At the morning meet-up, I volunteered to lay a rather simple track (the first one). I usually volunteer to lay the complicated tracks, but Nadine and Cricket had the second track and I wanted to watch them and then be ready for our mentor track. Cricket did well, there were some interesting challenges and she acquitted herself well.
Gimme didn't have a showcase track on Monday, so I planned ahead to track with Kathleen Ball, one of the mentors. She's so quiet and I haven't worked with her before so I didn't know what to expect. During discussion late on Sunday I asked Sil several questions about corner communications, since I don't think Gimme is getting it. Sil explained what he thinks I was missing (me, not Gimme), but I wanted to experience what he was talking about - so I asked Kathleen to plan a track to teach me what I was missing.
Sil assigned us a location, but by the time we got there it was 11:30 and there were several groups of children outside and the school turned us away. I suggested we go back to base-camp and do it there. Kathleen laid a track for us with 7 corners and one road crossing. It was an easy enough track for Gimme; the whole point was to instruct me, not her. Kathleen walked close behind me so she could quietly say, "Is that the good track?" every time I should be saying it. So I'd repeat it loud enough for Gimme and increase line tension.
Kathleen also caught me in a bad handler moment - uh several moments. When we came to the last turn, as Gimme was searching for the direction, I could see the article to my left. Gimme pulled left-forward on an open turn. I kept saying "is this the good track?", then when she pulled I stood my ground so she had to curl off when she ran out of line. After the third time Kathleen said, "Next time she wants to go that way, you could try believing her..." Of course by then Gimme was having an attitude and wouldn't line out in any direction. I encouraged her and she tentatively went, I followed and she took me to the final glove. I gave her all the treats I had. Apparently the "article" I saw was just a piece of trash and Kathleen decided to use it as an opportunity for an unplanned lesson if I fell for it, which I did.
The track-lesson was a great experience. I only saw Gimme curl off a not-good track once; Kathleen saw it twice. Gimme was good about really pushing into her harness when she was sure. So now I have the feel for it and will start working on it.
Before I do, I want to work on some other handling things, more physical, so I can have better line control. It occurs to me I've been trying to work on all of it at once and maybe I should break it down. It's going to be challenging since I'm going back to my 40' line and Gimme isn't as direct in her movements in urban tracking like she is in field tracking. My first task will be to focus on climbing up the line to 10' as she lines out and moves forward strongly. When I have that habit, I think the next handling focus, keeping the line off the ground and off Gimme's back will go better. Then comes more consistent line tension. Then I'll get on the corner communication.
After all the tracks were done, mid-afternoon, we celebrated Sil's birthday with cake and ice cream. Anne does a great job as hostess for the seminars. I got to talk to her more this time - never knew she was so funny.
We had homework for Monday afternoon. There was a google-earth picture of a location with a track superimposed on it. We were to make a list of the choice points on the track. A choice point is pretty much any point along the track where the dog has to make a decision. So a list includes every transition, every feature, every anything affecting the track. Nadine and I went out for Mexican food on Sunday after the seminar and worked on our lists together. I had 49 choice points on my list.
After the choice points discussion, we did the Dog's-Nose-View exercise. I have blogged about it before, so won't repeat myself. Maybe next time I'll get a video of me or someone else doing it. It's kinda fun. Actually it would be cool to try to video from inside the snood.
Our last thing for the day was to go to a nearby college campus and watch Maureen do a VST level track with Griffin. He's a large, really fast and strong dog. Maureen's handling with him is exquisite, poetry in motion. I was struck by just how far she will go to let Griffin explore his ideas about the track. At the second-to-last turn, there were steps leading up to an enclosed passage between two buildings - forming a channel. The track actually turned right about 6' before the steps, but Griffin was convinced he needed to check out the steps, the passage and the area beyond. We all waited while Maureen and Griffin went over a rise and out of sight (well over 100 yards off the track). Sil and Laura talked about it and Sil went after Maureen, I thought to blow the dreaded whistle. He was about to go out of sight himself, when I saw he was headed back in our direction. Apparently he got there and saw Maureen was carefully working Griffin's search pattern, heading back in our direction and to the track, so he didn't whistle.
It was amazing to see just how far off track a team can go and still recover. Because he moves so fast, Maureen gives Griffin a lot more flexibility. When they came down the steps, Griffin turned with the track as if it was written in cheese. They finished quickly and beautifully. Now I see why judges are so tolerant of teams seemingly so far from the track. It isn't about them being exactly on the track at all times, it is about how they are working as a team to solve the puzzle. I.E. are they still working (as opposed to Gimme taking me on a walkabout) and can they still solve the track.
I have one more blog entry to do for this seminar... a recap of my notes.
BTW Gimme and I are in a nosework trial on Thursday, it's NACSW level NW3. Prayers and good thoughts are welcome. I'd really appreciate divine intervention...
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