Ash getting back on Track!
We had to take a slight hiatus from tracking since Ash was in season but we are happy that "she is back in tracking" mode:-) She is a girl that wants to work and seems "not herself" if she is not working at something. She was so happy when I said "Are we tracking today!"
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Ash on her homestead after her early morning run before we set off to class. A friend of mine commented that Ash has that “easy, breezy
cover girl look – she always seems to maintain a fresh and glossy look no
matter what activity she does. If only I could do that!
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| Ash sits as she watches me run to the house to fetch more things that I need for the day - thankfully she is the most patient and forgiving member of my Canaan Crew. Although I am sure she was thinking "Geez, woman can you put away the camera and get your act in gear!" |
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| Ash getting ready for serious work - she is all decked out with her tracking harness and knows we are out for a job to get done. I am loving her "work ethic" She is still a young girl in training but takes the training so seriously and seems to look forward to all her sessions with meticulous thought. Here she is ready and fresh out from the drive to class waiting for me to say " lets go track". |
Our Tracking group met on Saturday, February 18th for a breakfast seminar with our awesome tracking instructor Donna Brinkworth. Next we headed off to Red Deer College to plot and age our tracks. Today's session focused on longer tracks in an urban setting.
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| Ash beautiful footstep tracking - nose to the ground |
Ash "being a farm girl" does not get a lot of urban exposure so I am always impressed when she tracks transitions - she had to track on asphalt , on sidewalks , beside campus buildings and keep her focus and flow. The funny thing was that she is "IS" used to birds and all kinds of critters on her farm. We had one moment when she heard some birds twittering away in a cluster of trees along the track. She stopped to look and I had to say "No" firmly but quietly. We could not move off the track or touch the dog to regain their focus on the work. Ash did not pull me toward the "tweeters", but instead paused for a few seconds and then got right back on track - yeah! She gets to chase the magpies and ravens off her farm in a regular fashion but on track she needs to know they have to be ignored. This is the part of training I love and aim for in the "teamwork" part with my crew - it takes time, patience, and dedication from both of you. The training also forces you to "read" your dog's body language - you need to get into "the mind" of your dog.
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| Ash did a beautiful and smooth transition from the asphalt to the sidewalk and picked the correct corner to turn - I love working with this girl! |
Ash is a very "calm and thoughtful" girl who makes training a fun and rewarding experience for me. Ultimately, you are working toward a partnership if you expect results and teamwork.
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| Ash scenting along the sidewalk with nose to ground on her track. |
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| Me and My gal Ash after a great day of Tracking! |
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