This page is dedicated to Woodies progress at tracking. He started in January 2009, at the tender age of 20 months. His human, Peter, is also new to the art of tracking, but is slightly less tender in years.
Feel free to mooch around. If you learn something, thats brilliant (even if its how NOT to do something).
4 tracks over low stubble. Into wind, except after pole, when side wind, either from left or right, depending on direction of turn. First time with a strong wind... so not a bad effort. Notice how his right turns seem harder than the left, probably due to wind being slightly on a diagonal.
2 out of 5 tracks... video person got it wrong again! Anyway, first had a right turn, carried out well. 2 - 4 missing on video. Track 2 was a 70 paces track... went well. Track 3 was a 20 pace to pole, left turn, and 40 pace to toy... brilliant. Track 4 was 15 pace to pole and 60 pace straight to toy, went as expected. Track 5 30 pace to pole, 40 pace to toy. Straight, with a pheasant track alongside a part of it... in error.
3 out of 4 tracks over snow covered stubble. Track not on video was a quick one to the pole as a reminder after 5 days off. Track 1, 10 paces to pole, toy 60 paces from pole. ThiS first 'long' track, went well. Track 2 was the first turn at the pole. This confused Woody for a bit, but he found it eventually... well done Woody. Track 3 was 25 paces to pole, and toy 20 paces from pole. Went well, with wind from left. Stopped here.
4 tracks... all on video. Over snow covered stubble, no wind.
Tracks went well. Woody definitely got the idea that it starts at the pole. Need to vary the tracks, as by track 3 he is counting the distance from the pole (the toy was further though). Appears that Peter is holding him back again... just that today Woody was faster.
5 Tracks on stubble, directly across the sow. Wind behind Woody. 2 tracks didn't make it off the video recorder....Ooops.
Track 1 & 2 went well. For teh record Track 3 which was a 40 pace track beyond teh pole, was brilliant... but you can't see that one.
Track 4 was an object lesson in:
a) Following your own track... which I didn't.. and
b) Trusting in your dog to put you right.... which I didn't.
But I did manage to correct him onto the wrong track that I was following (twice!)... and he did look at me with a certain amount of disbelief!
Track 5, which you also can't see, was a short track to the pole, and a short distance from there to the toy in order to get my confidence back.
5 Tracks on stubble. Wind behind Woody & Peter. Sadly only the first 2 tracks came out on the video. The photographer is also learning!
Track 1 toy at pole 20 paces away. Went well, though Woody seems to have learnt that the pole is where it is at! We also did this on track 5, and he just flew to the pole, without using his nose.
Started feeding line out to stop him pulling... getting the idea.
Track 2 pole 25 paces to pole, toy 15 paces from pole. Woody got distracted by the photographer talking, but got back on to it again. Seemed to go better after the pole, with his nose down, and pulling less... honestly!
Although not seen, the third track was brilliant (of course). 40 paces to pole, toy 30 paces on from there, and he just did what he is best at. Pulling was a lot less.
Track4 went awfully pear shaped. I pulled in error, that stopped him and he lost it completely..... so we finished on a simple short track to the pole, with the toy at the pole.
5 tracks on dampish meadow, rough grass. Stream behind camera. Wind light to zero, from behind camera. Went well. Track 3 Woody found the photographer, but continued. Track 4 & 5 he went off track a bit, due to vehicle trails, but recovered. Peter improving on the handling, felt he had more control. Photographer also improving greatly! Well done Shelley.
Woody also learnt to swim in the stream.... which really amazed him!
3 tracks on grass. No wind at all. Very new Video operator. Woody gets distracted on 2nd track twice:
a) Due to change in ground type (bad track laying)
b) Due to mole hills which are far more interesting, and the handler wasn't quick enough on the correction.