March 21 2025 Practice Tracking

Track 1: 

Time: 6:35 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with a left turn at 88 yards, then 53 yards with another left turn, then 70 yards with an end article. Food drops every 3 steps for the frst 6 steps then food drops every 10 steps. Food drops after each turn for the first 3 steps then food drops every 10 steps.  

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (Black Glove), End article (Black Glove)

Aged: 15 minutes 

Treats: Garlic Chicken Chunks

Location: Rockville Community Center

Distractions: New location; Baseball games nearby; Cars;

Weather conditions:

Video:

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Track 2: 

Time: 7:00 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with a right turn at 93 yards, then 66 yards with a left turn, then 50 yards with an end article. Food drops for the first 3 steps then food drops every 10 steps. Food drops after each turn for the first 5 steps then food drops every 10 steps.

 

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (White Glove), End article (Leather Glove)

Aged: 15 minutes 

Treats: Garlic Chicken Chunks

Location: Rockville Community Center

Distractions: New location; kids playing at the playground nearby; Next to the roads;

Weather conditions: Same as the first track

Video: 

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🐺 Things that we did well: 

1. Skyler did great following the tracks. Staight back, not too much circling. Gave him more line. The turns were better than expected. He found the tracks after turns when I couldn't...I looked for my ground markers but the patches of grass all looked the same to me. 

2. Skyler did great tracking through patches of tall yellow flowers.

3. Indications were good, I had to tell him "down" but he went down on his own without me repeating. 

🐺 Things that we need to work on:

1. I need to work on my ground marks and double line ups. He had to find my tracks several times because I thought I had the correct lineup or markers but they turned out to be different.  

2. Will extend my food drops from 10 steps to 12 steps. 

March 18 2025 Class Tracking

Track aged: an hour

One left and one right turns, around 200 yards in total

Food drops every three steps for the first six steps then every eight steps after.

Articles: Start (black glove), End (white gloves)

Weather Conditions:

Video:

March 14 2025 Practice Tracking

Track 1: 

Time: 6:20 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with a left turn at 56 yards, then 73 yards with another left turn, then 35 yards with an end article. Food drops for the first 3 steps then food drops every 10 steps. Food drops after each turn for the first 3 steps then food drops every 10 steps.  

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (Black Glove), End article (Bandana)

Aged: 22.21 minutes 

Treats: Pork liver

Location: Short Pump Middle School - Soccer Field

Distractions: Lots of bikers and kids playing nearby; Pickleball noise nearby;

Weather conditions:

Video:

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Track 2: 

Time: 6:30 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with a right turn at 31 yards, then 66 yards with another right turn, then 80 yards with an end article. Food drops for the first 3 steps then food drops every 10 steps. Food drops after each turn for the first 5 steps then food drops every 10 steps.

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (White Glove), End article (Garden Rubber Glove)

Aged: 24 minutes 

Treats: Pork liver

Location: Short Pump Middle School - Soccer Field

Distractions: Bikers; Kids; Pickleball noise nearby;

Weather conditions: Same as the first track

Video: 

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🐺 Things that we did well: 

1. His indications were good overall. I gave him more line, and I think he mostly stayed on track. I also extended his food drops to 10 steps. He struggled a bit but returned to the track after I asked him to "search" again. I'll need to remember not to point at the track.

🐺 Things that we need to work on:

1. Skyler was really distracted and wanted to sniff elsewhere. I think I'll give him about 15-20 minutes next time to satisfy his sniffing needs before working.

2. I will lay an article track next time to work on article indications.

3. I need to plan out my tracks better. I rushed to lay my tracks again and realized that two of them were too close together at one point—about 5-8 yards apart. Skyler saw the glove on the other track and wanted to get it, so I had to point him back to the track he was working on.

March 10 2025 Practice Tracking

Track 1: 

Time: 6:50 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with a left turn at 100 yards, then 35 yards with another left turn, then 60 yards with an end article. Scuffed with food drops for first 3 steps then food drops every 5 or 8 steps. Food drops after each turn for the first 5 steps then food drops every 5 or 8 steps.  

Tried out a dog tracking app. I thought I was walking straight but it appears that I was all over the place...interesting. 

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (Black Glove), End article (White Glove)

Aged: 21.36 minutes 

Treats: Garlic chicken

Location: Short Pump Middle School - Soccer Field

Distractions: Dog walkers around; New Location;  Pickleball noise nearby;

Weather conditions:

Video:

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Track 2: 

Time: 7:10 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with a right turn at 35 yards, then 10 yards with another right turn, then 90 yards with an end article. Scuffed with food drops for first 3 steps then food drops every 8-10 steps. Food drops after each turn for the first 5 steps then food drops every 5 or 8 steps.  

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (Black Glove), End article (Blue Bandana)

Aged: 22.22 minutes 

Treats: Garlic chicken

Location: Short Pump Middle School - Soccer Field

Distractions: Dog walkers around; New Location; Pickleball noise nearby;

Weather conditions: Same as the first track

Video: 

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🐺 Things that we did well: 

1. He did great today following the first track. His head popped up a few times, but he went back to work when I asked him to "search." The second track was good as well. I messed up on the second track and didn't realize how close I was to the woods so had to turn right after only 10 yards.

🐺 Things that we need to work on:

1. I need to work on my line handling. I think I was holding the line too close to my chest and too tightly. I am going to move my hands out a bit to see how it goes next time.

2. Continue working on standing still before Skyler moves.

3. I need to move behind him if he moves off the track and see if he can get back on his own. 

March 8 2025 Class Tracking

March 7 2025 Practice Tracking

Track 1: 

Time: 6:05 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with a right turn at 85 yards, then went 25 yards with an end article. Scuffed with food drops for first 5 steps then food drops every 5 steps. Scuffed 3 steps after the turn then food drops every 8 steps.  

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (Black Glove), End article (White Glove)

Aged: 10 minutes 

Treats: Garlic chicken

Location: Kaechele Elementary School - Front Field

Distractions: Walkers around; Next to roads with cars flying by; Field saturated with water in some areas;

Weather conditions:

Video:

🐺 Things that we did well: 

1. Skyler was a bit distracted but he did finish the track. 

2. He did well indicating the end article. 

🐺 Things that we need to work on:

1. Extend the length of the track from 110 yards to 150 yards next time. 

2. Work on standing still and maintain tight-line 

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Track 2: 

Time: 6: 10 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with a right turn at 50 yards, then went 25 yards with an end article. Scuffed with food drops for first 5 steps then food drops every 8 steps. Scuffed 3 steps after the turn then food drops every 8 steps.

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (Black Glove), End article (Rubber Garden Glove)

Aged: 10 minutes 

Treats: Garlic chicken

Location: Kaechele Elementary School - Front Field

Distractions: Walkers around; Next to roads with cars flying by; Field saturated with water in some areas;

Weather conditions: Same as Track 1

Video:

🐺 Things that we did well: 

1. Skyler was very distracted but he got back onto the track and found the ending article. He was able to re-find the track when I went off of it. 

2. He did well indicating the end article. 

🐺 Things that we need to work on:

1. Work under distractions.

2. Work on laying more tracks to increase endurance.

Question: Should I have Skyler indicate on the starter article, especially if he decided to follow the track right away?

March 5 2025 Practice Tracking

 Unsuccessful :( 

I went out to set two tracks for Skyler before the rain at the YMCA. The first track was 100 yards with a right turn, then 35 yards after that, ending with the final article. The second track was 57 yards with a right turn, then 23 yards after that, ending with the final article. Right after the tracks were set, a fertilizer truck came by and spread fertilizer across the entire field. If they had waited just 20 more minutes, we would have been done. That was a disappointment. 

Debatting on whether to wash all my articles or just let them air out?? 

March 2 2025 Practice Tracking

 Track 1: 

Time: 5:49 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with left turn at 80 yards, left turn with end article after 50 yards. Scuffed with food drops first 5 steps then food drops every 8 steps. Scuffed 3 steps after the turn then food drops every 8 steps.  

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (Bandana), End article (Black Glove)

Aged: 10 minutes 

Treats: Freeze-dried Salmon 

Location: Hermitage High School - Front Field

Distractions: New field; next to roads with cars flying by; 

Weather conditions:

Video: 

🐺 Things that we did well: 

1. Skyler wasn’t as distracted by noises as I expected him to be in a new location.

2. After the left turn, I think he found the track, but then he stopped and didn’t move forward. However, he eventually continued along the track.

🐺 Things that we need to work on:

1. It looks like we kept on doing left turns, we'll need to work on more right turns next time. 

2. Increase the number of practice tracks and also extend the length of the track.

3. Change the end article to something other than a black object, ensuring it’s not visible. Skyler saw the end article toward the end and was about to run to it, but I stopped him. That’s why, at the end of the video, he looked at me for instructions.

March 1 2025 Practice Tracking

 Track 1: 

Time: 6:20 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with left turn at 80 yards, left turn with end article after 30 yards. Scuffed with food drops first 5 steps then food drops every 5 steps. Scuffed 3 steps after the turn then food drops every 5 steps.  

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (Glove), End article (Black Glove)

Aged: 10 minutes 

Treats: Freeze-dried Salmon 

Location: Kaechele Elementary School - Front Field

Distractions: New field; next to roads with cars flying by; Deep tire tracks on part of the track; Night time tracking

Weather conditions:

Video: Unfortunately I left my phone at home so I did not record this time. 

🐺 Things that we did well: 

1. Skyler was really excited to track and took me right to the start. He didn't "indicate" at the start article and went straight to the tracking mode. I'm not sure whether that is okay or not....

2. Did well on the left turn and indicated correctly on the end article. 

🐺 Things that we need to work on:

1. I'll need to extend his track by 10 yards next time. I think he is ready for it. 

2. build more tracks (currently we are only doing 1-2 tracks for each practice, I'll start increasing the # of tracks) 

February 26 2025 Practice Tracking

Track 1: 

Time: 6:12 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with left turn at 20 yards, left turn at 30 yards then another left turn with end article after 20 yards. Scuffed with food drops first 5 steps then food drops every 5 steps. Scuffed 3 steps after each turn then food drops every 5 steps.  

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (bandana), End article (Black Glove) 

Aged: 5 minutes 

Treats: Freeze-dried Salmon 

Location: Linwood Holton Elementary School - Garden field

Distractions: New place, kids playing, next to a road with cars driving by & houses nearby, lots of interesting smell

Weather conditions:

🐺 Things that we did well: 

1. Skyler wasn't too distracted with the new environment and went straight to track. 

2. Did well on turns and indicated correctly on the end article 

🐺 Things that we need to work on:

1. I didn’t intend for him to make two turns. My goal was for him to make just one left turn in a new environment, but the path leading to the first turn was shorter than I expected, so I added a second turn. In hindsight, I should have stuck to my original plan. He did okay overall, but my goal was to introduce him to more turns gradually.

2. This was my first time recording the tracking myself. It was a bit challenging to hold onto the leash and film at the same time. I need to figure out a better routine for managing both tasks.

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Track 2: 

Time: 6:30 P. M.

Track Pattern - Straight line with left turn at 70 yards then left turn at 30 yards then left turn again with the end article after 20 yards. Scuffed with food drops first 5 steps then food drops every 5 steps. Scuffed 3 steps after each turn then food drops every 5 steps.  

Track Layer: Myself

Articles: Start article (bandana), End article (Black Glove) 

Aged: 5 minutes 

Treats: Freeze-dried Salmon 

Location: Linwood Holton Elementary School - Soccer field

Distractions: New place, night time, next to a road with cars driving by & houses nearby, lots of interesting smell

🐺 Things that we did well: 

1. Skyler powered through it, even though I performed poorly as a handler and didn’t anticipate that the track would transition from grass to a mix of grass and gravel. In hindsight, I should have left more food drops. We also ended up with two turns again, and he went off the track on the last portion. I didn’t realize it until I saw the glove, which he did lead me to, but it was off the track.

🐺 Things that we need to work on:

1. Better handling on my part and working on my line ups. 

February 22 2025 Class Tracking

 Location: Cool Water

Track Layer: Carolyn

January 25th 2025 Class Tracking

 Location Edwards

Track Layer: Carolyn (Track 1 & 2) & Anne (Track 3)

Track 1: 

Track 2: 

Track 3: 

January 18 2025 Class Tracking

 Location: Holly Ridge

Track 1: 

Track 2: