The early view from the tracking site
Parking for the first track, looking out over the Sandias and looking cold and portentious
Not that it was evidently windy or anything
The judge has just said, "Breathe. We don't do CPR."
The first leg, with crosswind. That's the second flag (in the TD, there's a second flag 30 yards out).
On the third of four legs, off in the distance. This is with a zoom lens!
The ceremonial Waving of the Glove!
Judge, handler, handler, judge--with dogs, ribbons, and gloves! We are happy.
The official map, well decorated by my kind tracklayer!
Way cool, Doranna. Congrats to you and scritches to Dart!
That is so, so great. I love the decorated track-map. My gosh, it looks cold and bleak in the early morning and doggone cold the rest of the time. I’m not seeing Dart’s blanket; somehow I thought it would show in a picture. He looks so serious and satisfied sitting there at the end. “I don’t need to bounce around now. I have Done Something Big and I KNOW It. I own the trail!” I love the grins from you and the other handler, and the judges looking proud of both of you. I feel for the other dogs and their handlers, but…so VERY glad Dart and you had a good day on what must be one of the worst kinds of tracking days.
I love the map, and the photos, and the judge’s comment. “Breathe,” indeed.
So happy for you and !Dart!.
And the judge was right, too. I had stopped breathing there. I’m sure I would have realized it sooner or later…
Thanks, Robin!
E, Dart is often very self-satisfied after a good track–sometimes with an obvious endorphin rush. “Whoa man. I’m all melteeee.”
I’ll have to stage a piccie with his jacket. I can see it in some of the pics I have here, but only because I know it’s there. You can just barely see it in the first leg piccie, above.
I just came across this via a link from Twitter. This is in New Mexico? We used to live near the Sandias; still have a house there we hope to move back to one day. I’m thinking about training my dog for nose work–for fun, not work. He’s got self-control issues and a trainer suggested we try that. Looks like great fun!
Kathy–yes, New Mexico, in Placitas. (We’re on the other side of the Sandias in Tijeras.)
Nose work is great fun, I’ve heard. I know that Dart, who is the prince of impulse control issues, has steadied down with it and finds it very rewarding. The first time he did a longish track, he was nearly comatose with endorphins–I picked up this puddle of melting dog and carried him back to the start, and he did a bobble-head the whole time, just gazing out on the world in complete serenity. We were hysterical. Since this is a dog otherwise most often described as “vibrating with intensity,” it certainly did catch our attention!
Hey Doranna,
I just stumbled across this and, Just wanted to post a little note to let you know how much I enjoy your site. It’s nice to see a quality dog resource for us canine lovers. Keep up the grrrrr-eat work!
Good Job!
Debbie Moore – webmaster for Dogs and Puppies Central – a site all about responsible dog ownership.
Heh. I see what you did there. I’m giving it to you because you bothered to personalize it.