Tracking

Sorry for the long time between posts, I have been too busy to even think about a computer! Shortly after Christmas I started the exciting sport of Tracking and now Mom and I are officially hooked :) We go at least once a week to our practice fields and Mom learns how to help me to "Find my Wubba"...











...Sorry, got distracted. I hear the word "Wubba" and I get myself into a tizzy. Anyway this is how the Tracking game works. Mom ties me up to something (or someone else holds me) while she walks a long, straight line. After a few steps she puts down a flag and a "start article" (something that has her scent on it). Then she turns around and shakes/squeaks my Wubba, asking "Josette, do you want your Wubba?" Now that is a stupid question, OF COURSE I WANT MY WUBBA! Right about now is the time where I start squealing and carrying on. Mom turns back away from me and keeps walking, with my Wubba! Once she gets really far away, she drops my Wubba with another article on top. Then, she returns to a very excited me!

She grabs my leash and by now I know exactly what I need to do. She switches my leash from my collar to my spiffy new tracking harness and we walk to the start article so I can get a good sniff of what scent I should be following. Then we are off. I sniff a little ways, then look up. Mom reminds me with a point of her finger that we are sniffing for my Wubba, not looking for it. I put my nose back to the ground and we continue until voila there is my Wubba! Mom gets so excited and, if there are other people at practice, they get all excited too. Mom tugs with the Wubba and then throws it for me, and sometimes I get a few cookies too! It is the BEST GAME EVER!!!

We are still at the beginning of our training, but Mom and I eventually want to compete for titles in Tracking. I can just see it now "Josette TD TDX VST" OK, that's getting way ahead of myself, but still it's fun to dream! To compete I have to be an AKC registered dog. Mom took these pictures to send in to prove I am a German Shepherd. What do you think?


On our Off Days from Tracking, Mom still likes to get me outside, using my nose (and getting rid of energy!). With all the snow we had, it was a perfect time to take a walk through the woods. It was so much fun running as fast as I could until Mom called me back for cookies. Plus I love having a little "girl time" with my Mom.


Hopefully we get one more snow so I can go for my walks again soon. All this rain is really cramping my style!