Phase 5 expands the tracks to have two corners, one in each direction so the track shape can be called a Zigzag.  We typically do two tracks per session, and two session of natural field tracks followed by two session of sports field tracks, repeating that sequence several times to give our dog lots of experience handling corners in all wind directions.  Since I started Gretzky in this phase before I completed two of the parking lot curbed-island serpentine sessions, I will interleave them in as I am able so he gets the complete curriculum.

Gretzky Session 5.1 11/14/17 South Pasture (cows had been off 2 weeks).   Gretzky 7 1/2 months old.  2-3 hot dogs per leg.

5.1.1 Natural Field Zigzag.  First & third leg upwind 10-15.  Gretzky did great, staying on track or returning to it with confidence.  Distracted several times by coyote pee and poop but reasonable return to the track.  Good search and commitment on first corner even though there was a coyote track there.  Coyote pee distracted him on second corner.  Needed to move up to get him to leave it and return to track.
 
5.1.2 Natural field Zigzag.  First and third legs downwind.  First leg traverses a slope.  Gretzky impressive again.  On first leg, he stays quite close to the track with just a few short deviations.  On the first corner he heads for the downwind fringe and I stay put.  He gives up and goes a good search before coming back to the corner and stepping out the new leg.  On second leg he deviated mid leg to sniff coyote poop which he kept wanting to return to.   But back to the track for a good second corner and last leg in spite of a coyote poop nearby.

5.2 11/16/17 Natural Field Zigzags.  Middle Pasture.  Gretzky 7 1/2 months old.  2-3 hot dogs per leg
 
5.2.1 Natural Field Zigzag.  All three legs quartering down wind.  Gretzky did great.  Staying close to track mostly on his own, and returning to the track after a deviation or distraction.  Quicker to respond to leaving the coyote poop .
 
5.2.2 Natural Field Zigzag.  First and third legs quarterly upwind.  Second leg upwind.  The great one again.

5.3 Sports Field Zigzags.  11/17/2017.  Skagit River Park.  I did two tracks instead of just one since I did not have an intentional contamination layer.  Several places of natural contamination along both tracks.
 
5.3.1 Sports Field Zigzag Track 1.    Good loss of track and search on first corner.  Nice commitment on second leg and good article recognition.   An off-lead dog was on the dike at the edge of the field running quite fast which distracted Gretzky a little but he went right to work and nailed the next corner. 
 
5.3.2 Sports Field Zigzag Track 2.  Confident start.  Focused, stays close to track, detailed oriented.  Likes his freeze-dried lamb lung treats.  Some over-marking (he is just maturing).  Distracted by coyote poop on the field by the track, goes back to the track when asked.  Wants to fringe the last leg about 2-4 feet, constrained lightly.

5.5 Natural Field Zigzags 11/20/2017.  Bow Sherriff's Field.  Raining while I laid them with 3-5 mph wind but both stopped and it was sunny and 0-1 calm while we ran it.   When watching the videos, look for the landmarks the tracklayer used to practice keeping yourself oriented.

​5.5.1 Natural Field Zigzag Track 1.  Gretzky is confident and I start to fall back on the line to 20+ feet.  He notices corner flags and immediately looks for new leg - perhaps I am going to have to put straws on the corner flags.  I am starting to make the "corner communications" more pronounced and Gretzky notices and looks back at me.
​
​5.5.2 Natural Field Zigzag Track 2.  This one I laid with an open second corner so I would cross a dirt two-track perpendicularly.  It turns out there was a big puddle to the right of the crossing and duck feathers and innards to the left of the crossing, so it was more of an obstacle than I expected.  I helped him refocus on the track on the other side and just 30 yards to the glove.  At the start, a train and a minor pathway are distracting but he overcomes them.  On both corners of this track, he has to search more than he did on the first track.  Notice on the second leg how he falls into the grass tire-tracks that cross the good track at a shallow angle.  But as he slowly diverges from the track, he corrects himself.  

5.7 Urban Sports Field Contaminated Zigzag.  11/21/2017.  Rain, wind.  Tracklayer Barbara.  Contamination layer Sil.  This is the first intentional contamination track Gretzky has had - I appear to have missed putting in contamination in Phase 1 where it is normally introduced.  He responded well to slight additional tension and left the intentional contamination where he did notice it.  He also noticed a fair amount of natural contamination - something he has considerable experience with.  Note that this track tales 12 minutes to complete while yesterday's longer zigzags in the field took only 8 minutes.  More handler patience is almost always required in urban sites.  

​5.7.1 Contaminated Zigzag.  He starts well locating the track and committing with confidence before noticing some natural contamination and a barking dog across the street.  A little restraint helps him refocus on the good track.  This happens several places along the track, both for the intentional contamination and the natural contamination.  He does like his crunchy freeze-dried lamb-lung treats.  He handles the first corner easily but works well to the left (downwind) side of the second leg but comes up to the track for the treats and the article.  The second corner requires more searching as the win picks up more - he takes several passes around before he finds the good leg 3 - the tracklayer is a suspicious character lurking behind me as a distraction.  But then he settles down to the final leg.

Session 5.6 & 5.9 Natural Field Zigzags

Session 5.6 Natural Field Zigzags.  Last Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), while I was aging Twizzle's VST track, I was able to give Gretzky Session 5.6 which is two Zigzag tracks with the corners and end marked.  They can be laid without regard for the wind.  They are supposed to be 15 minutes old with one or two treats along the track but it is fairly common for it to take more than 15 minutes to lay the tracks yourself, get back to your car to pick up the dog, and get started.  I also tend to be using 2-3 treats along each leg instead of the specified 1-2.  

​Gretzky started out confidently and stayed close to the track but slightly downwind.  He noticed some probably old contamination crosstracks but handled them by himself.  When he came up to the first corner, he stopped at the flag and then changed his behavior, entering a search mode which first circled left and then came back to the corner and he proceeded to pick up the new leg with confidence.  At the second corner, he again stopped at the flag, noticed it, then nosed the ground, and noticed the new leg beneath him, so be flip around and followed it with confidence.  The second track's two corners had him stop, nose the ground and find the track within a few feet of the corner and commit to the new leg with confidence.

Session 5.9 Natural Field Zigzags.  This Thursday was our first opportunity to track again and I wanted to introduce Gretzky to unmarked corners.  I did that by noting the triangulation landmarks for each corner carefully and placing two flags in the middle of the second leg.  So after making the first corner, I went 30 yards to a treat, then 5 more to a flag, then 5 more to a second flag, then 10 more to another treat and then continued on for the full length of the second leg.  That way, at the first corner, I'd be able to look over and see the two mid-second leg flags lined up and verify I was in the right place.  At the second corner, I'd have the end flag which is some 10 steps past the article and the landmark I had been heading for on the third leg.

​I choose a rough textured (lumpy & muddy) pasture although the cows had been off the pasture for a month.  Gretzky started out nicely but not quite as confidently as he had the week before (5.6).  He stayed close to the downwind side of the first leg, noticed 2-3 places which seemed to have contamination, and got in the area of the first turn and immediately stopped when he was 1-2 steps past the corner, looked around, put his nose down and did a nice small circle of a few feet in diameter to find the new leg and committed with confidence.  When he passed the two mid-leg flags, he looked at them briefly but went on.  The second corner was similar to the first.  On the second track, he handled the first corner right at the corner and at the second, he circled out to the left (wrong way) before circling around behind me and eventually going up to the new leg and committing.

​All and all, Gretzky is doing great.  I think I will continue to keep the flags away from the corner to build his understanding in this nice simple tracks.  I also have several sports-field zigzag sessions to catch-up before we can proceed on to the next phase.

​No videos for these sessions, which is a shame.  

Session 5.10 Natural Field Zigzags

​Again like last session, I laid two zigzag tracks with no flags on the corners but flags on the second leg (a flag at 40 and another at 50) so I could look up once Gretzky committed and confirm he was right. Weather was partially cloudy, fairly cold, with a very slight wind from left-to-right across the first leg of the first track.  I tried using some new full-fingered gloves and my handling suffered because the line did not slip through my fingers as I like.  I forgot to push the camera start at the second track, so video only of the first.

​Track 5.10.1 Natural Field Zigzag.  Gretzky started nicely with clear commitment in a close-to-the-track but plodding style.  He was distracted by some coyote pee-posts on the first leg and by three white dogs walking along the road while he was on the second leg.  He did get fairly distracted particularly by the dogs in the distance but went back to work nicely for both distractions.  He handled both the corners nicely, clearing showing change-in-scent behavior near the corner, searching quickly to find the new leg, and committing with confidence.
​
​Track 5.10.2 Natural Field Zigzag.  This track was laid uphill with the corners on more exposed slopes with shorter vegetation covering it.  Gretzky handled the corners very nicely.  He did try to go about 30 feet off the track to visit a pee-post, but I stopped him and he returned to the track efficiently.
​

5.11 Urban Lawn Contaminated Zigzag.

Deb laid this zigzag and Marjorie contaminated it twice on the first leg, once on the second, and twice on the third.  Deb also took the video.  Notice that there are no flags on the corners; there are flags at about 30 and 50 on the second leg so I know where it is.  This is because it looks like Gretzky was using the flags to cue the corner search; but he has had no problem with noticing the change in scent at the corners since the flags were moved.

He notices the first contamination at timestamp 1:12 in the video and quickly returns to the track.  He enjoys his tiny treats on the track as they appear.  At the first corner, he quickly goes back and forth - scampering to the right before looping over to the left and finding the new leg.  Notice I let a lot of line out before asking if this is the right track and following him.  He works out the second corner very nicely with no scampering about.  He did not obviously notice other contamination crossings except maybe about 10 yards before the glove.  

Note that Gretzky did all the Urban Lawn Contaminated Zigzag sessions even though I have not recorded them in this blog.  Most were on naturally contaminated sports fields with people and/or dogs moving around near the track as added visual distractions.  One other had intentional contamination but I was sloppy and laid the contamination in the more advanced way where it slices or bisects the corners.  Since in this phase and the next I want the dog to fully learn to handle corners, contaminating the corners just adds unnecessary and inappropriate confusion to that learning.  Gretzky handled it well although he tried to take the contamination at both corners more than once but did finally find the new leg and commit to the right track.  

Comments are welcome on Facebook's Modern Enthusiastic Tracking Group
www.facebook.com/groups/ModernEnthusiasticTracking

Phase 4 is the dog's true introduction to corners.  After 2 session of open corners, we shift to 90 degree corners for the remaining 6 natural field and urban lawn sessions.  Interspersed are more curbed-island serpentines with 90 degree corners supported by curbs if you can find them.

​Gretzky P4.1.1 135 degree open right turn, 75 yards and 30 yards.  Gretzky starts out with clear commitment and keeps himself close to the first leg.  At the corner he shows loss of scent, finds the new leg quickly and is a rock star.  Really nice for a first corner.  They won't all be that good I am sure.  Lots of fun at the glove.

​Gretzky P4.1.2 135 degree open left turn, 75 yards and 30 yards.  Not quite as focused at the start but good.  Note on the first leg he is downwind and so I am holding him with increase tension and raising my arm.  At the corner he needs to search a little more and finds the new leg quickly.​

Phase 4.2 Urban Lawn Open Turns.  100x30 & 100x60, 15 minutes old.  Just like 4.1 field tracks, but on a short sports lawn with whatever contamination might be present.

​Session 4.2.1 Urban Lawn Open Turn.  Gretzky approaches the flag excited to be there.  Note I approach at an angle - a start is just a corner you have not tracked into.  If the dog is having trouble, approach straight-on.  He finds the leg and commits nicely.  I am happy to follow 10-20' behind him, you can often see the 10' knot on the line in front of me.  Gretzky has great concentration and focus.  When he notices contamination, he corrects himself quickly.  There is a side wind from the left to the right so you can see me holding him with increased tension when he is off to the side a couple of feet.  He is good about coming in for the tiny treats.  About 3:55 in the video, there is a big diversion but he eventually goes back to work.  At the corner, he  bends almost in the right direction but gives up and looks around; so when he gets close to the right direction again, I start to follow easily to help him understand what is correct.  This is typical for initial corners.  He seems to like the mower's furrows more than the track.  But patience works things out and we have a party at the glove.

Session 4.2.2 Urban Lawn Open Turn.  There is a long walk to the start of the second track and Gretzky is hot and less interested when we get there.  So I approach the start flag straight on but he is still distracted at the start.  Note a returning mower had run over the 30-yard flag while crossing the field right before we started the track - the kind of contamination money can't buy.  I am quick to help him there.  Notice him speed-up after his treats.  Gretzky is just being introduced to corners, so he is not quick to find the new leg.  But with patience and practice, he will get there.  Here he settles in nicely after a lot of searching and attempts in the wrong direction.  The distant distractions on both tracks are excellent practice for him.  Big Party!

Phase 4.3 - 4.12

​Poorly logged, sorry.

4.3 Curbed Island Serpentines.  9/16/2017.  Done at a school parking lot and at a park and ride.  Some of the gaps were a little extra wide but Gretzky used his nose to search and find the track on the flat.  Gretzky did a nice job.

4.4 Field Corners.  9/19/2017.  Natural Field Single Corners.  Windy.  Gretzky overshoots corners and looks around but not being organized - he loses focus and needs a little help.  Second track is similar but he only needs a hint at the corner.

4.5 Urban Corners.  9/20/2017.  Urban Lawn Single Corners.  Windy.  Gretzky handles first track corner nicely.  Overshoots second track corner and not quick to find the next leg even when he crosses it several times.

We went to Maryland for our National and got to do one practice session (4.4 again) at Fairhill where he did quite nicely.  When we got back two weeks later, I had misplaced the camera and so we did the rest of the Phase 4 natural field and sports field sessions without filming.  Gretzky did very nicely in the field in the taller grass - he seemed to have gain both some size and some confidence over the break.  The sports field tracks went well also although he still needs more experience with contamination.  So far, we have only done two of the three parking lots tracks but he did nicely.  

​I'll return to better logging for Phase 5.

Comments are welcome on Facebook's Modern Enthusiastic Tracking Group
www.facebook.com/groups/ModernEnthusiasticTracking

Phase 3 is a short phase where we introduce the dog to crosswind tracks using 4 straight tracks per session arranged in the shape of a square.  We also have another curbed-island serpentine, a sports field serpentine and two article ovals.  Once completed, the dog will be ready for his introduction to real corners in the next phase.

​Gretzky Session 3.1 4-Square on Natural Field.  The first three were 75 yards each and the last was 50 yards.  Gretzky did nicely on the first two.  The third one was upwind and he started to be less focused and more distracted.  The fourth was pretty ugly - he was mentally  tired.  He still needs fewer and shorter natural field tracks as he gets mentally tired and easily distracted.  No video.

​Gretzky Session 3.2 4-Square Urban Lawn.  All were about 50-60 yards.  He did great on the first three but was distracted by the fourth.  Mental fatigue perhaps.  No video.

Gretzky Session P3.3​ is the Parking Lot Curbed-Island Serpentines just like the ones done in Phase 2.  Since I was time constrained, I chose a nearby parking lot with old dilapidated curbs and a lot of dirt and debris in the curbs.  The first track was 110 yards long across 5 gaps.  The second was 150 yards long across 5 gaps with a sharp corner hugging a curb at the end of the track.

P3.3.1 Gretzky 110 yards across 5 gaps.  Gretzky did a lot of shopping to check out the debris along the curbs and out from them to see what might pay with treats.  But he made steady progress and got by two people who were getting their dog and picnic stuff into their car.  He required some encouragement due to the distraction of the debris.  No video.

​P3.3.2 Gretzky 150 yards across 5 gaps with a 90 degree turn along a curb.  He works nicely across the first gap and past the car with a homeless person just waking up.  On the second gap he is wide shopping but comes into the track and initially choose the wrong side of the island so feels restraint.  The lamb-lung treat had ants.  And then he saw a man walking ahead and wanted to go visit but the man walked one.  He soon found a leather square.  At the next island he gets interested in some droppings and is encouraged past but then wants to ignore the article.  He is clearly mentally tired by this point but is willing to keep going.  I am subsequently quicker to restrain and guide him and he maintains his willingness to work until the final article.  He is very quick to take the corner to the left against the far side of the near curbed walkway.  What a clever boy.

Gretzky P3.4 Urban Lawn Article Oval.  We did one big oval about 180 yards long with articles about every 10 yards.  Gretzky noticed almost all the articles but did not want to stop at about half of them, so he was restrained and had a fun party at each.

Gretzky P3.5 Natural Field 4-Square.  Each was 50 yards with extra treats.  First three went nicely.  Fourth was not so good but he completed it.

Gretzky P3.6 Urban 4-Square.  Normally I do this on an open sports field, but I was time constrained and the open sports fields around here were all dead grass because of 3 months without rain.  So I found a business park with lawn edges around the block of buildings and did one track per side.  There was wind variation, but mostly wind swirling due to the buildings and trees.

​Gretzky P3.6.1 Urban Straight.  Gretzky starts nicely and then notices his reflection in the reflection of the window.  So it turns out to be excellent distraction training as well as general life socialization.  He does a nice job crossing the sidewalks.  When he gets distracted from the track, he finds it nicely and commits with confidence.

​Gretzky P3.6.2 Urban Straight.  This is a short track about half the length of the others since there was an obstruction I did not want to try and cross with him.  Gretzky has nice focus most of the time.

​Gretzky p3.6.3 Urban Straight.  This one had a parking car as a distraction and a bend to stay on the lawn which Gretzky handles nicely.  The bees seemed to like the lamb-lung on this track - how to make a reward into a punishment - not so good.

​Gretzky P3.6.4 Urban Straight.  This one is in a channel on the fourth side of the building complex so has more squirrels and wildlife contamination.  You can see me using more line while Gretzky is close to the track and less when there is a distraction or he needs encouragement.  

P3.7 Parking Lot Article Oval.  Gretzky did a nice job indicating perhaps 3/4 of the articles and just nosing and trying to move on at the rest.  He was restrained and we had a great party at every one.  Gretzky is visual and did a lot of shopping which did not earn him any treats, but he seems to enjoy it anyways.

P3.8 Gretzky Urban Lawn Serpentine.  These were two serpentines full-length about 150 yards each.  They were uneventful so I am not including the video.  See P2.2 and 2.8 for examples of typical urban lawn serpentines.

Comments are welcome on Facebook's Modern Enthusiastic Tracking Group
www.facebook.com/groups/ModernEnthusiasticTracking​