December 7th, 2025
Goal: To run a 300 yard straight track with a new food drop pattern S5W20 dropping food in between the walking steps.
Track :
Time laid: 11:55 PM
Time ran: 12:07 PM
Length: ~ 330 yards
Temperature: 39 F
Humidity: 82%
Wind: 3 mph SSW Gusts of 8 mph
I started a new food drop pattern S5W20, since I didn't want to get stuck. I made this one up but I'm not sure if this a good augmentation? This is also the longest track we've done this season which is why I decided to run a straight track. I added 3 scent pads and dropped some additional food where there was very patchy grass and a small drainage ditch. Things went pretty well for the most part during our track. She had a few lost of scents(2:37, 3:32 (distraction) 4:58 (offering water here might have been a good call), 6:05, but recovered nicely. Lately it's been windy and this often makes Tilly track parallel to the track. I try and step behind her or across from her and it does work to get her back but she often returns to tracking parallel to the track on a windy day. Not sure if I need to keep stepping behind her every time to push her back to it?
Also adding a couple of video of two article tracks we did on Saturday.
Distance track was quite nice. I like that you are close to her. When she does check out surroundings, you limit her line (good) and play it out when she gets back to work then hustle closer (great). You are training her nicely. I would recommend no "good girl" comments. She is rewarded by the food. Unless you have a big struggle, keep quiet. The two article tracks show a real need for HER to take responsibility for indications. In article track 2 at 4:10, SHE took responsibility. I would have paid and paid and paid and gotten on the ground and offered water - party! Otherwise, all the other indications is you saying "get it get it". So you want her to pick it up and drop or do you want her to bring it? Either way, get this figured out and trained AWAY from tracking. Indications are a skill that must be maintained.
ReplyDeleteMary Ann
The improved line work is thanks to the great advice from my instructors :) Okay for the verbal encouragement, I’ll work on phasing that out. For the articles, I’m still working on getting her to bring it to me outside of an actual track but at the track (for now), I’m okay with her just picking it up. My thinking is once I have a better article behavior, I can start adding in the “bring it to me” portion. For track #2 at 4:10 I purposely didn’t say anything for that article to see if she would pick it up right away without a prompt, and I agree I could have paid her more for that win. I’ve also been doing the articles work during meal time you suggested and they have helped a lot. I also agree that she’s ready to take on more responsibility for indicating the articles and we can start on that this week if ever it stops snowing lmao.
DeleteI love the distance!!! And the spread out food drops didn’t bother her at all. And, I 100% agree with MAM! Train those articles off the track. Look at Ralph’s videos from last spring, when he trained Millie for her breakfast. It’s an effective way to get the process started!
ReplyDeleteOK, actually, you ran the article track exactly as we have told you to, so I take back my comments! I’d still add “articles for dinner” games in the house, and repeat these 2 tracks one more time…and then pick one article you don’t cue and see if she picks it up on her own. It’s a balancing act, as we want the cue to pick up the article to be the article, not your voice. So, since I happen to know you have amazing timing, think about how and when you use your cue…right now its about 3 steps from the article, next time maybe 2 steps, then 1, then test…. At some point I’d expect her to anticipate the “get it get it get it” and grab it—and yes, then you party!!! You’re a good enough trainer to build this skill, just keep in mind what the goal is, and train it off track (MAM’s article games, Ralph’s house training) as well as on track.
ReplyDeleteLol! Ok for the timing regarding my verbal cue for article pick up. I’ll repeat those tracks this week and see if I can get that timing. Depending on how it goes I’ll adjust my cues. Thanks for the reminder to checkout Ralph’s article training videos!
ReplyDeleteLooks like I showed up in time for all the dishes to be washed 😂j/k! Seriously though MAM and Judi pretty much covered it! I'll repeat a comment I've made for some of your other posts...one of the things I like is how clear it is that her tracking and return to the track from LOS or distractions is consistently getting reinforced.
ReplyDeleteRealized I meant to mention...in the long track video I noticed the flag in your hand. Unless you absolutely *have* to pick it up, try to leave start flags (or turn flags) where they are and come back to get them after running the track (just don't let Tilly track backwards along the track). It's better for your hands to be free to keep your line handling clean and to avoid the distraction the flag is going to present at some point.
DeleteWill do. I did find carrying that flag distracting. I’ll keep going with this food drop pattern for this week since it’s enough reinforcement.
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