Tracking (37)

It was a cold, 35 degrees, with scattered hail still on the ground.  We aged the track one hour.  There were two paved road crossings, two mowed path crossings, a section of dirt trail through the woods and one gravel road crossing.

Gimme had trouble finding start direction when I faced a different direction.  She did find it but wasn't sure she should take it if I was looking elsewhere.  I'd like to set this up with an early article to reward her persistence.  The circle on the first leg of the track represents a hump in the terrain.  Green lines are mowed paths she needed cross and track beside without following them.  Dark green squiggle shape is gnarly apple tree, with the turn a few feet from its base.

She was slow to decide to cross roads.  On the first road crossing she followed her nose across.  For the second road crossing she just pulled across to find the track on the other side.  When we get further along in our remedial urban training, then I hope these road crossings will be more purposeful.

I think the dirt path would have been easy for her, but just as she was about to start up (green), she saw a loose dog at the top of the path (red).  The dog left quickly, but I held her back to be sure he was gone.  Good thing since he soon reappeared with his owner, who kindly went elsewhere when he learned we were doing "search dog training".  When we got past the top of the path, Gimme got distracted off to the right into some long grass (pee-mail?).  She had no trouble crossing the mixed dirt/gravel road and found last article easily.