Variable Terrain Tracking Group: 11th November 2007
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Venue: Noranda [Northern Suburb of WA]
Conditions: 37 degrees with no wind.
The tracks were laid at 12.00pm by 2 boys aged 10 & 12, and were worked at 3.30pm.
The boys had hidden in trees, and cubby houses in playgrounds and this provided the dogs with yet another challenge.
The weather was in stark contrast to the conditions we worked in on the last occasion we met, the dogs had to be offered water at regular intervals, but they all coped remarkably well and worked enthusiastically. Although these tracks did not have the variety of terrain as the last lot we worked, there was a greater degree of difficulty because of the heat factor and the time the tracks were laid & worked.
Noranda is an older suburb with lots of trees, and a there seemed to be a large park every 800 metres or so. The tracks were laid from park to park so we were able to keep the dogs in the shade in the trailer and we were able to replenish water supplies before starting out on the next track.
Track 1: Valeta & Misty
Misty started well, and for a little while decided to continually ‘mark her territory’ as she tracked. Once she worked the first turn she settled down and tracked very nicely. Misty got very excited about 50 metres from the hide and she happily crossed a road to locate the lost boy sitting on a park bench.
Around the corner we go......... Found him....he's over here!..........
Track 2: Leone & Turbo
This was the first urban track worked by this team and they performed really well. Turbo managed to find a pair of sunglasses left on the track by her lost boy. The tracklayer had climbed up into a tree and left his water bottle behind on the tree as he climbed higher up. Turbo indicated the bottle and then happily found the young boy.
It's all under control here............ Mum!...grass cool....pavement hot.... OK
rack 3: Sue & Barney
Barney took off head high in the wrong direction and when he indicated loss he was bought back to start of the track. He really started using his nose and tracked with his usual drive and enthusiasm despite the heat. Part of his track had him crossing a busy road which he did without any problem. He had to go into a park and locate his tracklayer who was up in a cubby house in a child’s playground. Really good work!
Hang on Mum.....were off...... You cant hide from me.............
Track 4: Leone & Turbo
Turbo and Leone alike were more comfortable on their 2nd track and they performed really well. The best part of this track was the positive finish. Turbo had to cross a busy street and find his tracklayer sitting in a bus stop. Excellent work!
Stray dogs can be a problem!........... Nowt like a good drink at the end of the track....
Track 5: Michael & Cade
Cade worked at a very brisk pace and seemed not to be affected by the heat. His turns were positive and he didn’t overshoot at all. On one of the streets he continually tracked from one side of the road to the other. The group following up couldn’t understand why he was doing that.
The young boy who laid the track was the grandson of the member who organized the tracks. Because of duty of care we always follow up in a car while the tracks are being laid. In this case because of the age of the boy, his grandmother walked the track with him keeping to the other side of the road, where she was in a position to give instructions as to where and what she required him to do.
The children had stayed overnight and worked side by side with their grandmother during the morning, and traveled together several times in the same car, therefore some of the boy’s scent would have also been on the grandmother. Cade kept going from one side of the road to the other because he was picking up the boy’s scent on both sides. Once he worked out which was the stronger scent, he then straightened out and followed the boy’s footsteps.
The final part of this track went into a park and once again the young boy was high up in a tree so Cade had to search around until he discovered his whereabouts. Very good work!
Here comes the hot bit again!.......... Hey Dad...did they put these on for us?.........
Summary:
We will try some urban night tracks for our next training session and start including more hard surfaces on the tracks. At this stage all turns have been on vegetated surfaces and apart from crossing roads, we have had the tracklayers walk on vegetated surfaces as much as possible. The dogs will gradually work up to turning on non vegetated surfaces.
The transition the dogs have made from bush to streets has been fantastic and we are thrilled with their progress in what is proving to be an exhilarating experience for the handlers.
Lesley Watson
Training Coordinator