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Mary-Ann Sontag December 16, 2023

This is Moonshadow Scout…

…enjoying his best life in Washington ❤️

Meanwhile, in Montana…

We had significant progress today — Capella missed about 75% of her food drops on the track. This (missing spaced out treats) is normal progression and means the dog understands the game. It also informs the next steps: I can reduce the food to maybe 3 - 5 treats per track leg AND she is ready to learn about corners.

I took this photo after I laid the track this morning — you are looking down the track towards the start. As I said yesterday, “straight” is largely aspirational 😂

Compare that photo to this one I took as Capella was scarfing down her end-of-track-treasure.

The undisturbed frost on both sides of the track tell the story — she was right on that track the whole way ⭐️

SO cool. I love tracking.

“But I thought there was a glove involved,” you ask 🤔 I will address that tomorrow.

Happy Saturday!

BRRRRRRR

Mary-Ann Sontag December 15, 2023

I bought myself a Christmas present — a very cool new tracking line.

With no snow on the ground or in the forecast, I am being creative with my training.

Frost allows what I view as the biggest benefit of snow, which is the track is clearly visible to the handler. It does, however, require that it be — well — frosty.

I bundled up and off we went.

I had to improvise a sort of stand for the start flag since I could not get it in the frozen ground.

When laying a track leg, you want to pick something and walk in a straight line towards it. See the telephone pole? That was my marker. Also, “straight” is more aspirational than actual most of the time 🤷🏼‍♀️

It was Capella’s turn today.

She has graduated from Intro to Tracking to Tracking 101, which means her food drops are now spaced 5 - 15 feet apart. The food is no longer moving her along the track — rather it is rewarding her as she sniffs her way down the track.

As I have said before, I require her to stay on the track — that is why it is so important at this stage that the track be visible. If she checks out something off the track, I stop and do not let out line. The dog is only reinforced — by forward motion to food drops, including the excellent bonus at the end — when she is on the track.

Cindy will be so proud, I thought to myself today. There was tripe in that bowl 🤢

After the dog is done, she gets to romp.

Cold — but so so fun.

I hope you are having an amazing day (and staying warm!).

Family Holidays ❤️

Mary-Ann Sontag December 14, 2023

Sparkler Kiri is all settled in to wait for Santa’s arrival.

The girls must have informed Wildflower Lucy that dirty dogs do not get presents because she looks pretty resigned to her bath.

Moonshadow Porter and his canine brother suspect presents will fall out of the tree — or the chimney — at any moment.

Wildflower Pozy wonders just how nice one has to be. Does putting up with this much cat coziness qualify her for Santa’s Good Dog List, she wonders?