November 7, 2008

With my new dog, Dot, I took her and Dino back to JC Park. Now that it was the end of daylight savings time, it was dark earlier. I was at the park around 4 PM. Weather was damp with rain for several days and rain while I had Dino out.

I took Dot out and walked her from the car to the horses and alongside their pasture. She was oblivious to them except for a couple of light barks. I have only had her for a day, so she may not have seen a lot of horses. We walked past the horses and made the right turn into the playground. We walked through the playground and to the far end closer to the main road. We made a right turn up through some trees, crossed the road and then through some more trees several hundred feet to the far south side of the public horse arena. We made a right turn up a short hill and went around the far side of the arena. This would put us past the front of the truck about 25 feet. We made a right turn light we were about to go back around the arena. Instead, I made a sharp left turn down a short hill and then back to the truck.

I waited about 15 minutes to bring Dino out which would make the track about 45 minutes old. I brought Dino out with his harness, treat bag and rawhide toy. We walked past the horse, and like before, he lost focus. We went back about three times to the part just before the horse where he was strong and then continued forward. He made it down to the end of horse corral pretty strong with good focus. At the turn toward the playground he continued forward looking all around at the horses in the corral right past the right turn. We went back along the corral where he was strong and went to the turn again. I said “check” pointing at the ground a couple of time when he finally continued forward, made the right turn into the playground. I didn’t click because I didn’t want to distract him. Instead I verbally praised him repeatedly. He continued strong through the playground straight ahead. He made the right turn back up to the road pretty strong with his nose to the ground.

When he got close to the road he started to veer off to the right away from the track. I couldn’t figure out what he was doing. We went back several times and he kept going off to the right. I couldn’t figure it out. I walked along the track saying “search” and “check” on the ground. I was very confused. Finally, I looked off to the right and saw the truck off in the distance. I figured that Dino saw the truck also and decided “I know this game. I know the dog is in the car. Let’s go that way.” I thought briefly about letting him go to the car, but then I decided that would be wrong because he is supposed to follow the track even though he may know the end of the game.

I continued to work him along the track telling him verbally that he needed to follow the track. He did get back onto the track and continued it straight up through the trees with his nose to the ground. I continued to verbally praise him without clicking so I wouldn’t distract him. He went around the horse arena and made the sharp left turn in front of the car to where Dot was. He jumped on the car and came back to me and jumped on me. I clicked and gave him the bag of treats and played with the rawhide toys for several long minutes.

I don’t know if it was my fault for doing this in a familiar area where he can see the car, or if is OK so he knows that he is to follow the track no matter what. Once he was back on the track he was fine. He did seemed confused when he saw the truck because, I figured, that he was doing the right thing by going to the car.