Into the wind
I did not truly appreciate color until I took an acrylic painting class a few years ago. Now this tracking journey is making me pay attention to something I never really have before- wind.
Wednesday
After the snow had melted (2pm, 70% humidity), I decided to restart Fogell on a straight, approx. 30 yard track into the wind with food every 5th step. I determined the wind was SSW then looked at various weather apps which confirmed- SSW 11mph. By the short amount of time I laid the track to getting Fogell (5 minutes), I noticed the wind seemed to have shifted and strengthened. Fogell followed my footsteps to the track so I thought OK to continue. He saw the start flag and eagerly went to it and downed. At that point, I could feel the wind against my left ear, not against my face. Fogell was eager to start so I released him. He immediately went right of the track. I held the line firm and he bounced back to the track and found a treat. That was the pattern the entire line- he would go to right with the crosswind, I held line, he came back and found a treat. I was worried with his sensitivity he would feel too much pressure and quit, but he seemed to be handling it well. Then he came back on the track and laid down. I was so intently watching for signs of stress- it took me a moment to realize he had the article between his legs. Note to Self: After this and stepping on an article in my first tracking class- I will not be using neutral colored articles again in the near future. A whole lotta praise and I unharnessed him.
But my mind was reeling- so many questions. . .
For a beginner team (dog and handler). . .
1) is there a wind speed range that is best for training?
2) if the wind changes (track intended for into the wind becomes cross wind), should I abandon track?
3) The track I laid was about 60 yards from 2 ponds. My husband, who is Search and Rescue dog handler, thinks I encountered a "micro climate" - swirling winds due to temperature differences between ground and water in ponds. What are areas or things I should, as a beginner, avoid? I did not realize fences were a distraction until the video feedback last week. Do I just work in wide open fields?
Thursday
Met Team Lois and Chris at Walton Park in Mineral.
Time: 2pm. Humidity: 34%. Wind: WNW 11mph
I decided to start with short track (approx 25 yards, into the wind, treat every 5th step) to gain confidence. This was Fogell's first time at this location. The park is not far from main roads of Mineral.
Fogell has 2 rather different reactions when he gets overwhelmed with environment (people, dogs, noise. . .). He downs - or he tries to bolt away. Today, he downed when he was overwhelmed - but I was really happy that he regrouped and continued each track.
The first track- going into the wind- and into the sounds of traffic
The second track- going into the wind, into the sounds of traffic. Gunshots mid track sent him into down
Kelley - your instincts are spot on in terms of the questions you're asking yourself and ways you are trying to set up your training sessions for Fogell to be successful and grow his confidence. He definitely looks like he is engaging in the activity so that's a real plus. Regarding your questions about training conditions to avoid...in tests and most of our training opportunities, the conditions will almost never be ideal; however, early on I can understand wanting to be mindful of this. In many respects, the focus is more on the reinforcement you use. And, even though we mentioned the fence in the last blog, you will come to find that some things that some dogs find challenging (like a fence line) other dogs couldn't care less about so there isn't necessarily a list :). That said, melting snow as well as whirling wind can be challenging for many, so if you track in those conditions, I'd increase the reinforcement significantly since we want our pups to learn how to track in those conditions - this gives the positive reinforcement to return to tracking or the track throughout the conditions. With wind, you can try and set it up ideally but as you observed the wind direction is likely to have its own ideas (though I love that you were taking that into account). And, perhaps on an extremely gusting day, I'd maybe wait and track another day OR just go out and do 10 to 20 yards of scuff/food overlay with steak pieces (or equivalent high value) as the food drops over scuff. Since this is early in your journey, you'll be learning what works best for your team in what situations and when to perhaps not go out and track (again, remember they can be super short and super reinforcing...and, you can always drop an article and call it a day if needed). You mention on that first one that you held firm and Fogell would return to the track - that's exactly what you want and ideally, he encountered treats when he did return (teaching him that the track pays). From what I'm seeing in the videos, I feel like more reinforcement might have helped there. If you go again somewhere new (and there are factors you know might bother him - wind, noises), perhaps go back to a scuff/food overlay pattern or food every 2/3 steps (if you are doing two tracks, based on how track 1 goes, you could perhaps then alter track two's reinforcement, but not drastically so or keep the reinforcement pattern and make the track slightly longer). Other observations - keep your neutral articles (sorry, he's starting to hone in too much on them visually) also I'd like to see less visual cues (try to not to cast or point down at the track or articles) because we want him using his nose not his eyes 😁. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne - really appreciate the feedback
DeleteI loved those! His recovery from the gunshots was awesome!!!
Delete1. I’d suggest putting one food drop in every step for the first 5 steps away from the flag. He’s quite confident once he gets started, it’s that initial step that shows conflict. So scuff the start, food in every footstep x5, then start your scuff walk food pattern.
Awesome article indication!!! Woo hoo, you made my day!
Wind. I’m a retired competitive sailor. Wind is never consistent. Even in a huge open field there are significant wind shifts. If it’s a windy day, as Anne said, more scuff, more food. The goal is to let him learn how to work the scent in the wind. And totally work in all conditions—just be willing to increase track augmentation to set him up to succeed.
I do think you’re a little more sensitized to his emotional issues than he is😉🥰. Try (been there, it’s hard) to focus on his recovery, and the awesome things he works through, rather than kinda being hyperaware of your surroundings and what might upset him. In this game, he’s already showing a LOT of resilience.
Last, and NOT least, let’s get out of the habit of pointing to the ground. It’s illegal in a test, and therefore it’s a habit we don’t want you to establish. Toss a cookie out onto the track if he’s stuck, and let’s not develop a habit that is problematic at a test (& I think a TD is in your future, for the record!).
As noted above, augmentation is the answer to tracking anywhere and everywhere under changing circumstances. Think more about that and less about his sensitivity. I know it's hard but he may be ready for you to lose that anchor. You can also rewalk a track if you think conditions have changed. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteMary Ann