Thursday, August 12, 2010

Tank - Just lucky timing!

I was just lucky to get this and just love it! Tank is such a ball freak. He had over-run the bouncing ball, and was skidding to a stop to catch it. The sand he was kicking up, the open mouth about to grab the ball, I never would have captured this without pure luck. What a happy guy he is!

Really Early Track for Blast Today

This was Blasts' really, really early track this morning. Still so hot/humid, but with only aging 1/2 hr. or so, you can get a track in for a "new" dog doing TD. Grass was a little damp still, and it was overcast with no breeze. The brown marks are hay bales. Blast is tracking very nicely along his first leg. I used the hay bales as "markers", this was so easy.
I aslo used the hay bales as "potential distractions" for him. He absolutely loves to leap up on hay bales. I purposely went within a few feet of the one above - second leg, second corner. I was really happy that the track was more important to him than jumping up on the hay bale.
He completely ignored the bale and made a great right turn onto the third leg. I was really happy about this, a big step.
Another (open) right turn here. There were 5 legs and 4 turns, only one was left. This is a long leg sighting a roof in the distance. This is a lovely hay field right now, nice growth. It would be perfect conditions for a test.
His fourth corner and fifth leg took him between three bales. He didn't blink an eye at any of them, and continued to track nicely between. I was really pleased with how well he did this morning.
The little yellow arrow to the right shows our start and the one on the left is the telephone pole I used to sight for this leg. Red "X" marks the article, perspective is off, it is further along than it appears.
And his article is here. He seems to think there is something under it, I am giving him something from my hand when he has indicated. After I removed his harness, we played tug a bit with the glove and then.....

....finally....he gets to play up on the hay bale. He had to lie down to 'study' a truck driving by on the road.
Tomorrow, an urban track with Trust is planned. Hope we can get it in early enough and don't have to cancel it!!!!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Sunset Tuesday night

Although we still have awful hot and humid weather during the daytime, the evenings have been cooler for walks, and the sunsets have been exquisite.

Blast on Scent Pad

This is what I'm looking for! Blast is now so anxious to reach the scent pad, he pounces down just before it and spends time to draw in the scent. Such a nice change from trying to race out across it.