We started our first track at Cool Water today. I woke up early in the morning to bake meatballs for Skyler to use as training treats, making sure they were super smelly and enticing. I think they were a hit with him. The weather was perfect—sunny and cool, around 60 degrees. There was little wind at the time, but it picked up later in the morning. I didn’t get a chance to potty Skyler when we arrived at the location, but I did take him out before our first track. He was relaxed at the unfamiliar location, even with strangers nearby, and was ready to start the day.
The first track was laid by Carolyn around 8:30 a.m. in a straight line (I think it was about 5 yards) with lots of yummy food at the first and last flags, and a bit of food at every other step. Carolyn called Skyler’s name every few steps, which helped keep his attention on her and made it seem like she was doing something "interesting." I bet he could smell the meatballs, too, and was eager to follow the trail since it was his breakfast time. The goals for the first track were: (1) the first flag is important, and (2) "grass grows food." I think Skyler picked up on these points like a baby dog, and we will continue to work on them over the next two weeks.
For the first track, he was able to follow the food/Carolyn trail to the last flag, where I rewarded him with praise, and then he found more treats in the grass. There are many things I need to work on, but first, I need to remember to shorten the line and stay behind him. I also need to be patient and let Skyler lead me. Furthermore, documenting our progress at each step is so important. I'll need to remember to bring my phone for documenting next time. Carolyn used hers this time and kindly sent me the video of Skyler’s first track. See video at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/T8lKRAerYt4?si=GokAPU6sSp3WVzpD
Lastly, we worked on article games. Anne showed me how to get Skyler started by using his mat with the "down" cue, then placing the article (a glove) in front of him. It was his first time with a mat placed on top of the grass, so I think he felt a bit unsure doing his auto-down on the mat. We will continue to work on that.
Overall, it was a wonderful day. I learned some valuable tips from observing others on their tracks, as well as ways to improve lineups. I’m really proud of how Skyler did on his first track, and I hope we can continue to work together as a great tracking team moving forward.
