Iris's daughter Pixie Dust has already earned her AKC TD or first level tracking title.  This requires that the dog follow a track 440 to 500 yards long with three to five changes in direction. The track is "aged" between 30 minutes to two hours before the dog begins scenting.  When we learned that Diane of Ellis Dog Training was going to offer a tracking class, Todd and I jumped at the chance to participate.  We decided to bring Iris and Brutus to class.  As Iris has her RA, NA, and NAJ titles already, the addition of a tracking title would give her the designation of AKC VC (versatile champion).  We expected Brutus to blow Iris away, but he's proven to be challenged by tracking human scent as opposed to tracking bird which is instinctual for him.

At our first class, we started by laying what is called a double track.  I walked 30 paces from my start flag, placed a directional flag, and then walked another 30 paces before dropping a leather glove loaded with treats.  I then retraced my footsteps out of the field.  At the third double track, the lightbulb went on for Iris and has remained shining brightly.  We practiced at home and graduated to a single track (no retracing of steps) and then a single turn.  Todd and Brutus will practice this weekend on single track and a single turn.

Most dogs get confused when you add in a turn.  Iris, just like her grandma Bridget, came to her first turn and just kept booking.  Class two had us working with two turns over longer distances.  We've worked Iris over tracks up to 220 yards in length.  That day we worked with strong breezes over wet ground.  Iris plowed through the water, uphill and down to reach her glove.  For the first several tracks, I've been the one who has laid the track and as such knew where we were supposed to be going.  We continued with this work at home.

Class three was a big day.  Brutus continued to work just on Todd's scent.  Iris was set on a track laid by one of my classmates.  So, for the first time she tracked scent other than mine.  I also didn't know where we were going, I had to trust my dog.  There was somebody spotting my to help keep me from wandering too far off track if Iris lost her way.  I clipped the lead onto her harness, told her to track and she was off.  It was an even longer multi-turn track and she put her nose down and found the glove.

Today, I worked her on three turns aged a full hour.  As Todd put it, "she made it look easy"  We'll see what next week's class has in store for us.