# I am SO Pumped!



## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

I have to share my story with some one!!!









As many know the PNW has had some awful weather over the past few weeks. It finally warmed up and began to thaw so I took the dogs out to track in the snow Saturday and today as it was not so deep anymore. 

Saturday the fields were still pretty deep so tracks were short and fun. Today we had more melt and parking lots were clear so I could run a variable surface track with Kayos.

She has had some confidence problems on the MOT(moment of truth) turn as it is very difficult. The MOT is a turn in the open on asphalt and as scent does different things on asphalt it is hard for the dog. Before her hip replacement we were working hard on MOT and II think it paid off today!

She was so happy to work she took off without her tracking line.







She was working quickly in the snow that was still on the grass and I could not catch her so I decided to let her go and see what she did when she came to the transition to asphalt. I figured she would realize I was not with her giving her support through the line and stop. She didn't, she kept going.







I finally caught up with her when she sat for the first article which had been blown off the track by the wind (20 mph). 

I decided not to attach her line and let her track free. AKC trackers always have a line and she has never free tracked before. The tracking line is a means of communicating with the dog. We did not need any line commo, she just tracked and tracked and tracked! Nailed all 3 MOT's that I had for her (there is only one in a test). No lack of confidence, clearly indicated the turns and ran a gorgeous 550 yard track free.









As trackers know you lay a lot of your own tracks and in training it is important to know where the track goes so you can help the dog learn. At some point you have to transition to blind tracks laid by others that you do not know where they go but the track layer walks with you to help if needed. This builds trust in your dog. 

I have done a few blind VST's with Kayos but we have needed some help. I always fear that I may be feeding her info about where the track goes through line communication. But today I realized she can do it without me! I knew where the track went but I could not use the line to apply pressure or slow her down to help her. She did the whole track on her own especially her thorn in the flesh MOT turns!

She even found an article that blew almost 20 feet from the track. She looked for it and found it and then found her way back to the track. What a dog!!!

I am so thrilled with her and I think we may be testing by late spring!!!


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

You go Girl(s)!!!!!!


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## kleinenHain (Sep 20, 2007)

Way to go. wish I were a part of your tracking team.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)




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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

Nice


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

Way to go!! Kayos sounds like a fantastic tracking dog!


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

WOW!!!














< where is the bowing down smilie???>


I can't imagine doing this kind of tracking!

Lee


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

I always knew she was an awesome dog!!


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

She is!!!! 

Havoc did a pretty good job on his track too. It is so fun to watch how they work the footprint in snow too. It is also fun to see just what they do on turns. I was able to use the snow to figure out how my handling was affecting Havoc on corners and I am now able to fix some handling mistakes I was making with him.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

You know what else is cool to see when you track in the snow.. How your dog handles the wild life tracks and cross tracks.. It's amazing how much is out there.. You have no clue what all has been running through the fields we track in..


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Exactly!

On saturday Hav's track had no other tracks on it - nothing, clean as the driven snow!

Yesterday, there were other human footprints, deer tracks, other dogs, mice, birds etc. All kinds of stuff. he di check them out but passed them by for my foot prints. At one point I crossed and paralelled a person that had a dog too. he checked them out but again discarded them as the "wrong track" and did very well. It really increased my confidence with him. 

Havoc is a quick dog, I have been having some trouble on turns with him and watching him work the footprint in the snow showed me my timing is off with him. Kayos is much slower and my timing with her is good but I can't use that with him. He needs me to step off with him a lot faster on turns or he figures that is not what I wanted and starts looking again and then gets confused as he is not sure what I want out of him. 

Hopefully we can now get past that.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Kathy, this is so awesome!!! Kayos is wonderful, and she still keeps amazing you, doesn't she?







She's the ultimate tracking girl, that's why we have to make her our tracking group mascot!


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## marylou (Apr 21, 2006)

Good job Kayos!









I've only done a few "puppy" tracks with Misha when she was little; she did very well but I didn't think her elbows would hold up for anything long term. (ED in both)

How is your Kayos holding up physically with the new hip? Does she have any problems? Maybe I should do some re-thinking about tracking...


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Yes you should! Tracking is low impact and is great mental exercise for your dog. The AKC judge that got me started in tracking had a gorgeous black male GSD named Nereco. Noreco was the first GSD in Kentucky to earn the coveted Champion Tracker title. He had ED in both elbows and was still tracking for mental and physical exercise at 10. Noreco went to the bridge this past year at 13.

I do not have any idea how far you are from Idaho Falls but there is a tracking judge there that loves to track and would probably like to work with you.

Kayos can never do a lot of high impact stuff and the jury is still out on the other hip. She is having some problems with it and may end up having surgery on it next year. But she can track and the right hip (replaced hip) is holding well. 

Oksana I was wondering how you were doing! We really need to work on Tshirts for us. I am not sure how to go about getting that into an embroidery or transfer, do you? 

How is Yana?


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Awesome job!!!!


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## marylou (Apr 21, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: KathyW...Yes you should! Tracking is low impact and is great mental exercise for your dog. The AKC judge that got me started in tracking had a gorgeous black male GSD named Nereco. Noreco was the first GSD in Kentucky to earn the coveted Champion Tracker title. He had ED in both elbows and was still tracking for mental and physical exercise at 10. Noreco went to the bridge this past year at 13.
> 
> I do not have any idea how far you are from Idaho Falls but there is a tracking judge there that loves to track and would probably like to work with you.
> 
> Kayos can never do a lot of high impact stuff and the jury is still out on the other hip. She is having some problems with it and may end up having surgery on it next year. But she can track and the right hip (replaced hip) is holding well....


Thank you again for getting Tracking back into my thinking! Misha runs around in the woods, jumping over logs and stuff - guess I'm just a "worry wart" over her elbows - I would not let her do agility, either. 

I'm going to have a talk with my trainer next week - I think she used to do some tracking. Unfortunately, Idaho Falls is 300 miles from me (I'm about 20 miles from Missoula). 

Thanks for the info! and it's nice to hear Kayos is doing so well (paws and fingers crossed for the other hip).


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## adas (Nov 22, 2008)

Aloha, Kathy. Just to show how unbelievable the GSD sense of smell is, I did a small experiment a couple of nites ago with Rasa. It was windy and I was at a neighbor and left Rasa guarding the compound. I, without a sound approached the gate that was upwind and down a floor level and over to the right and about 125 feet where Rasa was crashed out. It took about 15 seconds for Rasa to pick up my scent and come running to the gate! For Kayo developing the tracking will be a lot of fun,, (even though I do not know beans about this sport)
frank


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

The nose knows!!!


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