1/19/25. Short tracks around fences and woods
1/19/25. Laid these short tracks one at a time, ran him within 5 minutes and put him in the car to marinate while I laid the next one. Food drops varied between 10-15 steps apart. He got better with each track. Track #1. Struggled at the turn into tall cover https://youtu.be/imxw4lYuoHA?feature=shared Track #2 short track from tall cover to short towards fence https://youtu.be/bA4Q4ZZpGu4?feature=shared Track #3 Between 2 fences towards woods https://youtu.be/R9EverPLGJ8?feature=shared Track #4 Parallel woods and turn away https://youtu.be/88B4jnpOJYc?feature=shared
Watching. I know I encourage silent tracking….but for gosh sakes, when he gives up after a stare down with a horse, and goes back to work, let’s tell him he’s a good boy! At about 2:25, when he starts wavering back and forth….what should you have done to help him? To keep you in training mode and not in testing mode???? Ok, I see where he turned early…does that look anything like his tracking behavior? Look at the cadence and speed of his food falls, and compare the way he pulls into his harness to how he wears it when he’s tracking. This is a great video for you to study—he shows a lot of behavior clarity on this video. Question—was this single or double laid? It’s probably worth it, as you add age, to double lay the old tracks and single lay the young ones. In our human brains we think older=less scent. I don’t know…but I believe it’s older=chemically changed scent. And if it’s changed from what he’s used to, give him more of it so he can figure it out. Credit for that concept is Kathy Sylvia and her amazing tracking Newfoundlands….in New Mexico. We know that part of scent is the action of bacteria on crushed vegetation and possibly shedded skin cells—and that bacterial action will change over time, possibly changing the chemical makeup of the scent.
ReplyDeletethe goal was age - this was one hour 25. the next time age comes up in your rotation, i agree with judi, double lay and hold at the one hour 30 time, two turns. not sure what your food drop pattern is but boy i would be rewarding after those turns (at random spots). and don't be afraid to have a plan b - as in, if he is off to the right i will either stop and wait for him to return or step in behind him and see if he corrects. it looks to me like you are further back, like more line is giving him the freedom to move off the track.
ReplyDeletenot sure why i am anonymous!! it's me, mary ann
DeleteCatching up! Looks like MAM and Judi covered it! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDelete