January 19, 2009

From: Donna Holsten Donna@findingpaws.com
To: Jackie Phillips
Sent: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 4:55 pm
Subject: Re: Dino's First Three Hour Old Track

OK, this is why it's the "calculus method." :-) When I was taking calculus, I got low marks on every test, because I just "didn't get it." But when we moved on to the next subject, the previous one became *totally* clear. So... In trailing, you can use that theory by pushing the dog in one area until it just starts getting confused, and then back down to a comfort point. Then, stretch a different area, until the dog just starts getting confused, back down slightly, and stretch something else. For example, if, right now, he's able to do 3-block, 2-turn trails, with no problem, then every time you go out, add 30 minutes "age" to the trail, until he starts to get confused. That might take you up to 8-hour old trails within a few weeks. Then, if he's getting confused at 8-hour old trails, back down to 6-hour old trails, and stay there. Increase the length of the trail, by no more than 10% at a time--however far you can go, before you notice him getting bored, and you start having a really hard time keeping (or retrieving) his attention. Then, back down. So, now, you're at, say, 6-hour old, 3/4 mile trails, with 2-turns. Now add on turns. Then, add on surface complexity. Keep going, until you've maxed out all the variables. Then, go back to the beginning, and work on age again. He'll zoom right up with the age, and what *was* tough (8-hour old trails) will now be old-hat, because he's been at 6-hours for *so*! long, that he'll be ready to zoom up to 16-hours in no time.Anyway, there are tons of ways to train, but that's how I'm doing it with Anubis. We're still on "short distance, low complexity" trails, because his "trail age" seems to be going with no stopping point...D.

January 19, 2009

Weaverville. Main Street. Clear and cold. Started walking Dot at about 12 noon. Roads are paved with heavy foot and vehicle traffic.



I parked down at the far end of town near the propane store. I walked Dot up the frontage road, behind the Round Table and continued up the street. We tried to stay on the concrete sidewalks that line the buildings going up. These are small mom/pop shops with a lot of foot and vehicle traffic. We crossed the next side street and walked over the grassy area and made a right alongside the car wash. We crossed in front of the car wash and continued up the sidewalk of the small stores. Once we got to the Ace hardware, we made a right turn and went diagonally through the paved parking lot out to the Main Street. We continued up Main Street, across a creek and past several more small shops. There was some vegetation, dirt along the way. Once we got to the next cross walk across Main Street, we made the right turn and then made another right and headed back down Main Street on the other side. We continued down the street, basically staying on the concrete sidewalk. Some of the stores were recessed back from the Main Street, and we tried to go closer to the building when possible, trying to act like a dog that might be wandering down the street.



When we got to the front of where the strip shopping mall starts, we jumping down a four foot tall wall and crossed the vacant dirt lot into the parking lot. We made a left turn alongside the edge of the lot and walked toward the back of the building where all the back doors are along with all the trash and dumpsters were. There was another dog coming toward us off leash, so I had to walk Dot off to the right a bit, but otherwise I was trying to go straight down without going close to the dumpsters along the sides of the buildings.


We got out to the side street, crossed the sidewalk and then crossed the street and then made a right down the street back toward Main Street. This road had no sidewalk on the left side. We walked down into the dirt parking lot of an abandoned building and then crossed Main Street to where Dino was sitting in my truck. Before leaving, I rubbed a towel all over Dot and rubbed a paper towel over her.

I went back around 4 PM and parked the truck alongside the abandoned building just across the street from where I first parked the truck. I took out the towel and placed it around the corner and in front of the abandoned building. This way Dino would not see the truck as he came down the street at the end and found the towel.

I took Dino out and put on his harness and got his treat bag and rawhide bone. I tried a different type of treat/reward for "no scent." I wanted to see if it made a difference. I fried some hotdogs the day before. I walked Dino across the street and up about 20 feet to where Dot's track starts. I moved off to the side a bit so we weren't directly on the track and showed him the scent pad and said "take scent" and "search." He put his head down and started searching.

He followed the scent up the street and was generally pretty good about following the scent and maintaining interest. However, I did find him to become distracted by the hotdogs. He seemed to be more interested in trying to get the hotdogs than sometimes following the track. I believe I found him veering off the track and intentionally going for a "no scent" area just to get the hotdogs. He was not doing that previously when he was getting just kibble as a treat. In response to this, I tried to do something different. When I saw him veering off to either the left or the right and not using his nose but using his eyes instead I told him "check" to tell him to keep his nose on the ground. I found him lifting his head regularly to try to find the track. When I saw him doing this I told him "check." This continued up the street. He would track for a short distance with his nose to the ground, and then he would lift his head looking for the track. I would say "check" until he put his nose on the ground. I would verbally praise him when he put his nose to the ground. When he lifted his head, I would tell him "check" and then verbally praise him when he put his nose on the ground. I think this practice gave him a better idea of how to find the scent because by the time we were going back down the street, he was much more focused on the scent on the ground and was veering off the track less and less.

We got back all the way to the parking lot of the supermarket and got to the back of the building with all the dumpsters. He was much more focused and following the track. We got out to the street and he found the scent down the street. He was getting excited as we got closer to the towel, and starting to lift his head. I continued to say "check" to keep his nose on the ground. When we got to the towel, he jumped straight up. He got his bag of treats and I threw the rawhide for him for several minutes. It was dark and cold by the time we were done.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Downtown Weaverville and surrounding residential areas. Weather is clear, sunny and cold.

I parked in parking lot next to Nugget Restaurant. I started walking Scout at 1:30 PM. I walked her across the street, up Main Street and made a right turn at the next side street. I tried to keep her leash loose and have her act like a dog walking by herself so my scent would be as far away. Next time I want to use a long line to get further away from the scent dog.

We made a left up the next street. This street was a paved road with no sidewalk or shoulder. Houses and open property all along both sides. At the back parking lot of one of the stores we made a left into the lot and walked along the left side of the lot and down a driveway to Main Street. Here we made a right onto Main Street. We walked about ½ block and then crossed Highway three and made a right up Highway Three. At the next block we made a left up a side street. Paved road with dirt sidewalks. Residences all along both sides. Halfway down the street we crossed over to the other side and continued down to the end. We crossed the street with the Court House in front of us. We made a right onto the sidewalk and walked up the street along the left side of the street. We continued all along this street which was a paved road with no sidewalks, just dirt. Residences all along both sides. Some to these houses had dogs in their fenced yards that barked at Scout as we walked by.

Halfway down the street we crossed over to the right side of the street. We walked about another half block and then crossed over again to the left side and went down another side street with the local hospital on the right side. In front of the hospital we made a left turn down a side street. Save paved road with only dirt shoulders. This street had a light creek running along side the right side. One house on the left side had a mule and a horse in their yards.

We continued all the way down on the right side and about one building before Main Street, we crossed over again to the left side with the Court House on our left. We made a left at the building and walked down to the end of the block. Here we made a right across Main Street to the other side and made a left down Main Street’s busy tourist area with all little mom and pop shops and museums. Half way we made a right into the parking lot of a bank and then made a U turn and came back out. We made a right turn and continued down Main Street. We walked all the way down a couple of more blocks and then made a right turn into a parking lot and then walked down the lot and came out the other side onto another side street and made a right. This is a paved road with dirt shoulders. We walked down this road and into a small bus stop and then back out. We made a right again and kept going the same direction. We walked halfway down the parking lot and made a left turn and then a right at the edge of the lot. We walked down a dirt embankment and then back up to another paved road and made a left back in the direction of the car. I put Scout back into the car and then went to a coffee shop to do work.

I had intended to start Dino at the two hour mark, but I got delayed and we didn’t start until the three hour mark. I was pretty nervous because this would be the longest track and the oldest track he had done.

I started Dino out a bit further up Main Street then where I started Scout so that Dino would come across her scent. I told him “take scent” and “search” about 30 feet before where her track started. I did see him looking over at the truck across the street before he found her track. Once he found her track, though, he kept his head down.

He got the right turn onto the side street off Main and then got the left turn up the next side street. He had his nose to the ground along this road. I tried something to practice on the “no scent” indication and told him “check” on a driveway across the street. He went up and checked around and then came back and sat in front of me. I clicked and treated.

We continued up the street and he got the left turn into the parking lot behind the bank. He veered off to the right to check the rear door of the bank and then came and sat in front of me. I clicked and treated. He continued on the track up the driveway and then made a left instead of a right onto Main street. He went about 15 feet and then came back and sat in front of Me. Click and treat. I told him search and he got the track up Main street. At the next corner, he check right and then left and came back and sat in front of me. Click and treat. I told him “search” and he got the straight across the street. I think he is kind of hesitant about going across street because I have always had him sit at curbs before going across a street for safety. He is cautious before he crosses a street, and since I will always be with him on a track, I figure I can work around that.

He crossed the street and went straight. He came back and sat in front of me, and then when I told him “search” he insisted upon going that way again. He did that a couple of more times. I did not click and treat each time, instead of told him firmly “search.” After a couple of minutes he got the right turn up Highway three and kept going.

He got the left turn up the next street and crossed the street to the appropriate side. He continued down the street, but missed the next cross over. I let him run out of scent and he came back and sat in front of me. Just treat to start to wean him off the click. I told him “check” and “search” and he found the cross over. We went up the street and he crossed over, but kept going straight into the parking lot of the court house. He stopped on his own and came back but didn’t sit in front of me. He made the correct right turn and went up the street, past a couple of barking dogs in their yards. He continued up the street and got the cross over halfway up the street.

One more block up he suddenly veered off to the right and went into a vacant lot where there were two big dogs barking behind a large fence. I let him go to see what he would do. He became very interested in some of the garbage laying around and I gave him a firm “ACHK” and “get to work”. For some reason he like that yard and looking again. He got another “ACHK” and “get to work” This time he followed the trail out to the yard, saying “Hi” to the dogs in the yard as I said “get to work” and made the right turn down the side street past the hospital.

I intentionally pulled him off and said “check” toward a parking lot next to the hospital to see what he would come up with. He sniffed around and around and then went back out to the track on his own and then made the left turn onto the side street.

He went down to the creek to drink some water and came back up and sat in front of me. I did treat since there wasn’t any scent down that way. We continued down the road and he was kind of distracted by all the smells along this road, but he did keep going and stayed on the trail. As we walked past the mule, he did acknowledge the mule but kept going which is very different since he loves horses and usually wants to go visit them.

He missed the veer left and kept going. I waited to see, and he kept going and finally stopped. He turned around and sniffed the air and came back and sat in front of me. I kind of felt like he has to admit that he has made a mistake and that he has to acknowledge it. I think that takes a mature dog to do that. He could keep going and hope I don’t notice, but I guess eventually he knows that I do know where it is because I set the track. So I guess that is all part of the practice part.

We came back and he found the cross over to the court house. He got the left turn back onto Main Street and then at the next corner he missed the right turn. He continued straight across the street and then stopped on his own and came back and sat in front. We went back and he checked the next direction and came back and sat. We crossed the street and he checked the next direction and came back and sat. We went back and this time he got the right turn. He stopped at the curb, hesitated and then crossed and then made the left turn down Main Street alongside the shops.

He didn’t catch the right turn into the bank’s parking lot, so I said “check” and pointed to the lot. He got the to the end and came back and sat in front. He check the sidewalk along the bank’s door and went back to Main Street and made the right again in the correct direction. He went down the street and crossed the street and made the right into the parking lot and down to the end and out onto the side street and made the right and went down the street to the bus stop. He checked that and came back out. He made the right along the track.

He missed the left turn into the parking lot and kept going straight up another road. He stopped and came and sat in front of me. We went back to the track and this time he got the turn into the parking lot and the right to the dirt path and up to the street and made the left toward the truck. At this point, the rawhide bone dropped out of my pants, which I think distracted him and he missed the cross over. He kept going straight and eventually stopped and followed along the track, and down another way. He eventually stopped and came back and go the track again.

He followed it up toward the towel. When he found the towel, he got very excited, and came back and jumped on me. I had him go to the towel and “down” and then I gave him the back of treats and played with the rawhide.

I was thrilled by this track. It was the longest and the oldest in a very high traffic VST area. I couldn’t have wanted more from him.

January 13, 2009

Lowden Park, various side streets and Main Street, Weaverville. Approximately 3:30 PM that I started to walk Dot. Parked in long thin parking lot alongside the park. Weather was clear and cold.

I walked Dot down the street which was a paved road with some sidewalks, but none at this point. Just a dirt side road. Walked down the street onto a concrete sidewalk, crossed the street and then turned right into a small business park. Made a U turn back outside the business park and back out onto the street. Crossed the street at the point of coming out of the business park and onto the other side which was a dirt sidewalk. Made a right to continue down the street past residences and business stores. Made a left at the corner to make a diagonal across the parking lot and out onto Main Street, which is a busy street with concrete sidewalks and a mixture of small shops and residences. We went down the street and then main a left onto a side street all with residences and dogs loose inside chain link yards. No concrete sidewalks, just dirt sidewalks. We walked all the way up the street to Lowden Park and made a veer right into the park. We walked up the paved road and then made a left into the parking lot of the park. We crossed the paved lot and walked alongside the nursery school buildings and into the park. We walked along the paved path into the park and then cut across the lawn toward the bathrooms to see if they were open. They were not. I circled the building checking all doors. When I found nothing open I continued up the paved path and into the large grassy area at the far end of the park back toward the parking lot where the car was. There was a gate from the park into the parking lot. I put Dot back into the car and then went to do some computer work at the other end of town.

Approximately, 1.75 hours later at round 6 PM I came back with Dino. It was dark. I reached for my handy dandy flashlight, and found it did not work. After cursing left and right, I decided to do the track and see what happens. I did not have a back up flashlight.

I took Dino out, put on his harness and got his treat bag and rawhide ready. I took a large towel and rubbed it all over Dot and put it next to a treat just inside the gate in the park. I took off Dot’s collar and put it in my pocket.

I took Dino across the street without giving him any kind of word yet. After walking a few feet along the track I said “take scent” and showed him the collar and said “search.” He immediately put his head down and started looking. When he would check areas and find no scent and he would come back and sit on his own, I would click and treat. I wanted to see if he would start to do this on his own with my saying to see if he understood the indication.

We continued down the street, and instead of crossing over the next street, he made a right turn. I let him keep going to see what he would do, and after about 50 feet and he made a U turn and went back up to the street all on his own without even asking for a treat. He found the scent again in the correct direction and kept going. I was so thrilled. I verbally praised him without distracting him.

He made the right into the business park and the left turn but then he missed the next left turn and kept going toward the dumpster. I let him go to see what he would do. He made the right U turn and went back to the track and followed it back out to the street.

When we got to the street, he made the cross to the other side and made the right turn back down the street. He followed it all the way down the street and made the left turn diagonally across the parking lot and out onto Main Street.

He followed it down Main Street and got sidetracked at the Mel’s Drive In and started to go into the lot toward the ordering window. He stopped on his own and came back to me and sat in front. I clicked and treated. I was surprised because people and food are his number one and two distractions. I praised him and told him “check” as I pointed toward the ground and he got the scent again and continued down Main Street. The whole time the long line is totally loose and dragging behind him. I have no guidance system at all.

He did miss one of the diversions I made into a small lot to test his “no scent” indication but I didn’t bring him back because the trail was still there he was following. Sometimes I have brought him back just to say “check” and see if he picks it up, but if he is steady on the trail, I don’t stop him. I let him keep going.

He followed the track down Main Street and made the left turn down the side street and made the cross to the other side of the street. He was trying to find the track when a young boy walked right up to him and wanted to play. The mother was right there so I couldn’t say anything to him. The boy wanted to keep playing, but I finally told him that Dino was working and needed to keep going. He wanted to go with us but, thankfully, the mother said “no.” We kept going up the street toward the park.

Here we came to the dogs loose in their yards behind the chain link fences. Dino had a tough time and was very distracted, but I kept telling him “check” as I pointed toward the ground. He tried very hard but the dogs were putting up a good display of barking and carrying on. We made it past the three houses and kept going up the street.

At the right turn into the park, Dino lost the track. By this time it was pitch dark with few street lights, so I had to be careful where I was walking. Dino crossed the street and wanted to keep going, but he stopped on his own and sat in front for a click and a treat. We went back to the track and tried again. We tried a couple more times back and forth on the corner and finally he found it going up the street toward the park. We had to veer off to the right a couple of times to get out of the way of cars, but finally we got to the park’s parking lot.

He followed the track up into the parking lot and crossed the lot to the other side but then lost it and made a right instead of a left. He kept looking and then found it again in front of the nursery school and followed it up into the park. He got it into the park and then lost it at the point where three paved paths come together. For some reason he insisted on going off to the left without stopping. The only reason I could see was that the car was visible off in the distance. He checked several other areas all around and I kept telling him “check” over and over as I pointed at the ground where the scent was. He would get in for a couple of feet and then raise his head and go off to the side. He would find it again, raise his head and then go off to the side a couple of feet. Finally he found it and went straight toward the restrooms. This was across thick uncut grass in a busy park with a track of an age he had not seen, so I was thinking it was just lack of experience. But I did like that he kept trying and didn’t stop.

When he got to the restrooms, he went right past them and kept going up the paved path. Here he made a couple of detours first off to the right and then the left toward the playgrounds. We had done tracks in those areas in the past, but I don’t think that was it. I kept having him “check” the ground and finally he got it straight through the trees and into the grassy area. Here it was pitch dark with only light from a distant road. I noticed that he would follow it for a couple of feet, then lift his head and veer off to the left or right. Then he would come back, follow the track for a short distance and then veer off again. I kept saying “check” over and over to keep his nose on the ground instead of lifting his head. He seemed to be paying attention and focus on the ground.

Here we both got lost in the darkness and I had made a mistake in the beginning when parking my car again the second time. I thought I had parked the car in the same spot as when I walked Dot, but I discovered that there are two identical looking gates from the park to the parking lot, and I had parked at the further one when I walked Dot and I had parked at the closer one when I walked Dino. The towel was left at the wrong gate compared to where the track was. We lost the track coming through the grassy area with the trees and when I realized I was in the wrong spot, I decided to just find the towel and get it over with as soon as possible. We found the towel and Dino jumped straight into the air. It was very cute. I gave him the bag of treats and threw the rawhide bone.

That was the first time I had combined those two tracks together. In the past I had done the track around the park and the track down on Main Street and up to the side streets. I decided to combine the two and then do the track in the dark. Plus the track was older than he had done in the past. I thought everything went great. I need to have a flashlight that works and I need to park the car in the right spot

Saturday, January 10, 2009

I am trying to train Dino everyday to see if that makes a difference for him. In the last couple of day, I have noticed his focus becoming much better and his interest is very high. He seems to love doing this.

Weaverville. Started 3:15 PM walking Dot. Weather is clear and cold. Street is residential with no sidewalks. Sometimes no shoulder. Sometimes shoulder closer to houses. Lots of deer in the area. Several loose dogs on the trail. Narrow two lane road.

I parked the car in the parking lot of Tops in the rear alongside the side street. I walked Dot up the street, no shoulder on road. We went straight up the road. When there was a place to walk off the road, we would walk onto the vegetation or paved driveways. We walked all the way up the street, which was about one 1/2 mile to the top, which was a dead end. Along the way, there were three loose dogs (luckily all friendly!) that ran from their properties over to visit with me and Dot. When we got to the end of the road, we back track about 20 feet, and then crossed over the street. One our way back down, we went up to side streets, and then came back down the same way.

I was trying to set up some spots for "running out of scent" compared to "no scent." There seems to be two different types of "no scent" however I use the same indication with Dino. There are the "we are going along the right track and suddenly there is no scent" like the animal turned and backtracked. Then there is the "no scent because we missed a turn or veered off the trail." One is a mistake on his part, the other is not.

I walked Dot all the way back down the road, and along the way we ran into two more dogs loose on the front lawn with full access to the road. Luckily, we were on the other side of the road, and the dogs stayed in their front yard. I thought there might be an invisible fence, but one of the dogs did come out to the road after we passed.

At the bottom of the road, we walked into the yard of a vacant house and around the front tree and then back out to the road. We walked along the side of the road, and the truck we clearly visible from where we were. I thought that Dino might key into that later on, and I could use that as a distraction. I have started to plant a towel with the scent laying dog along the trail for him to find instead of having him always go back to the truck.

I put Dot back into the truck around 3.45 PM and went inside to the store for over an hour. I came back out around 4:45, which would be about one and a 1/2 hour from the start of the track. I planted the scented towel across the street down in a dip so Dino couldn't see it. He would have to smell it in order to find it.

I put on his harness, treat bag and got his rawhide bone out. I walked him up the street over Dot's first track, but I did not tell Dino anything. We got about 50 feet into the track, I took out Dot's collar, and said "take scent." He reached up to sniff it and then immediately put his head down to follow the track. He followed it all the way up the street, getting most if not all, of the side tracks up driveways and around light posts. He did seem to be picking up the scent from the other side of the street, which I expected. This is the first time I have laid the two "coming" and "going" tracks this close. I tried to hug the sides of each lane as close as possible to make it easier. He would pick up his head and start to scent something from the other side, but then he would come back to the track he was one. Only one time did he cross over to the other side. He went up a side street. I let him go. He stopped on his own when he noticed there was no scent. He came back and sat. I clicked and treat. I brought him back out to the road and said "check." On his own he went back to the first side and continued up the road in the correct direction.

He went all the way up to the top of the dead end road. He went way past where the scent stop, but I did not say anything. I wanted to see what he would do on his own. About 50 feet where I turned around with Dot, he started weaving back and forth and lifting his head and looking around. He checked one more ditch off to the side, and then he came back and sat in front of me. I clicked and treat. I turned around and started back to see if he could pick up where I crossed over with Dot. He got that immediately, and started back down the road on the other side.

He followed the road pretty good all the way down going into the weeded and grassy parts where I walked with Dot. I missed one of the side streets where I turned up with Dot. Dino continued all the way down. One of the dogs loose in the yard was still there when we came back down. I picked up a rock just in case I needed to use it. Luckily, the dog stayed in his yard. Dino was distracted a bit, but I told him "search" as we walked past the dog, and he tried to keep his focus. We got past the house and kept going.

One thing I wanted to mentioned that I noticed different today was that a man walked past me on the walk up the road, said "hi" to me and kept walking. Dino took a brief glance at him and kept on the track. This is totally different than in the past when Dino would go up to anybody and everybody to visit, and then it would take some time to get him back on the track. I noticed this as we walked past the man, and I verbally praised Dino.

He missed the left veer into the yard at the bottom of the road, but I sawed that he could see the truck from that spot and started to head in that direction. I stopped him and brought him back. I said "check" as I pointed toward the ground. He picked up the scent and went into the yard. He missed the right turn around the tree and kept going. I didn't stop him. He went all the way up to the house (about 75 feet), looked around and then came back and sat in from of me. I clicked and treated. I brought him back to where he had the scent and said "check." He picked it up again and followed it out to the road. Again, he saw the car and wanted to go back to the car. This time, I gave him a firm "ACHK!" and said "get to work." He got back on the trail, and again veered to the right toward the car. Again I said "ACHK!" and "get to work" and pointed toward the ground and said "check." We were only a few feet away from the towel. He picked up the scent of the towel and ran toward it with full excitement and then ran back to me and jumped on me (which is his sign he found a cat). I brought him back to the towel and said "down" which he did. I gave him the treat bag food and played with the rawhide.

January 9, 2009

Junction City Park, approximately 4 PM. Clear and cold. I walked Dot from the car down the road toward going out of the park. Walked on driveway going out of park toward highway. Made left hand U turn back into park and around left side of old baseball diamond. About ½ through baseball diamond, I made a right hand turn across diamond. Once out of diamond went up slight hill and made a right toward playground. Went through playground, across the dirt road and made a left next to horse stables. Walked up fire road alongside stables. Stopped and turn around in the same direction. Made a right turn back toward dirt road and another right back in the direction of the car, but instead kept going straight up road alongside the right of the horse arena. Left towel with Dot’s scent about ½ way up the right side of the arena. Finished walking Dot at around 4:25 PM.

Went back into Junction City to go to post office and drop off boxes at storage unit. Came back to park at around 5:15 PM. Drove up along the left side of the horse arena and backed car up into side road, which is undetectable to Dino down on the track.

Put while towel with Dot’s scent back in the location of where I stopped her track along the right side of the horse arena. Took Dino out of car, put on harness, got rawhide bone, treat bag and clicker. Walked him down the short hill in the direction of Dot’s scent. Within about 20 feet of the scent, I told Dino “take scent” and showed him Dot’s collar. He came up, sniffed the collar, and I said “search” and then started looking for the track. He went forward on his own. He went back and forth looking. I thought he had the track, went in that direction, then veered off to the right and started to sniff in the bushes. He came back on his own, picked up the track and headed in the right direction. He was following it straight, and then when it turned right, he kept going straight. I let him go and then he turned and stopped on his own, looking around. He came back to me and sat in front of me on his own, which is his indication that he has run out of scent. I clicked and treated him. I brought him back to the area where he had the scent, and said “search.” He was looking around and around, and then picked it up in the correct direction down the dirt road.

He followed the track down the road and made the left turn down the next dirt road in the direction out of the park toward the highway. He followed it down the road on his own and when we came to the spot where I crossed the road diagonally with Dot, Dino crossed it on his own. Instead of turning left and continuing down the road, Dino kept going straight into the bushes. There was a worn footpath there. He got about 15 feet on the path, and then turned around and stopped. He looked back at me and then ran back and sat in front of me. I clicked and treated. I brought him back out to where he had the scent and said “search.” He picked up the track again and followed it down the road toward the highway.

He got the left hand U turn back into the park and into the baseball diamond. He missed the left turn after going into the field and kept going straight. He stopped by himself about 20 feet and then came back to me and sat in front of me. I clicked and treated. I brought him back to the point where he had the track and said “search,” and this time he got the correct turn and headed alongside the left side of the diamond. He missed the right hand turn and kept going straight. This time, I had to stop him because he kept going. I brought him back on the track before the turn, I pointed to the ground and said “check.” This time he got the right turn and started going fast across the field with his nose on the ground. I usually have the long line loose, but this time he got so far ahead, that it got tight. I have learned not to let him get going fast because then he gets so excited that he misses the turns. I had to keep the leash taut to slow him down.

He followed the track out the field, up the slight hill and got the right turn towards the playground. He was going straight into the playground and through the trees. Then he suddenly went off the track to the left. I let him keep going. Shortly, he stopped on his own and came back to me and sat in front of me. I clicked and treated. I brought him back to where he had the track and said “check” in different areas. He went off in another direction of the park. This time I had to stopped him and bring him back. I brought him back to the area of the track and said “check” and this time he got the track again and followed it out of the playground and across the road and made the left turn along side the horses, which are a major distraction to him. He veered off to the right to see the horses. I said “ack!” and “get to work” in firm voice and he came back to the trail and followed it up the fireroad. When he got to where the scent stopped, he stopped, looked around and came back to me and sat in front. I clicked and treated.

He followed it back down the fire road and made the right turn back onto the dirt road and then straight up the road toward the towel. He did go back and forth a couple of times on this road, obviously looking for something. He went off to the side on both sides and came back on this own. I said “check” as I pointed on the road. He went up the road, veering off to the left a bit and then raised his head in the direction of the towel and went straight toward it. When he saw it, he got very excited and ran back to me and jumped on me. I took him back to the towel and had him lay down. I gave him the treat bag and played with his rawhide all the way back to the car.

I was pretty happy about the age of the trail, which was an hour and a half by the time we finished. There definitely is a difference in how he works the VST trails in town and how he works the rural park. His confidence is much higher on the non VST trails. That is why I want to continue to do more of the VST trails. He seemed very strong in many areas, though I didn’t like him missing the turns that he did. He did get several of the turns and got many of the areas where there was no scent. Those were good.