November 1, 2008

End of day around 5 PM, still within daylight savings time.

I went to the Junction City park and walked Scout around past a horse barn where several horses were, through the children’s playground, up toward the car and then a right turn toward the road, then a right turn up toward the empty public horse arena, right turn around the horse arena and then around the horse arena back toward the same direction. I did take a path away from where I had previously walked through some trees. Once I came out of those trees I crossed the road again and down toward the baseball field. Instead of going through the field, I went around it which took me through some high brush I was unaware of. After leaving the field I make a left turn back up another road and back in the direction of the horse corral where the horses were. I realized that I would cross the previous track, and I didn’t think he was ready for that, especially so close to the horses.

I made a wide right u turn and went back down the road out to the highway. I went down another side road to get off the highway, which led me back to the main road and children’s playground. I figured in the direction I was going I would have to cross my previous track to get back to the car. I blew it. I had to do it in order to get back to the car. I decided to do it and see what happens, if Dino picks it up and what does he do.

I drove to the post office and then came back to the park. It was an hour from when the beginning of the track was started. I put Dino in his harness and grabbed his treat bag with his rawhide toy. I wanted to test him on the live horses again because I have seen how distracted he is on horse, and how difficult it is for him to focus on the track. He got the track from the car and to the edge of the horse corral. Once he saw the horses, and knew they were in there, he got lost and lost focus. I had to take him back to the top of the trail where he was strong on the track several times until he was able to get the right turn away from the horses into the children’s playground. I definitely have to repeat that location with the horses several more times until there is no hesitation.

Once he was back on the trail strong into the playground I clicked and treated. We continued on the trail through the playground and he got the right turn back up toward the parking lot. He continued strong on the straight line. Here is where one of the cross tracks occurred as I walking Scout back to the truck. He hit the cross and immediately made the right turn toward the car which was about 100 feet away. He jumped on the truck bumper and ran to me and jumped on me. I clicked and gave him the bag of treats and played with his rawhide.

I feel like I wasted the rest of the really good track, but he did the right thing, which was to follow the track, which led in both directions.