Welcome to RDOC Tracking Class

Heather and Wren passed their TD today in New Jersey! Congratulations team Wren! Side note: Wren paid part of her own entry free, finding, and indicating, a five dollar bill just past the second flag!

Betty and Dylan passed their TD test at RDOC’s test March first! Congratulations Betty and Dylan!

It was 88 today, and is supposed to be warmer tomorrow. Welcome to Spring. We all know from here forward we are going to have “seasonal” weather (whatever that is), and hotter than seasonal, and colder that seasonal. What is a tracking dog handler to do? Step one: THINK. Hot is harder, hot and humid is hardest. Do I still track in it? I do—short tracks, run comparatively fresh. So what does that mean? Today, it was lovely early, and was hot by 10. We put 2 tracks in e

Kelly and Fogell posted an awesome video I suggest you all watch. Hint: there a bunny. Reality check— we track in areas with wildlife. Monday there was a beautiful coyote in our field. We have several pair of foxes. A bear. And of course the usual suspects: bunnies, raccoons, possums, squirrels, deer, etc. How are you going to handle wildlife running across your track? What’s your plan?

I haven’t done a random thoughts for this year, and this seems like a good time… I judged this weekend.  8 dogs (4T, 4X).  One passed (T).  One—one dog—made us smile, starting like it came there to do the job, tracking smoothly and cleanly, nice tight turns.  It made an error, and didn’t pass. NOTE:  that was the dog we enjoyed watching.  That was the dog who arrived ready to do the job. We LOVE watching good dogs work, and we are sad when they make an error. We got to watch

I’ve posted some phrases that have influenced me over the decades. Denny Emerson is simply an amazing horseman (Tamarack Hill Farm on FB). Ken Ramirez is truely a hero of mine (who else has saved over 300 wild elephants by changing their migration pattern, AND trained butterflies?????). I can tell you Ken stories….and I guarantee you will be in awe ( I just awed Kara over the phone). Please read them and think. None of these talk about the final behavior….because the final

”Success is often found by practicing the fundamentals everyone knows they should be doing, but find too boring or basic to practice rountinely.” James Clear “I do today what other’s won’t, so that I can do tomorrow what others can’t” Denny Emerson (gold medal Equestrian) “Good training is the fundamentals done really well.” Ken Ramirez “You get what you repeat”. James Clear Feel free to send others….there is a theme here.

You liked the last one….so try this! https://youtu.be/hosBTlvPNRc?si=12plgWVpU4p-bVhD Nice start!  So my first thought is, “3hr, 20min, ok.  He’s a little wobbly on the first leg—not bad, but not what I consider our normal. At 52 seconds he stops for a food drop, and doesn’t immediately refind the track.  Huh.  At 1:05 he weakly casts off, again, not the behavior I am used too.  And again, I think, “huh.”  1.25…he takes the leg, but doesn’t hang onto it when I give line.  He

If you believe the weather folks, this drought will continue until mid April. So it’s possible the rains will come just as you are entering tests. What does that mean for your training? Of course I assume you are going out and tracking in the rain—the opportunities for that are much less this winter (so far). What track will you put in? How old will you make it? Specifically, how will you lay it? Please answer below, including your rationale for picking the track that y

I’m going to follow up on my post from yesterday. Tracking is different. In agility, in obedience or rally, we give cues or commands, the dog follows. We lead the dance. In herding, while the dog has significant authority and independence, we are still cuing, commanding, the behavior. In tracking, the dog leads, we follow. We, through slow and careful training, teach the dog what to follow….but the end goal is always that they lead, we listen, and we follow when they co

Group A and Group B will combine and meet at Cool Water. Again, both Tuesday group A and B will be together tomorrow, Jan 13 at Cool Water. Melissa (novice) Heidi, Beth B, Heather, Joan and Flora (TD) Emaline, Michele, Betty and Ralph (TDX) Susan Kolster (TD) and Ellen Oertel (TDX) assistants (Arlene will be absent) I will be texting with the TDX folks to get a plan and timeline together. TD and novice people please arrive at 7:45. Ellen and Susan please arrive at 7:30 if p

https://youtu.be/CFS7N6KEBa8?si=RKr0uRrDFtIJ2sjL MAM and I thought this video, and some commentary, might be helpful. This is Fletch and I last week. Please note that he starts tracking at the flag—he doesn’t run out, circle and catch it, he finds it at the flag. Can you see how centered he is over the track, spine straight? At 1’25” he wobbles a little, I slow to a stop, he searches, nose deep, working. I relax and let him work. He’s not asking for line, I’ve got a soft elb

I am wrapping up the accounting on our end of year LANDOWNER APPRECIATION GIFTS effort. Your generosity is nothing short of amazing. Here is a summary: Venmo 11 donations @ $470 Paypal 2 donations @ $70 Checks 2 donations @ $85 Cash 6 donations @ $220 TOTAL DONATIONS $845 !!! Additionally, members donated homemade brownies, homemade banana nut bread, homemade dinner rolls, homemade jam and honey. THANK YOU. I spent $300 on gift cards to an Ashland restaurant called Jake's P

Kyla Smay is offering her new TDU class. I highly recommend Kyla’s classes, and the TDU class is 100% appropriate for those working on a TD. For more information, please email Kyla: ksmaydogs@aol.com

Thanks Emaline for this fascinating article: Abstract Understanding the anatomical and genetic basis of complex phenotypic traits has long been a challenge for biological research. Domestic dogs offer a compelling model as they demonstrate more phenotypic variation than any other vertebrate species. Dogs have been intensely selected for specific traits and abilities, directly or indirectly, over the past 15,000 years since their initial domestication from the gray wolf. Becau

As most of you know, dogs track incredibly well in the snow. Is it because they can see it? Maybe….(not my usual answer). Some research done at the Duke Canine Cognition Center has found that puppies use their eyes first, and if their eyes don’t solve the problem, they use their noses. The research was done in their large Puppy Project, it’s unknown if this data can be applied to adult dogs learning to use their noses for a specific purpose. OK, that was a rabbit hole, sor

It’s become pretty clear to your 4 instructors that “leave it” might not be most student dog’s strongest behavior.  I’m going to offer a solid, established and well tested method of teaching leave it, and suggest this snowy day is a great time to get started. First, a tiny bit of theory.  When we ask the dog to “Leave it” we are generally focused on what we want the dog NOT to do—don’t eat that, don’t steal that etc.  When we focus our training on what NOT to do, we leave hun

https://youtube.com/shorts/cQJnSeQuSp8?si=4mM6cEOFivj9REL6 We saw this while plotting at Oatlands on Saturday, the all of the snow melted in 20 minutes, and then apparently the sun was warming the ground, causing this fog to rise from the ground. I’ve often been told that scent mimics fog. I do not know if that is scientifically correct, but if it does, is the scent where you’d expect it to be? In addition, there was zero wind, yet the air currents appear to be shifting uph

We are canceling both Group A and B classes for Tuesday Dec 9 due to snow and temperatures in the teens. The next Tuesday class is Dec 30. Fingers crossed for no more &/÷=#$ falling precipitation!! Mary Ann and Judi

Woohoo...Buster was on fire at the Mattaponi KC Tracking Test. Gorgeous start, pulling Leigh like a boss, tight turns, article!!