As you know, Bailie started tracking last August. Because tracking requires so much space and time, she was the only one to take the class and learn to track. Mom’s plan was for Bailie to get her TD title this spring and then let me start tracking. Well, forget that, plans out the window!
Since it has become obvious Bailie won’t be getting a title until fall, Mom decided to let me give tracking a try using Bailie’s equipment. She has the class material with all the instructions and I set out on my week one assignments. I actually loved it and did very well, but it bothered me using Bailie’s stuff. Then one day some packages showed up for me.
Oh my dog, look, it is my very own harness and forty foot bio thane tracking line! It smells nice and new, no more stink of Bailie on my furs!
I’m so proud to have my own equipment, I can’t wait to give it a try! The type of harness we use only comes in black, so Mom tied a red string on mine so we know it is mine since red is my color. We want to get them monogrammed but the area is too small.
I’m now in week four of my training and it is going really well. I am very different from Bailie, taking tracking seriously, and moving much slower. Mom took this video of me this week working my long homework track. It is 240 yards long with a right and then a left turn. The legs were 90, 80, and 70 yards long. I’ve only done a track this long once before, and it is tiring as I’m just learning turns and it is a big job. The entire video was about 4 1/2 minutes, so Mom edited out some of the boring straight ahead stuff. You can see in the video how I start to get tired and kind of wonder if I need to keep going. I also get a bit lost on the gravel baseball field. Odor is different there than it is in the grass, so I got lost for a moment.
After finishing my three homework tracks, I came home and crashed. Tracking is new and hard work, so I need lots of rest afterwards! I can’t wait to do even longer and more complicated tracks in the coming weeks. The plan now is to get me certified in July or August and have both Bailie and I try for TD titles in the fall.
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Go Emma!! We loved watching your tail swishing as you tracked and were so excited when you found the article!!!
Smileys!
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
I can’t keep a secret as long as my tail is attached!
You look so official i your very on tracking gear. Good luck sweetie! ♥
Thank you, Bentley. I love to put it on and go tracking. Although it totally wears me out, I really get mad when I am done with my tracks and have to go back to the car!
Have fun trackin!
I am really enjoying it, but Mom says I’m funny as I don’t like the real tall thick grass. She says I’m turning into a real lady. Bailie plows through anything like a bulldozer!
Yay for your own tracking equipment! So how do you teach the right & left turns with the flags?
The flags are only for the dumb humans who wouldn’t know where the turns were. We use clothes pins in tall grass, or you can use a golf tee with in short grass. Mom needs to know where the turn is to see if I take it or not and if not to help me work through it. In a test track, there is only a start flag, and a directional flag at 30 yards. The rest is blind but the track layer and judges know where the track is.
Ahhh, I see!! Those dumb humans 😉 Thanks for explaining it!!
Without us, they would never find the end article again! LOL! Mom is directionally challenged, so even with flags and clips she sometimes has no clue where to go and has to hope we figure it out.
That’s very exciting! Glad you are resting up after such hard work. Keep up the tracking and the naps.
Tracking is really tiring as there is so much thinking and concentration involved. I do love it, though.
you are going to be a pawsome tracker – we loved watching you – well done
I’m hoping to be better than Bailie who claims she is the better tracker. We will see who gets a TD title first in the fall.
You are a wonderful student, Emma. you give it your best shot. Bravo! XOXO Sparkle the PBGV
I take my work and sports very seriously and have fun at the same time. Bailie is too carefree in my opinion. She is too busy getting distracted.
Looks like you had a lot of fun! We’ve always thought tracking was so neat and love learning about it from you!
Thank you. Mom really enjoys our nose work and tracking sports. She says we never cease to amaze her with our talents. The hard part is training her to not mess stuff up.
You look so happy in those beautiful photos! Good luck with your tracking!
Thank you. I really enjoy it, so hopefully I will continue to do well.
Well done Emma…you are much more deliberate than Bailie for sure. I think there were some wabbits out there – is that what distracted you?
There lots of kids and dogs not to mention critters who run over the field, so I want to check it all out. I always take my activities very seriously. Bailie is more carefree casual about it all.
woohoo…you got it! that was fabulous to watch you… I always act on the long tracking leash like a bullet, even Usain Bolt would throw the towel in :o) It’s great that you got your own equipment, maybe you can use a velcro-thingy with a monogram what you can add to your harness?
Bailie is the speeding tracking bullet in our house which is one of her downfalls as she misses turns and stuff and then gets busy tracking something else. We are still thinking what to do for our harnesses. Maybe we will have them just sew a simple colored stripe down the handle part on the back. Velcro may fall off in heavy brush.
I’m a big sister, too, and I’ve never had to use my little sister’s gear. Usually she’s the one that ended up using my stuff, but I’m imagine I’d be like you and want my own stuff too 🙂
Usually we each get our own, but Bailie started tracking last fall, so she had her gear and Mom didn’t know if I would really like to track, so I borrowed hers to test it out. Now we each have our own.
Well done Emma!
Thank you.
Awesome!!! Hope you can get tons of rest after all that hard work!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
I usually take a good long nap after tracking. Some days we do tracking, and then nose work right after in a park somewhere. Bailie and I are dead for the rest of the day when that happens. Mentally worn out.
Ooooh, cool!
sumskersandearlskers13.blogspot.com
Every dog has their sport(s).
How cool. Tracking sounds like a fun and interesting game
Lily & Edward
A game is a good way to look at it as it is kind of like hide and seek with an article.
Awesome work! Nothing like a little sibling rivalry to help you guys both along.
Pressure is on for Bailie. After her failures this spring, we have to wait until fall for more TD tests. I’m saying I will get my TD before she does unless she starts working more seriously. We shall see. First we have our nose work competitions this weekend to see about. Hopefully we will both do great.
Good job, Emma! Tracking is fun, and I bet it made you tired. 🙂
It is a lot of fun, but after I finish my homework, I’m worn out.
Way to go Emma! We know you’ll do good with thte tracking thing!
I think so too. I try real hard.
Just remember Emma all that tracking and hard work means more naps and cuddle time 😉 Keep up the good work!
It is wonderful doing dog sports! I feel so much better and am even happier than I already was because I’m doing things my breed was meant to do. Thank you to blogging for letting Mom know about all the things out there for dogs!
Emma, I wish you had gotten to soend some time with Wilhelm because he also takes his tasks very seriously. Maybe it iS because you lived in Germany. 😉 And no wonder Huxley and Bailie were such fast friends because they are both, um, lets say, a bit silly. I am very glad you are beginning your tracking work and I look forward to tracking your progress. (tee, hee.)
Alone the name Wilhelm sounds serious. Bailie is just very immature and carefree. She gets things done, but not always in the right manner. Maybe she will mature some day and get more serious. Right now we are hoping she does well on her exterior searches in the trial tomorrow. One never knows but we have hope.
That is very exciting that you are tracking now too, Emma, and it sure does look like it was a good workoout for you! Your technique definitely looks very different than Bailie’s, and it’s probably fun for your Mom too to have it different with the two of you. Keep up the good work and we look forward to hearing more about it.
Our biggest problem is finding the space we need now that my tracks are getting longer, but we are getting a system down.
Show up your sister, Emma! Mr. N is also very methodical about his searches.
Since Bailie didn’t get her title, she has to wait until fall now. If I get certified this summer, then it will be every dog for herself to get the first TD title and I’m feeling good about it.
Looks like you did great and really put your nose into it. 🙂
I’m doing pretty well for a newbie, but Mom isn’t shocked as I take work seriously.
GOOD JOB, Emma! I am fascinated watching you work. Give you mom a big hug and kiss for posting your video. I’m sure you will finish before Bailie as she is still a puppy brain. After you finish she will be able to learn from you. It’s such a responsibility being a big sis, isn’t it?
I’m so happy to prove Mom wrong. She did not think I would like tracking, but I love it! It is every dog for herself as to who gets their title first. If I get certified this summer, look out little sis! Glad you enjoyed the video. It is hard to video and train at the same time, but my photographer did her best.
Your a lucky girl enjoy your lessons.
We love our homework!
Great job, looking forward to seeing more success from you!
I’m pretty excited about tracking and can’t wait to do longer tracks with more turns.
How exciting. I’m sitting here smiling for you!
I really like it. Lots of fun and great treats at the end.
Wow, that’s really cool, Emma. I am interested in learning more about this. How do you know what you’re tracking? Does your mom show you the article first? Then what do you get as your reward for finding it?
It is all based on the scent on the start article. In the beginning treats are randomly dropped along the trail and the end article has treats on it. Slowly the treats disappear and we just search for the article and get rewarded with something high value when we find it. Dogs track naturally, so it is simply a matter of training us to track specific odors and learning to follow turns and ignore distractions. It is a lot of fun for everyone.
It sounds like fun. Ace would love it! We play “find it” type games for fun. Maybe I’ll try doing more simple tracking with him. I obviously don’t really know what I’m doing, but we could probably still have fun with it anyway.
The goal is not to make it hard, but to make it fun, learn to follow turns etc. Good mental and physical work.