Schutzhund Tracking Practice with Caden, L-Track with River

Last night I did a practice Schutzhund track with Caden. It was 200 meters with four turns. I am not using articles with him yet, so had random food on the track. There was more (every 3-5 steps) on the first leg, then it was after each turn, and some extra thrown in here and there. I do this a bit intuitively, not with any science. There was no wind, so it was mainly a matter of keeping him focused and having enough food to reward him after an appropriate length of time.

He did this track well with only one hitch - he circled back towards me after the third turn. I think that by this time, he is losing his ability to stay really focused on the track and tiring out. I need to figure out a strategy for that - possibly just more and more practice so he can settle in better. Maybe I could add more food again after the 2/3 mark. Articles will help as they will give him a resting place- so I plan to introduce them very soon but have to teach them off the track.
Here is the video (8 seconds)...I didn't tape more as I was focusing on my handling too, plus wanted to pay attention to him. Below the video is a map showing the track, on a soccer field at Red Deer College. 

This was videotaped with my iPhone.



The arrow shows the leg in the video. The yellow circle is where he turned. At the X was a jackpot of wiener.
 

On the same evening, I did two U-tracks - one with Ted and one with Jet. I am trying to get Jet more in the footsteps as I work on her TDX training. She is fine with utdx and urban, but casting too much on veg, so I am scaling it back with her to work on technique. And with River, I did an L-track going from the boulevard onto the parking lot. River needs practice on her starts. She did well, nailed the turn and was very happy! Here she is at her article. The track ran along the boulevard you see behind her, with a very short 30 meter leg and turn.

On my drive out, I passed this bench and HAD to take a photo of River on it!!!

Is she cute, or what! I made this my new FB profile pic!

Wind effect in Schutzhund tracking practice today

Beautiful tracking fields right beside Dan and Susan's new house! The hay makes me miss my sheep.

This morning I tracked with my SchH friends Dan, John and Pam. We met at 8 am, but it was already VERY windy. I have never experienced winds like this in Thunder Bay! So, with Dan's direction, we developed a plan on how to use the field and what to aim for with the dogs today - essentially teaching them to keep their nose down, and not to get stressed in the wind.

Dan and John watch Pam with Sting

With Caden I did four legs. His second and last were with the wind, so we could end on success. Dan said to use more food on the legs with a cross wind. We deliberately did not have any legs going into the wind with Caden, because he already lifts his head more than I like. So his track was on a wonky angle in the field to accomplish this. John, Pam and Dan (with puppy Cilla) all did legs that went with the wind to start, and then turned so there was a crosswind leg, then with the wind again - with no legs going into the wind. Dan and Pam's dogs are both under a year old so keeping things more simple is important. And John did a separate track with his Rita going into the wind so he could simply work on teaching rather than trying to run a track.

This was Sting's crosswind leg, and he did a great job of handling the wind

plus distractions of a new field

All of the dogs did really, really well. Caden had real moments of brilliance (those are Dan's words). But he doesn't sustain his focus for a long period. He won't be in a SchH tracking test until next summer, so I have time to work on this. We did not correct very strongly today (my corrections are to say no and flip his line, so they are never that strong to begin with). We wanted to see him dig in, and certainly did not want him to start to worry about the wind. There was more food on the tracks with crosswind - so that it was pretty much guaranteed if I said 'noooo...' and he put his head back down, he would come upon a nice tasty treat. It was also interesting to see how he was angling his body so that his head was facing the wind as he sought each footstep, but crabbed ahead on his line.

Sting greets Dan...dogs all love Dan!

On the other puppy tracks, Dan and Pam did the same thing on the crosstracks. Just a gentle no, but no stress, and lots of cookies. AND the treats for the puppies were only on the upwind side, so that the dogs didn't follow the scent downwind off the primary track. So if the wind was coming from the RIGHT, food would only go in the right footstep, to keep the dog from drifting offtrack to the left. Neat, eh?

Dan's 6 month old pup Cilla is carrying her stake like her mom Ali. Those shadows are me, Pam and John! John is the skinny shadow, haha.

Rita did a great track (sorry, no pictures, it was too far away) and she worked hard for Johh. Aaron, who is only a year old, did a track with the wind too, and lots of treat. Lastly, John did one straight leg right INTO the wind with Rita, with lots of food. The idea was that IF she lifted her head, as they tend to do into the wind, John could tell her no and she'd put it down and find food. However, she did awesome!

I remember the old days when we taught articles and turns by making the turn going into the wind. The dogs would get wind of the article and sure, it would help them turn, but then they would speed up and run to the article. I mentioned this to Dan, and he said that once a dog knows its articles, he will also make sure they track to each one going into the wind - and do not start to rush. The nice steady, calm pace of SchH is a very reassuring thing and the dogs really do get down into the track - today - Caden's nose was buried right into the grass. It was so neat. I was proud of him!

It helped that the field was perfect, nice lush grass, dewey and green. Great day, and as always, I learn new ideas now that I am doing some SchH tracking. More pics to follow (I am pretty sure John took some for me, so I have some of Caden - right John? are you out there, ??),

Dan did a complicated, but short track with Ali who is a SchH 3 dog and awesome tracker. She handled it so beautifully. As Pam pointed out later, when you see that - you know what to aim for (and you decide to listen to Dan's advice too! )

Cesar Millan is coming to Alberta! My Cesar Rant...

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/Whisperer+star+comes+Rexall+November/3438071/story.html

He will be in Calgary at the Saddledome on Nov 7 (tickets on sale tomorrow through Ticketmaster) and at the Rexall Place in Edmonton on November 6. I am going with my friends Sue and John and Regula, and possibly a bunch of others from the Schutzhund Club. Cesar's messages about calm, assertive energy are good ones for everyone.

I know the dog world is divided about Cesar which drives me crazy. 'Dog people' can never agree on anything, and I think need to step back on this one and look at the big picture for the average dog owner. Cesar has a gift for reading a dog and he has the ability to work with dogs that have a variety of issues, some quite serious. Can everyone do what he does - no. Can people learn from him? Definitely. Will he make the World a better place for dogs and people? YES.

He has been raising awareness about so many important dog issues in a way that the public and media understand, particularly the 'breedism' issue. He is the pitbull's best advocate and his dog Daddy was the perfect icon for that type of dog.

I love the positive energy Cesar uses with people. He breaks things down into simple, clear chunks that people can understand. He does not make people feel bad about themselves - he truly has a desire to make people feel good, and improve their energy and outlook in a way that works with the dog. He gives them do-able exercises and touches their lives.

Here is a man who has found his calling and is giving a higher service to people, that is related both to dogs and to source energy. I am behind him all the way as I recognize in him the same kind of great energy that is behind other master teachers I admire like Wayne Dyer or Thich Nhat Han. Cesar is up there, for me, as a way-shower not just for dogs, but for how to BE in your life, with everyone.

End of rant! Get a ticket! Go!

Running with my dogs, day one

It's always been a dream of mine to run with my dogs. I've been working on my treadmill downstairs as I lose weight and get more active. Today was so cool (like fall) so when I got home, I put on my runners, grabbed Caden and took off before settling down for the evening.

We did 2.3 km in 15 minutes (map is below) doing a big loop. Caden was so good - running out a bit ahead of me the whole time. He ignored a cat, didn't stop for the stupid little dogs that always bark at us (but he did put his hackles up, as they are annoying) and was just a great running buddy! Ted and Jet go out with me on the bike - two at once - they are soooo good! So running will be Caden's thing. I can't risk cycling with him yet - he could pull me over pretty easily.

Usually I put tracking maps on this blog. The X marks my house. Next time I will aim for 20 minutes, rather than 15. This is excellent cross-training for a working dog, by the way, plus is great for bonding! But, it is mostly for me (just this once, I put myself first, haha).

Two SchH Tracks, two CKC tracks today

Today I met Pam Prescott and we did two Schutzhund Tracks for our boys, Sting and Caden. While we did those, I laid and aged two CKC tracks for Jet and River. Jet is working towards both a UTDX and a TDX. She is good on hard surfaces but needs more work problem solving on difficult terrain transitions. I found this great area where there are piles of dirt and rubble at the college and laid a track there for her. It started on a boulevard, then crossed a road to the rubble piles, went through tall weeds, some as tall as me, and ended in behind a senior's complex. She was dead-on and I had to jog behind her. I normally would not do that, but I wanted her to feel motivated and she was so on, I think it was rewarding for her. The track was nearly 2 hours old with long legs and 4 turns, with three articles.  Here are a few highlight photos taken with my iPhone.... 

Culvert

First article and approach to the rubble piles...

Up and over, hill and dale... 

Second article in the tall, dog-eating weeds! I have never tracked with such a small dog...

Into tall grass. Lots of nice transitions on this mini-TDX.

Final article. Good girl!

River's track was 2 hours old, and approximately 400 m. I just want for her to keep her tracking up and have fun. She had a rough time on the first parking lot and I was a bit worried. After the first article, she picked up and was dead on for the rest of this track which went mostly through the main entrance area of the college.

After going through that portico above, she went along the sidewalk to the main entrance.

I just loved how she decided to go up these steps. She started once, hesitated, then just went for it! You can see her nose down here. She followed along the main doors, then stood for a moment looking out in the direction of the track, and suddenly took off again down the stairs.

And there she goes! I think I am so used to her doing a great job in urban tracking that I did not convey to my friend Pam how amazed I am at River's ability. River makes this look really easy at times - belying the actual difficulty and skill involved. I always enjoy just following her - there is so much mutual trust and support involved when handling a dog on these surfaces and at this level - and I think I follow her a bit casually now, because I know exactly how she likes her line to be handled. Mostly I just stay out of her way and let her go.

Here she is with her head up, "strolling" along. I explained to Pam that sometimes, urban tracking doesn't really look like tracking as the scent flows differently and often rises off the hard surfaces.

River at her final article. Woo hoo, River! For some reason her 'down' ear is up here. I guess she was excited!

Here is a well-lit shot of Pam with her boy Sting who is now 9 months old. Sting has amazing drive and focus for his age, and Pam is doing a great job with him. He did his longest track ever today, about 180 steps, or I would estimate about 150 m. It was 40 minutes old with two rounded turns. He simply aced it~!

And here is my boy Caden. Caden always has so much go. I KNOW that once we start to compete, he will be one of those dogs who always gives 110% to tracking, thankfully. But today, he was not as focused as I would like. His first leg was off, second leg was good, third leg good - and final two legs on sand were iffy. I thought the sand would be a good experience but it was really dry. I am very pleased at his improvement and flow on turns. I am putting a big treat on each corner so that it stops him from over-stepping, and as he eats it, he picks up the direction and turns nicely. So that was a good win today. His track was approximately 400 meters with 5 turns. No articles yet.

Caden after his last turn on the sand. Look at that tail. He LOVES tracking!

It took about 3 hours to track four dogs. As you may have noticed, Ted sat this one out and was the official buddy dog of the day. There was no room for an extra track for Ted today. Next time Teddy, I promise!

Transitions

Ever have that feeling like everything is changing? I'm having that feeling nearly every day lately and can't put a finger on why. I came to Alberta with all kinds of plans, and it is as though Alberta has told me my life will be different than I expected. Nothing is panning out as I imagined, but things that are happening are different and exciting too.

Including new hair, as of yesterday! Sorry for a 'me in the mirror' shot, but friends were asking...

I'm watching River suddenly show her age and thinking perhaps a Tracking Championship is not in the cards, but as long as she is happy and willing, I am going to finish that journey with her. I am watching Jet mature, she'll be five in October, and the two of us have not fulfilled that dream of trialing. That breaks my heart, but without sheep she can't be a good trial dog. Its simply impossible. I'm loving my Ted dog who is happy doing anything (thank goodness for Ted!) but who would be happiest with sheep too. And unexpectedly I'm doing Schutzhund with Caden. And through Caden, have met the most wonderful people.

We'll keep up the tracking of course, but it used to be SOOO important, and now there are a lot of things going on in life outside of dogs -- who knew there WAS a life outside of dog stuff? That's a real new one on me !! I'm even getting back into my music, and writing up a storm in my cute little studio-style house.

Still looking for that piece of land...but loving my house and yard. And really, really grateful for everything. This is NOT a 'complaint' post, just an observation that sometimes, life goes down a path we least expected and new people are met in the most unexpected of places!

August and everything after

That is the name of my favourite album by Counting Crows. Since I've been on about music a lot lately. This week marks two years since I made the big move to Alberta. So the phrase August and everything after has special meaning to me. That, and August has always been my favourite month. Below is the last photo of my car at my home in Thunder Bay, followed by a few shots of my car (and me and the dogs) in our new home here.

It was so hard to leave my home, especially to say goodbye to the roses and trees, barn and field and things with so much emotional connection -  but since moving here I have made so MANY good friends, and that is what makes a place a home. It heals that hurt in your heart day by day.

Some people think I was really brave to move, but in reality I was just really scared to stay because of the things going on in my life. Moving was easier in so many ways, and now mostly thanks to good friends who've taken me in, I have this great extended family here, and Alberta is my home.

That is how I felt when I arrived. Big Alberta, small me.

Beautiful horses, everywhere...including some of Canada's last wild horses

And the mountains, unchanging guardians of the west, and yes, I took this photo! Awe-inspiring, Rocky Mountain High.

This morning I heard geese honking as they flew over, on their way south. That seems a bit early to me. But geese know what their doing, and they operate on seasons and cycles. Much like we do if we are into tracking. And in life! Here is a poem that a friend shared with me that seems fitting to include here today.


Comes the Dawn


After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security,

And you begin to understand that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises.

And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head held high and your eyes open,

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.
You learn to build your roads

On today because tomorrow's ground
Is too uncertain for plans, and futures have

A way of falling down in midflight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine

Burns if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden and decorate

Your own soul, instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you can really endure,
That you really are strong

And you really do have worth
And you learn and learn ... and you learn

With every goodbye you learn.



Veronica Shorffstall, 1971

Missing my little buddy tonight, Shaman

I just saw a photo of a tri on John Buddie's facebook page (Tartanside Collies) and it is such a beautiful dog I felt like posting some pictures of Shaman. I remember the day Nancy Anstruther (Tallywood) called me about Shaman, saying she had a special dog for me. I loved sables then, and she said 'he's a tri - get over it.' (as only Nancy can). I did - in fact I think tri-colour is now my favourite colour, Jet and Ted are both tris too.

Shaman actually reminded me of my first collie Beau in temperament, as Beau was also a very dominant male! And very loyal. This is me with Beau (above).

Shaman was a special boy - he had no fear and a zest for life. He finished quickly, loved to herd sheep and had a HIT and was #1 in Canada too, he got a TD on his first try, and was a dominant boy - plus he loved to swim! I think this is my favourite picture of him, wading into a pond on a hot day. He died last year, after making it here to Alberta with us. He had some kind of Cancer, though it was a bit of a mystery as the tumour originally diagnosed disappeared - even though he would have relapses from something. What a strong boy, strong minded and not an easy dog to live with - but a great teacher and a dog who made me look good!

Just missing my little buddy tonight...

Bad boy butts, Thorn and Shaman

Central Music Festival in Red Deer - The Trews!

Me, Charity with the tracking dog English Cocker (field bred) Sunny; DJ, Andrea and Patrick

I met these people tonight through Charity and had a wonderful time! Awesome people!

The Trews are amazing and are from Winnipeg. They mentioned Thunder Bay at one point, possibly that one of their members is from TBay or that they played there. I bought their acoustic CD. Very good musicians.

NOTE - yes it turns out that one of their members is FROM Thunder Bay !! 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Heisholt  

The signs around the grounds were alsy very interesting. This was on someone's private field...

Sylvan Lake Cruise night

Nancy Anstruther and Bob Findlay came with me on a cruise organized by my workplace. It was lots of fun, and really pretty...

Me, Bob and Nancy. Nancy is the breeder of Tallywood Collies, and she is who I got my wonderful collies Kate and Shaman from. We've known each other since 1991 and now live close to each other!

Sylvan Lake lighthouse - kids were fishing off the pier

Canadian flag and boat at sunset. The homes along the lake are multi-million dollar homes.

Bob and Nancy, and...

 Bob and Nancy's feet

 Nancy waves to some boaters.

I have been meaning to explore this area more, so what a nice opportunity to tour this popular lake. It's small compared to lakes at home, but very pretty.

Ted in the Canola

A week ago I was on my way to my friend Pam's for tracking, just west of Bowden. I passed this glorious canola field and had to stop and take a photo. My first photo was just of the field. It was missing something. I was on the roadside so of course, the dog who got called out to pose was my BEST behaved buddy Ted. He leaped out with such enthusiasm, while the other dogs were completely incensed that they were not chosen.

He posed so many ways...he is so anxious to please! I absolutely love this dog and always send a silent blessing to Scott Glen for pairing us up. I liked this photo best - it is Ted's earnest face. I love the starkness of Ted's black and white (he is actually a tri-colour) to the yellows and greys. This is now my profile picture for Facebook and Twitter. I may even have to print it the old fashioned way and frame it.

PS I love all my dogs, but here is what I predict had I taken any of the others out for the photo...

Jet - a great shot of her tail as she disappears into the field thinking sheep must be out there
Caden - glued to the dog trailer behind my car waiting for me to open it and get out his ball
River - running circles around the car in excitement because we must be about to track

By contrast - Ted - adoringly sticks by me saying 'what can I do for you' .... Ted - WHY can't you be a man?