1.4 Natural Field | Today we were Tracking

Date: Aug 4, 2024
Track Layer: Lorie
Location: Nauwigewauk – Next to the Ball Field
Weather: Overcast/Muggy
Wind: No wind.
Track Lengths: 20 yds., 40 yds. and 80 yds.

Living in a perpetually windy area, I’m used to dealing with gusts that could knock over a small child—or at least a determined dog trainer. But lately, the wind has taken a break, and our tracking sessions have been in a rare state of calm. According to the book, tracks should be laid into the wind to make it easier for the dog, but we had to make do without the helpful breeze. The upside? I got to lay the track in the way that was most convenient for me.

For this session, my helper was none other than my husband, who, after the last track-laying adventure, wisely opted to be the holder of the dog rather than the tracklayer. While he held Rumor at the beginning of the track, I teased her with the glove and laid the track myself. It’s quite a workout, laying a track in this early phase with frequent hard footsteps, especially on the longer tracks. I am very grateful not to have the laying of the track on video!

The grass in the field was between 1 and 2 feet long, with some patches even taller. I’d asked Sil in the group about grass length for field tracks, and he said anything from freshly mowed to 1-2 feet was fine, so I figured we were good. As I laid the tracks, I tried to choose a path through the shorter sections of the field. Sometimes this meant curving around the taller patches. These were intentional curves. Really, they were intentional. My husband, however, didn’t quite buy it, especially after I teased him about his curved track last time.

Today, I switched back to the 20-foot line, as I’m supposed to follow 10 feet behind the dog according to the schedule. I found it much easier to manage, which I believe is due to Rumor learning to follow the track in a forward motion, so we weren’t getting all tangled up. My line handling was better too. I’m now comfortable holding the leash in my left hand just in front of my belly, using my right hand to hold some of the extra slack.

I laid each of the tracks, 1.4.1 through 1.4.3, waited for them to age, and then took Rumor on the tracks. She was incredibly motivated today and did a fantastic job staying on the track. The difference between today and our first field session was noticeable. I do wonder if it was because she was in longer grass and was simply following the path? It will be interesting to see how she does in the next session on a commercial field without as obvious a path.

Rumor has quickly learned that flagpoles mean treats. I can feel her speed up to each of the flagpoles on the longer tracks. However, as we will vary the reward schedule, this should not be a problem.

I’m still fumbling a bit with the Dogtracks app. It’s mostly due to having so many things in my hands and trying to remember what I’m doing. I used it to lay the track, which was fantastic. It was so much easier, as the app tells me my current distance from the article, and I can focus on treat and pole placement. Today, I also tried running the track with the app. This was okay, but I need to ensure I have a quick way to put the phone away and that I remember to stop the track when I’m finished. I’m sure this will come with practice.

Evaluation: In summary, today truly felt like we were tracking. Rumor sniffed enthusiastically at the beginning of the track and then kept her nose down for the majority of the time, staying focused and motivated. This was a big improvement from our first field session, and it felt pretty good!

Below is a video from 1.4.2.