What a beautiful morning for tracking, cool weather and a bit of fog leaving a mist over the fields.
Today it was decided that Rigby would be given a bit of a challenge and she was to get two long tracks laid in a field that had recently been mowed, still smelled of freshly cut hay and had mounds of the cut grass laying all over it.
Because the first track was very long it took a while for our track layer, Lee, to lay it, make her way to the road and walk back to the start flag. Rigby voiced her impatience by barking and barking. She would settle for a few moments and then lunge toward the start flag and bark again. She was quite happy when Lee finally returned and she could start to work.
Although this track was meant to be a challenge, Rigby showed that it was not difficult for her. She only hesitated briefly a couple times in the first few yards and then she tracked true to the end and found the glove. The second track, laid in the same field, was pretty much the same, only she tracked over the glove and would have kept on going had I not brought her attention to the fact that she was at the end of the track.
Happy with her results for the day I was playing with Rigby and the glove and giving her the treats that I save for the end of the track.
Then I was told not to give her all the treats, that they decided to give her another track. We headed across the street, down the hill and crossed a wooden bridge into another field of short cut grass. It was then I was told that Rigby was going to have her first turn.
The track was laid, a bit shorter than the others, and near the end an open turn was put in. Rigby was still game after those first two tracks and she showed no trouble with this new track, laid by a different track layer in a field much different than she had tracked in earlier. When we got to the turn I was surprised to find that the turn was of a sharper angle than I've usually seen first turns laid. Rigby came to the end of the straight track and overran it a bit, showed an indication of loss of scent and then worked for a minute to two minutes before figuring out where the track was and heading in the new direction. She found the glove and we celebrated her first turn.
Once again, while playing with Rigby after her track, I was told that one last track was going to be laid, another turn, but this one a bit of a more gradual turn to give her the best chance for a great tracking experience.
Rigby had plenty left in the tank and she had no trouble heading out on her fourth track. When she reached the turn this time it was almost as if there was no change in direction, she hardly slowed and just kept moving toward her end goal, the glove.
What a great day for Rigby! The first time she did four tracks in one day, the greatest length of tracking she has ever done, and her first turns!
The best part is, if allowed, she would have done a couple more tracks and enjoyed it all entirely!
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