The Variable Surface Tracking Seminar

December 9, 2008

You may recall some blogging about a tracking seminar our local training club held in late October.  Ed Presnall came from relatively civilized Wisconsin to teach southwestern dogs how to track on any imaginable surface.  Ed took 1032 photos and I just received a DVD that Nancy, one of the attendees, copied for all participants.

On day 1 of the seminar, the Albuquerque Academy was our host.  It was a beautiful day for the fifteen dog/handler teams and the half dozen auditors.  Our dogs don’t often see grass, so the initial exercises were on one of the Academy’s soccer fields.  Our dogs seldom track in the rain, but the automatic watering system provided us with rain New Mexican style.

 

vst-seminar-oct-2008-sprinklers-blog.JPG

It was reclaimed water and we got oh so wet

Then it was day 2 and we moved to the campus of the University of New Mexico.  Again the weather was perfect.  Though we did not contend with automatic sprinklers, there were lots of people enjoying the sunshine at the center of the campus around the duck pond.  Here Kip tracks over the bridge across the pond.  At the end of the bridge, acting as if he was still tracking, he made a sharp left to go down to see ducks — up close and personal.  He didn’t fool me!

vst-over-the-duckpond-10-26-08.JPG

 


  1. dawn says:

    Ducks huh, maybe they were helping the track layer? Silly boy.

  2. Julie says:

    I will have to check out your archives. I am dying to try tracking with both Bug and Ike.

  3. Tony says:

    Albuquerque!!! Hey that’s the famous place where Bugs Bunny shoulda turned left. Looks like a fun time was had by dogs & humans alike. When I was in the Navy I went & watched a Army/Navy/Airforce/Police/Customs dog competiton where the dogs had to do a whole series of obstacles on a time trial, I really enjoyed it.