Trackity Track
I promised Chance I would make a post today so I decided to start with the thing that is most boring to everyone but me.
Billie and I were in a tracking test last weekend. First, you should understand that tracking tests are on Sundays and this tracking test was on the Sunday after the Saturday night time change so, you know, a start time of 7:45 AM really means--sure, it's 7:45 AM today, but yesterday the exact same time of day was 6:45 AM. And I don't even hate daylight savings time like some people. But, even so, I don't get all excited about leaving home at 6:30 AM CDT (translation: 5:30 AM just the day before) on a Sunday morning.
So, anyway, it's raining and it's supposed to rain all day, but luckily it doesn't. Even more luckily, five out of ten dogs passed. Unluckily for me, none of those dogs was Billie.
I have been trying to learn this thing where I go with her when she gives the slightest indication where the track goes. This is very hard for me to do. I want her to insist that it's the right way, though I am trying to train myself out of it. A woman at the test (who passed, btw) said, no, that's silly of course you don't insist. But she has a Border Collie and I have a Rottweiler and Rottweilers are Different (yes, it is and I can prove it, plus, I will have Chance get out the SCIENCE if you don't watch it.)
Anyway, I figured we failed because I didn't go with her, so I was disappointed in me, but glad that we were out there and pleased that it was a good track on a decent day and, you know, you take away from it what you can. Later, looking at the map and the terrain and the way the wind was blowing, I realized that it was a little because of me and a little because of her and a little because of the way the land lay and a little because...well, just because.
And that, my friends, is tracking.
We are in another test in a couple of weeks, so keep your fingers crossed for us (it won't actually do any good but think how great you'll feel if we pass--like you totally contributed).