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.