always eventually went back to the track but I was unsure how long to let him pause/look and if and how to call him back. When I knew the turn was coming up I gave him some line and his turn was spot on. Again, after the turn I moved back up the line to 10’. Crossing the road was difficult-multiple cars had gone back and forth over the track. There was a food drop crushed on the road but thankfully another ...