Fizz has been enjoying her tracking work, and is progressing nicely. We are training her in a component fashion. There's no reason you need a multi-hundred pace track, aged for long periods, in order to teach a dog how to work challenges, and so, most of her tracks are short (60-80 paces) and aged roughly 15-20 minutes....basically enough time for me to lay it, walk back to the car, log it in my book, get the camera set up and running, and then go back to the car again and get Fizz.
Today's challenge was visual barriers. The first portion was working through a narrow pass, with high grass on one side, and a rope running overhead on the other. After coming through the passage, Fizz's track had a big curve in it, turning us around to head right back into the tall grass/wildflowers, head-on. The point of heading straight into tall stuff was to teach her that "brick walls aren't." While it may seem that the track should end b/c there's something in the way, today she learned that one should instead forge through the tall stuff and find big rewards.
I was very pleased with how she handled this. Neither the narrow passage or the tall grass bothered her, nor did she show any hesitation or confusion. She did get onto some sort of a scent just after the passageway, and I still have no idea what she found....but it was apparently quite yummy.
Here's a side view, from Fizz's level, of the difference in cover, of her 'brick wall' that she went confidently into.
Fizz's pedigree is strong in tracking, many FH's and even an FH Championship lie close behind her. I've seen behaviors in our yard that led me to believe she'd be not only a competent, happy tracking dog, but a focused one as well.
Fizz's breeder, Erika, lives on the other side of the country from us. We're trying an experiment where I take Fizz out tracking, with a set of instructions and record our work. Essentially, these videos are for her, so that she can see what we're doing, and give us our next guidance. Its experimental for both of us, and I appreciate her patience in working with us in this way.
Below are videos of our first two tracks. #1 was yesterday. Its on grass, at a location that is a well known dog park area (read: off leash dogs abound). I laid my track well away from where the loose dogs typically are, and was unbothered. But of course, as soon as we get out to the track (about 50yds from our parking area), a father, teenage daughter and their over-sized, over-weight Cocker Spaniel show up and start playing with a golf ball. Yay. The dog was roughly 30yds from us. Fizz is highly distracted by this dog, and each tim she stops working and her head comes up.........she's staring at the dog. Emilie was my videographer, and it's a bit bumpy in places. ;)
What I did see of her tracking in #1, I was happy with. Calm, focused, not pulling hard into the line, nor trying to race down the track. Food is in each step, we're using Natural balance. It had a few ants on it, after 18min of aging the track. Track is 35 paces long.
Track #2 was this morning. We're in a moderate, almost severe, draught in this area, and the dirt is essentially dust. The field looked like grass, until I walked out on it, and then realized that it had been turned probably 2 weeks ago, and is now full of weeds. It's conservation land, but used for hay growth.
Track is again 35 paces, this is first thing in the a.m. (as opposed to yesterday's mid afternoon track). Bait is the same. I cut it a bit small, and it was falling down into the cracks in the dirt (it's about 3/4" deep in those big wide cracks.....laying the track was like walking on broken puzzle pieces).
Was very happy with her work. She was calm, working from heel to toe of each step. She stayed focused on her work. Occasionally the cars driving by would cause her to lift her head, but she went right back to the track. Around 2:55, she checks a car track crossing our path. What I liked was that she came right back to her work, happily. :)
For months before Fizz arrived, I worked on putting together (and revising!) my "Insane Puppy Socialization Plan." Fizz is to be my obedience partner, among other things, and I don't want to worry about ANYTHING that may come our way in a trial. I don't care if the judge is on stilts, with a toy train running about her wide brimmed hat and her wig falls off. That's fine, we'll still be working. I want Fizz to think that's an every-day occurrence, and not worthy of note.
So....we're going out everywhere that we can, finding anything and everything to experience, and basically trying to see the whole world and all its oddities. Tonight, we went out to a local Catholic facility who has a few acres of walking paths, and an amazing light display at Christmas time, complete with beautiful Christmas hymns. I had hoped that on such a warm night (65F), there would be a lot of people out. However, it's early in the season, and I wondered tonight if not many people realize that the shrine is open for lights.
Fizz had a grand time wandering about, met a few people including 2 young girls (sisters) who have an 8mos Boxer pup at home. Because we were so busy sniffing things, hubby and the kids got ahead of us. At one point, she put her nose to the ground, and I could hear those deep inhale/exhale sounds of a dog working a track. She pulled me right up a steep hill (in the dark), and around to where the kids were. Big praise for that!
As we were finishing our tour, the rain started, at a fairly steady pace. Fizz's nose shot straight up in the air, and she started biting at the rain, I haven't laughed so hard in ages. Never have I seen a puppy "attack" the rain....but I tell you, this girl's prey drive.............she's a dream! Again, the kids and hubby got well ahead of us, and this time, she tracked solidly on a hard surface (paved sidewalk). The focus and intensity were awesome to see. The tracking history behind Fizz is amazingly strong, and I look forward to having her out one day on the TD/TDX/VST fields.
So tonight's experience brought us: new people to meet, scent work, new environment at night, areas of loud music, lit/moving things (taller than me), and some simple work (hand targets, name game) in a very new and different environment. There is no such thing as too much socialization!!
While Uffizi is her formal name, we call her Fizz or Fizi. Fizz is our new Rottweiler puppy. She comes to Massachusetts from the great state of Washington, and the Dreibergen Rottweiler kennel. We are very excited she's here, it's been 7 years since a puppy graced our home. Fizi's pedigree is full of well known, well proven German dogs. We are excited to see so many of these dogs so close up in her pedigree, too many of them have fallen back to the 6th, 7th or higher generation in today's pedigrees.
Jesca, Fizi's dam, has 3 generations of FH titled, SchH/VPG3 bitches behind her, one of whom was DM-07FH, and is also FH2. Even more impresive, there are 7 consecutive generations of SchH3 bitches behind Jes!! I am very excited about trying our hand at advanced tracking work, it's certainly in her genes! On her sire's side, Fizz's great grandfather is Dick v Rhongeist. He is a very special dog to me, he was the sire of my beloved Froli girl. Froli was the dog who taught me all about the world of training, trialing, and being a Top 10 in the country SchH and Agility Rottweiler. Her desire to work, and continual drive to push for more was pure joy to work. Her daughter Banja was the very same way. This love of work comes down from Dick's sire, the phenomenal Pascha vom Hegestrauch, and his sire, Arri vom Hertener Wappen. Arri and Pascha still dominate working pedigrees today, their abilities seem to pass on for many many generations. Arri blood mixes well with Aki v d Peeler Hutte when it comes to the work. Jes is 5x Aki and 2x Basko v Hertener Wappen, full brother to Ari. THIS is going to be a fun ride! :) :)
This blog will chronicle our journies in training, and in daily life. I'm a big fan of Susan Garrett's methods of building drive, an impeccable relationship with one's dog, and in training positively. It is my intention to take Fizz as far as possible through both AKC's obedience and tracking titles, following the philosophies of trainers like Susan Garrett, Sylvia Trkman, Fanny Gott, and Denise Fenzi (who just put a pure positive OTCh on a Terv). Some of this will be new territory for me, and I look forward to the adventure!
