Cheeky's Tracking Journal

Cheeky went to class today.  Temps were in the high 40s/low 50s.  It was foggy and we tracked in the soy bean field for the first time.  Cheeky did a great job finding her first left turn.  The track was about 70 scuff steps for the first leg and after the turn about 20 scuff steps with food drops every 3 steps.  This week we’ll continue doing left turns.

 We tracked at Cold Harbor Battlefield around 4 pm.  It was 64°F and wind was going to the left over the tracks at about 8-10 mph.  I laid three tracks that were 70/80/90 scuff steps with food every three steps.  Cheeky did a great job even though she was distracted a couple times and blown off to the left a few times.  Each time she got right back to work.  She's learning to pull me in the right direction even when I don't go with her fast enough.  I'm excited about starting turns with her tomorrow. Today I took a couple photos of my line-ups.  This was the double line-up in front of me. This was behind me.

We tracked back at the field by the Battlefield Green subdivision/Community Center and Valero on 360.  It was  52°F and wind was 10-15 mph north and we were going west down the tracks so wind was blowing Cheeky to the right a couple times.    Otherwise she stayed right on her tracks. I laid her track in a different part of the field and going in the opposite direction from where we usually go and that was good practice for her because she tried to pull me towards where we normally track until she picked up on the track in front of us.  I practiced keeping pressure on the line and she kept her nose down the entire time.  The first article was the only one she seemed to spot and run to from a few feet away.  She had to work to find the other two articles.  Today's tracks were  60/70/80 scuff steps with food  drops every 3 steps.

Today we went to Cold Harbor Battlefield for the first time this year.  We have tracked near there, but not actually at the Battlefield until today.  It was very busy around 2 pm (I guess because of the holiday).  I was a little concerned it was going to be very noisy, but the dog walking group that was meeting up while I was laying the tracks for Cheeky moved along before she got out of the van.  As we were walking over to our tracks, a man was about to walk his three dogs right into the start of our first track.  I asked him to steer clear and he was very nice about it.  Unfortunately, he lost his handle on his leashes not once but twice and his dogs came running over to Cheeky.  Both times she didn't seem bothered by it and I picked her up until he had control of his dogs and moved away.   It was 41°F and not windy when I laid three tracks for Cheeky that were 50/60/70 scuff steps and food drops every three steps.  She got right to work despite the early interruptions.  She did

We went to the fields near 360 and Valero outside our subdivision. I laid tracks for Cheeky and Sizzle 40/50/60 steps.  Cheeky were food drops every 2 steps.  Cheeky still tends to run to the article about 5-6 feet from it.  I’m not sure how to prevent that without standing still and causing her to get confused and look back at me.  I'm thinking this is something I'm causing or allows because Sizzle is doing the same thing.  Other than that, she is keeping her nose down and working on most of the track.

Thank goodness it’s the shortest day of the year and they will start getting longer from here on out.     I only took Cheeky out today because I knew it was going to get dark before we got done if I brought Fanny or Sizzle.     It was 39° but felt like 36° and 4:40 pm when I laid her tracks between the Battlefield Green community center and shops on 360 by the Valero.     I laid three tracks 30/40/50 scuff steps with food every two steps.     Cheeky did a fantastic job using her nose tonight and laid down super fast when she got to the gloves.     She loves this!     She got distracted a couple times by the traffic  noise  on 360, but got right back to work.    

It was 42°F and about 12 mph winds.   Cheeky did 3 tracks. 20/30/40 scuff steps with food every 2 steps. 5-6 feet before the article she saw it and ran to it. At one point I was holding Cheeky tight enough that she stopped tracking and looked back at me so I let her go once she wanted to run towards the article. Here's a photo of Cheeky's tracks on the field where someone had driven all over the field.

She was very happy to see everyone and all the dogs. Judi asked everyone to say hello to her. She was a bit distracted at the start of her first track and didn’t seem to know what to do. The food was spread out and part of the track was not scuffed so Judi had Valerie redo the same track with scuff steps and good every 2 steps. I restarted her and this time she got right to work. A few times she got distracted but I just stopped and waited for her to get back to work. Judi told me to keep the leash very short and keep her on the track. She should not go more than a foot or two off the track and this stage. She did a second track and did great with much fewer distractions. Judi and I are both very excited about her tracking ability. Homepage for the week of 12/18: Cheeky-20, 30, 40 scuff steps (tiny steps), food every 2 or 3 steps. 3 tracks per session. Next time, 30, 40, 50. Next time, 40,50,60. Keep food the same. Maintain tight scuff (essentially walking heel-toe). Focus on

A t 3 pm, we tracked at the community center near shops, Valero and 360. It was sunny and around 50°F. I laid an 80-scuff step tracks with food every two steps. Cheeky did the first one. She did great but got distracted by traffic a few times. She stopped to watch but went right back to work.

Cheeky, Sizzle and Fanny did 50 scuff steps (with food every two steps) tracks near the Community Center and Valero by 360 today.  Cheeky ate more of the food without a flag in front of her and mostly kept her nose to the ground. 

On December 10, Cheeky went with Fanny and Sizzle to the small battlefield near Gaines Mill Battlefield.  Cheeky was happy but does seem to be racing through the start and over most of the hot dogs on the first track. She picks up 2-3 hot dogs and puts her nose to the ground a couple times on the second track.  I'm starting to wonder if she's racing to the flag.  She seemed happy to see the articles today and laid down for the hot dogs.  Cheeky does a little better on the second and third tracks and picks up multiple hot dogs and mostly keeps her nose down but still seems to race toward the flags at the end of the tracks.  

 We tracked at the small battlefield near Cold Harbor at sunset. By the time we tracked it was getting dark which made Cheeky nervous. She seemed to be scared of the article, but I did try to make it a positive experience and give her more hot dogs. Fanny was happy to clean up the cookies Cheeky left behind.  

 We went tracking today in the drizzly weather.  It was warm and not windy.  We were near the main road on my subdivision that has an occasional car pass by but no one was at the playground.  Cheeky was nervous but she tracked well for the first half of the track.  Then she got distracted and seemed to move down the stack with tracking or eating the hot dogs.  She seems to ignore the glove initially until she knows it’s what I want her to pay attention to.  She laid down in front of the glove and ate all her cookies.  Then gave her more cookies on the glove and threw some for her similar to what I’m doing with Fanny since she seemed nervous.

It was sunny and 51°F.  We went to a small field near 360 by a small shopping center and a Valero near the front of our subdivision. Cheeky was excited to track and get the hotdogs, but she noticed the traffic about halfway down the second track and got nervous.  I did ask her to lay down to get the hotdogs and she did that.  She gets the tracking for hotdogs, but I don't think she's quite figured out that the article is what she's looking for. Here's a photo of the three tracks and a panoramic photo of the area.

Jason and Fanny went with us today for our first practice.  It was 4:20 pm and starting to get dark and cold at about 44°F.  I laid three tracks that were 15, 20 and 25 scuff steps.  Cheeky did a great job on her tracks and when there was a distraction, she got right back to work.  We still need to work on articles.   Jason video taped Cheeky’s track:  https://youtu.be/vzK4Jd26p70

 In the pouring rain and about 50°F, Judi laid three short tracks for Cheeky.  She walked backward so Cheeky could see what Judi was doing.  Cheeky seemed to pick up on the idea right away especially on the second track.  She was sniffing and eating most of the hot dogs.  We can work on recognizing the articles at home. She was distracted by people are dogs walking by but she's just a puppy and we can work on that.