Nimrod's Adventures

TDHS back field. Track laid at 3:10, run at 3:43.  temp 30. I left nim in the car while I laid the track thinking it was too cold to tether him. We had the field to ourselves.  5 shuffle steps, 5 steps, FD 10 steps FD,  repeat. 3 turn track, each leg 50 yards. objectives: practice turns, make more use of ground markers, practice selecting distinct double line ups, build Nim's confidence and practice reading my dog. I was pleased to feel Nim's enthusiasm. I don't think he's ever run a track so quickly. Nim overran the third turn and I saw his LOS before I saw we'd over run the double line up. We've been running an article track once a week and his article indication is getting solid.

10 Jan: TDHS back field. 62 degrees. no wind. The field was very wet: shallow puddles, the grass squelching underfoot. 2-R turns.  First turn 70 yards, second and third legs 50 yards. five shuffle steps, five strides, FD, five strides, FD. track laid at 3:35, Run at 4:11. Scent was clearly more difficult perhaps due to how very very wet the field was. At one point, I laid the track through a large shallow puddle. Nimrod had difficulty committing to going through the puddle. I don't think he lost scent, (I boosted the augmentation in the puddle). I walked him back to last point he had scent, he tracked to the edge of the puddle and made a 90 degree turn to parallel the puddle. He did this three times. Finally, I walked him into the puddle. He was able to find the track and proceeded. Nimrod was able to find the track move through it, downing on the article even though his belly got wet. I am more confident with my double lineups: drawing the shape of tree trunks so I can remember.

TDHS back field. 1 turn, 5 shuffle steps, 5 strides, FD, 5 strides. Nim found the end of a hotdog with bun less than a foot from the track. He was able to get back to work. I still need to improve my use of double lineups and ground markers. I am confusing the double line up I used to lay the track, deciduous trunk and pine apex say, with an adjacent deciduous trunk and pine apex.  I track in empty athletic fields and parks, both heavily littered. I'm using litter as ground markers. Water bottle caps are poor markers as they are ubiquitous.