Tracking With Otis

 Class Tuesday was Otis’ first experience working in woods. The track was 3 hours old and Michellemhad laid it so it was such a positive first experience for him. Very thankful for that. Today was to be a starts day at 90 minutes ie easy. First track Otis started well and stayed true to the track throughout the first leg. Not sure why (no excuses) I didn’t scuff and augment when he went into the shorter grass. Ugh! That omission of mine made it so hard for him. I did get him to second leg which should have ended at the rock wall instead of going into/onto the rocks. Second track I thought was super-track, turn, article indication.  https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTXvYanq5H0 https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTXvYknq5HL https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTXvY7nq5J5 The end of second track video missing-was using my glasses and the end and article indication was so good. Could have really used it to help counteract my bungling of end of Track 1. Double ugh…

https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTX3Ypnqrk5 So at the beginning of the track Otis was bucking in all directions. I stopped him at the start without any negativity. I just unclipped him and walked him away. Walked him back and his start was more focused/ better. Had the staring and whining. Although I called him to me, I was nagging him. Tried to be positive while using a calm voice.  https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTX3YRnqrpW Bucking and leaping. Again trying to use a calming voice. He sees a runner approaching and passing and I used unh unh as he stared then started after her.  https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTX3rinqr5x u More bucking and bounding. Called him to me. An attempt to calm him.  He obviously knows where track is. Flipped the article then was so unfocused he couldn’t calm down to find it again. https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTX3rYnqrET He was spinning, bucking, flipping the article. Finally had him stop and sit. I took the article and put it away. After he mad...

 Strong positive start with attention to track/tracking behavior . Food drops at 10. Second positive stracking  tracking with food drops at 10 so will push out to 15. Turns and road crossing were good. Placed an article on the far side of the road as a positive reinforcer. Otis stopped before the road crossing when he heard and saw a kestrel fly from the kestrel house to a nearby tree. Article indication retrieve great! Plan to do the 10 article track in a grassy area that runs along a manufacturing plant. Will track on Saturday when there are no workers. https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTXF3knqjo7 https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTXF35nqjDl

 Goal of easy/motivational start track follow up to Tuesday class. I did food drops on each leg at 10 and articles at 25. Article indications were great. He had food and/or play rewards after each. There was some change of cover and he also tracked among three grave sites. Back to car, gear off and great free run on farm. Fridays will be a follow up to Tuesday class work. Tuesdays will be the next in the rotation/puzzle/challenge track so this Tuesday will be 2 turns at 90 minutes augmented with articles and food drops and including a heavily scuffed dirt road crossing. Then the 2nd Friday will be an article track. https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTXoDXnFSUz https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cTXoDwnFSwf