wow! Well, it has been a while since i have been on this site. I have been sick again and today I am feeling pretty good. I am working on a few things with Bindi- she is beginning to work on some advanced signs in rally along with some new behaviors I have taught her or am training her to do. She is learning: to look to the right when I tell her. To wipe her paws when i wipe my feet, to sit pretty, to tip a container over when I say tip and to touch the cabinet door with her paw, that behavior will be turned into close it, like my cody does. Also in novice rally we are perfecting our pivots and recall. It is weird sometimes bindi just is so slow on her recall, other times she runs as fast as she can. We are working on more running and less slow recalls.
Cody- fronts and finishes, heeling, and since I have been sick and can't go out much, I haven't worked on his fear issues which I realize will set me back. If I continue to feel well I plan on beginning again.
Terra- wait and heel, leave it. She is doing very well in class. She seems to really enjoy it.
Bindi is doing outstanding in her rally class. I am learning the signs more and more.

Great to read about all you guys are doing in your training. Keep it up, it is very encouraging.
Love, sharon, and her pups, Bindi, Cody, Terra.

There you are, Sharon! I was looking for you, and I also received a couple of PMs from others asking if anyone knew if you were OK. I was going to PM you tomorrow!

I'm glad you feel a little better.

Sharon, glad you've had a little reprieve. I hope you make a full recovery soon.

Hooray! The days are finally long enough that there is enough light at 6am to return to tracking before work. The only issue remaining is that there is not enough room in my immediate neighborhood to run a full length track (unless the neighbor behind me bushhogs his field). Instead, I will be setting up multiple tracks that highlight specific challenges. The key will be maintaining focus from track to track. I will have to get out on the weekends to the tracking fields for full runs. When these seven-day workweeks are over, it will be much easier.

This morning, we opened with a 40m track, with a turn in each direction and an article at the end. The second was a 50m straight track with three articles. On the first, I baited the pad, then paced out 5 unbaited steps, so that she started the track without bait. I then baited 10 consecutive steps to reinforce checking each step and the headswing. I stopped baiting a few paces before the turn, thru the turn and several more paces, to evaluate how she worked out the turn. I put in a couple of randomly spaced baits, then closed the baitbag, made my last turn, and stepped out 10 paces to the end article.

On the second track, I left the pad unbaited, to see if she would spend a little time on an unbaited pad. I started without bait, and after 5 paces I threw in a couple of random baits, to prevent her from sleddogging and skipping over baits (focus exercise). After the last bait, I went 10 paces to the first article. Next, I went 10 paces, bait, then 10 paces to the second article, then 15 paces to the last article.

Sadie was rock-solid on the first track, including the end article. When we got to the second track, she only spent about 2 seconds on the pad, then was off down the track. She indicated solidly on the first article, but she indicated early on the second (when she saw it), and bearing this in mind...

"If allowed, self rewarding can easily lead to false indicating. The dog starts learning that it's indication itself is rewardable. That's almost always a training issue but it can ruin a dog's reliability factor in a heart beat if not gotten under control. ",

I swiftly gave her an "uh uh" and a "such", and she tracked to the article and indicated. She finished up the session with solid tracking all the way to and a sweet indication on the end article. We had a little party and she was released for a run.

Too beautiful of a morning to not get in a full track. Decided to go to work a little late so that we could go to one of our new tracking fields.

Sadie has been pretty solid on the pattern that we've been working, so I decided that it was time to start working at the very end of the line. This was her first time to track at the full 33ft. I didn't bait the pad, and as before, she blew right through it and started tracking. I still need to come up with a solution for that.

She tracked well in the early portion of the track. She wasn't 100% confident at times, as she is used to getting a little more help and a little more pressure, but overall, she seemed to really enjoy the independence. She did spend a little too much time (for me) finding one bait in the first leg and again after the first turn. Also, she got a little worried during some unbaited sections and checked both sides of the track, but every time, except for the second turn, she worked it out without leaving the track. She lost the track in the second turn, which was over a change in surface. I went back up the line to her and commnded her to "such", and she found the track and finished the last leg, which was completely free of bait.

Although she wasn't great with the new challenge, I was pleased because she seemed to handle it reasonably well, giving us something to build on. The problems were easy to identify, so I think I can get those straightened out.

Another nice morning for tracking, but I can't be late to work on a Monday, so we did two small tracks at home. I wanted to do some troubleshooting, and had some ideas on how to improve on articles and on the unbaited pad.

Before starting, I did a very brief refresher on articles away from the track, just like when I first introduced them to her. When I laid the tracks, I didn't bait them at all, so that the only rewards she would get on the track were from the articles. The first track was 30m with a turn in each direction, an article halfway thru the second leg, and another at the end. The other track was straight, with an article after seven paces, then twenty paces to the end article.

She started the first track with a quick sniff of the pad, and was ready to go, but I was ready for her and gave her some directional resistance to make her check the whole pad. She did, then tracked steadily to the first article. She seemed a tad confused about not findig bait, but I think I saw the light bulb go off. When she saw the first article, she took a quick backward glance back at the track behind her, took a noticeably deep breath, and then indicated surely on that article. After the second turn, she got a little frantic, obviuously stressed about not finding any bait, but I gave her a "such" and she tracked to and indicated perfectly on the end article.

At the next track, she spent about three seconds on the pad with no help (pbly thinking that surely she would find some bait somewhere). She started the track and covered the first seven paces to the article beautifully and indicated properly. Evidently, though, the next twenty paces were a little far on my part, considering she had found no bait whatsoever, and she struggled. I move d up the line and helped her, and she finished with another proper indication on the last article.

I am encouraged by what I saw today, and am thrilled that Sadie works so well on the longer line. I like how the unbaited tracks helped with both problems and will continue to employ as needed, but I will still continue to track over baited tracks more than unbaited, as I don't want to mess up her motivation to track.

Tracking today.

Dexter did 2 sent pads and a short 10m track. He is getting better. The sent pads are good the track is ok. But he get distracted very easily like for any other type of training I try with him. But for sure he will never go too fast. I think I could fall asleep as he is so slow!

Harley did a about 500m track that was aged for just under 1hour. There were 6 turns (4 left and 2 right) from 45 to 90 degrees. Mostly in short to medium grass but there was a 10m on very dry sand. Bait in the sent pad, random small and bigger bait here and there but not in every leg and a jack pot at the end well hiden in a plastic bag.

He got a bit lost in a turn that was in short thin and very dry grass going down a slope. He also had a bit of a hard time on the sand. The rest was very solid.

Earlier this week Dexter did sent pads only and Harley did a circle track. He did not touch any bait for the first 1 1/2 lap then he setle in and cleaned up each bait.

Today Bindi and I worked on- review-heel, front, sit, down in motion, sit, turns, recall. Then we began to work on send outs, touch with paw and nose, learning the cues for the difference- a cue for nose and one for paw. practiced, turn right, wipe paws, physical cue, me wiping my feet. Close it-she closes the cupboards when cued. also, practiced-"ring the bell." beginning to work on some advanced moves in rally.
Cody- go touch- hit large ball with nose-beginning to teach him to turn off a light switch (he is small so my husband made a switch on a piece of wood at this height., fronts, recall, wait.
Terra- wait, heel, finding heel, touch clear plastic lid. (will transfer it to feet (from nose) and to other objects.

that is it for today. Still working on fear issues with cody. Love sharon