Last outing was fun and ridiculously easy for Evie. Today I wanted to do a bit of a stretch and do something similar to where we left off in the late spring - a 450 yard VST track. It was 70* and mostly sunny - warm fall day - so we ran it at 1hr 45 min. Food drops q20 on veg, q10 on non-veg.
Articles were a mixture of types (red Xs on map): Start = bandana, #2 - plastic case on tennis court, #3 - metal tin on grass by picnic tables, #4 - black leather square before asphalt, #5 - teal leather on asphalt, #6/end - black crochet piece on asphalt.
My junior videographer was enjoying lunch and camera batteries weren't charged so no video but take my word that it was b-e-a-utiful!
Evie was pumped to walk around to the start but once we got to the start area, she was calm and focused. She took water before I hitched up the harness and she calmly walked to the flag and downed. Clear start on the first leg with good drive/pull.
The first turn was awesome - about 10 yd before the turn, she was looking left down the tennis courts. Throughout the track today, she skipped a lot of the cheese drops but nosed them so I think she was using that as a marker/reinforcer that she was on the track. She downed on the plastic case on the cement nicely and took water before restart. We did our restart routine after water at each article today - she was panting pretty good by the end so I was thankful she was drinking.
The next turn was a little squiggle around a hay bale and then between some trees - she was step for step the whole time.
This third leg was close to some trees with brush at the base and birdies in the low branches - her poor bird dog brain was about to explode and she kept veering off to satisfy the calling but when I called her back, she came and got a piece of chicken. Once or twice I had to toss the chicken on the track and that got her refocused.
The turn to Leg 4 was a T at the building. She looked right (correct), then looked left and dismissed, taking Leg 4. It was a short leg with a swell and more bird trees which gave her more challenge on this leg than I had planned for but we worked it to the next turn. She took the turn nicely and made it down the veg part to a leather article.
After the article, there was ~5 more yards before a sidewalk and step out onto the parking lot. She was a bit hesitant/not confident that the track went out into the parking lot - she tried looking left down the side of the building/lot a few times before finally going out into the parking lot (something to work on in a future outing).
Moderately good mini MOT turn and downed at teal leather article 15 yards down the final leg. After water and restart routine, she plodded along tiredly but with determination to the final article!
A very good day, a very happy dog, and reaping the tired snuggles now :)
sounds amazing!! looking forward to putting a track in for this girl!
ReplyDelete