TRACKING 101 AUGUST

The Bodesters early morning report on Saturdays tracking event.

A top secret locayshun that is ""not a regional park thank you""!   

Euan at the start line waiting for his track to be laid.

Hurry up Aunty Heather,   Mum says when all this shenagins is over there is French Toast for breakfast waiting.    Quick as you can!!!

 And we're off.....

 Even in tracking Mum has to look like she is about to do a parabesque - sadly there is no hope for ex ballet dancers in rugged outdoor sports.

Not too many photos of the Euan, he lost the track sniffed some rubbish that some peeps had dropped - mmmm-yummy and  peed on some trees. So they back tracked to the last article, refound the track and did find the next articles bar one and found Aunty Heather so all good. Mum learnt lots.  Mainly today how to reward my little bro for finding the articles and how to not let him pee on ÁLL the trees. The jurys out on how to eliminate Mum from doing the parabesques and the pleeays.

 Nellies turn.  Getting dressed in her harness and Aunty Rach getting the track ready.

 Hmmmm,  you have treats and toys.   This is looking like my kind of Saturday.

 And the track layer is off,   see you soon......

 Laying an article  (and some treaties, psst don't tell the ''fessionals")

 Nellies off on a mission - Mum was the 'tographer on this one but she didn't watch the track layer cos she didn't want to help.  Live and learn is what she says.

 Ah, seeing as the wind isn't even blowing in that direction thats a YEAH NAH, even Mum had watched that much.

 Now we're cooking with gas - run faster Aunty Heather...

 This we found out later is where the tracker curved to the right,

Nellie went left and the rope slackened right off and she had a bit of a sniff about the compost bin which we knew looked more than dubious so we took her back to the last article and tried again.

 Looking more positive and look - just to the right of Nellie the little brown article (toy)

Nailed it.   Thanks for taking us through that muddy lane Aunty Rach.  (Note from Mum You don't know till yoú're setting the track what you're gonna find and last track I set I walked right over a drain by which stage you can't backtrack when you are training a dog).

Now its Lukes turn.  Luke is a champion "air" rather than ground sniffer and has done some tracking before as has his Mum who is helping us with all our tracking.  And the wind had come right up by the time it was Lukes turn.  Sooooo he did a fab 0 - 60kms in 5 seconds - ditched his handbrake and.........    Mum laid the track and was hiding over the hills and heard some yelping and then......

.....she heard some thundering horse hooves and this came flying past.  Look no hands handler .....  he'd just done a TDX track.   Tracking Dog Xgcillint, no handler required.

 Hey little buddy - remember me,  can I come too next time.....

 One more dog to go.  Laying the track.....

 Garvey - NZs latest Obedience Champion now learning tracking.  Waiting her turn

 Off and away ,and we wait for the start whistle

 Garvey is off

 She had to cross a road in this which is harder than just on grass/ ground

 Looking good

 NAILED IT

 After Track Shenanigans

 You called Nellie, - that's my name

 You called Luke - I answer to that as well - ít all sounds like lollies to me

So remember if you get lost in the Waitakeres,......  WHO YA GONNA CALL   - 

GHOSTBUSTERS   EUANBUSTERS