Friday, September 9, 2011

August 28th; Blast,Emma,Tank pics.

A few pics. from each of the three tracks, just too much to put on here otherwise. Still have Sept. 5th tracks to get to - too much going on these days trying to get ready for trials. We've also done some 'search and hide' games for motivation, and that sure works!!! No pics. of them, the dogs are running and one of us is hiding!
This is a nice place, very assorted ground covers and busy, but this was an early Sunday morning, so fairly quiet. There had been dog walkers through here. Blast has just left his start which was on top of the rise, just behind me. He's working nicely here.We've gone through a garden and made a turn out here. This is actually a circular drive-through to the left and right. He is picking up a small piece of food, you can see it right through his legs (double click to enlarge picture) and further up ahead is a cotton glove. Past this is a right turn down a walkway, left over grass and into driveway, up over a 2' curb onto pavement.He's been working through here nicely, above is checking a folded paper which had blown off from beside the track. He comes back to the track and makes an open left turn on the pavement.We head up onto the walkway, make a right and he's dead on the first step onto the grass.The couple walking towards us, pretty much met us right on the first walkway, and paid no attention to Blast, and he paid no attention to them. A good "non" meeting. An article ahead, then a left back to his final article in cedar trees. A good track.Tascha and Emma down at the lakefront, crossing a tricky area where wind comes through a "tunnel" out of the picture on the left, and off the lake on the right. This is a 'raised' area they are crossing.Having completed that, and very nicely, they move onto mainly dead, brown grass and dirt patches. This is a very long leg and then it will cross the wide roadway towards the lake.After crossing the road, they move between two garden areas and Emma has just found her first article. They have three more legs, crossing the road again, and on to the final article.Still down at the lakefront, Tank is on his first leg. He will be crossing this road further up ahead. By this time, there was a fair bit of traffic building up at times.A couple of vehicles stopped to let us go, and we run across the road. I've taught all my dogs to run across roads when I say "Go, go, go!" as sometimes it's necessary.One aim with this location for Tank was to see how he handled "more" distractions.
We had people approaching us and I had to explain what we were doing, lots going on, didn't notice until seeing this picture, the two dogs with people sitting in the gazebo. Sometimes there are loose dogs, which is always a worry. Tank paid absolutely no attention to anything but his track, I was very pleased with him. He's about to make a left turn here.We gone through a parking lot, grass and cross the road once again...this made 3 crossings. A right turn above takes us along a stretch of grass to his final article.What a good boy, playing tug and throwing the glove for him to catch. A happy dog!!!

Ball Work - Just Play for Kira

This picture is from a week or so ago, out on a walk. Found a ball...had to play! Kira is braced for a jump to catch the ball.I keep cutting off ears!!! We did a little "two ball work" today, she was bringing this one back from the bush.The two orange balls are her favorites, something is getting "the evil eye" on her way back to me.Just a little play after the ball "work"...

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Too cute not to share!

Well, I'm now two weeks behind on putting tracking pictures on here and a number of others I planned...just too much to do, too little time.
However, this picture is from yesterday, after finishing tracks. Just thought it was so cute.
Tank and Emma, Sunday, September 6, 2011. Urban Tracking buddies.