Random thoughts following Saturday's class...

Our directions, both verbal and written, have encouraged you to change your track length and to change your food drop pattern ‘when your dog has been successful two times at that length, or your dog has been successful at that food drop pattern’.  You make that assessment independently. If you are blogging routinely and you are making note that your dog did well on two tracks at Walk7fooddropWalk7, then you should be changing it the next time you are out laying tracks.  Let’s say you change it to Walk12fooddropWalk12. Two successful tracks at that pattern?  Change it again Walk16fooddropWalk16 and so on. If your dog does well on two tracks at 60 yds, next time out go to 70. Two successful, then 80 then 90.  We have been commenting on your blogs with instructions to stretch it out (or telling you, when you struggle, to keep it at that same pattern or same length. If you struggle, repeat. If your dog continues to struggle, call one of us – don’t flounder away and frustrate your dog).

Two successful tracks – change something.  Change one thing at a time.  Length for two successful tracks.  Food drop pattern for two successful tracks.  You want to age your track a bit more, say an additional 15 minutes – keep length and food the same.  Just like the piano lessons you suffered through as a child. As you improved, the teacher changed something each week to build your confidence and keep you interested.  And now look at you, killin’ Chopsticks!

Your GOALS form will help you remember your distance and your food drop pattern – that is your tool for looking back and charting/seeing your progress.  You should be using the form and posting the form so we can see what the heck is going on.  You should be making a MAP every time you lay a track.  MAP MAKING SKILLS are learned and will make you a better track layer. Your ability to see DOUBLE LINE UPS  is also a learned skill. Improve your line up game at a school or a public park, where there are a ton of things to look for. That is why we met at Bryan Park last summer for map making practice.  Plot a one turn track and put your nickel or quarter down as your ‘article’, make a map!  Walk around to the start and see if you can rewalk the track and find your nickel or quarter. 

None of this information is new.  None of it.  3 more Saturday classes….let’s go people.

Mary Ann & Judi