The greyhound picnic is TOMORROW!!!

I can hardly believe it is here already. Tripps stopped by yesterday and brought a load of things for the auction including Carol's gorgeous stained glass greyhound artwork. We hung it up in my window in the training room...already I am attached to it...I will be sad when some lucky person buys it. There will be some good things in the auction I can't wait!!! Tripps also brought by the new GPA crate bank for here. I need to get plywood cut for the floors but it is here so everyone can see it. We bought it with money from the Belle Toll!! It is really nice and will house my foster pups.

Last Sunday was a tracking test up near Clearwater Junction. Dusk (my aussie boy) and I were lucky enough to be drawn to participate in the "Track Dog Excellent" test (TDX). It is a upper level test with a 800+ yard track over varied terrain with several corners and multiple articles for him to find. The articles can be anything from a glove, wallet, sock or anything fabric, plastic or leather. As if that isn't hard enough the track is aged over 3 hours AND it will have cross tracks. A cross track is two people who will walk across your track in 2 places. It is a difficult test with only a 15% pass rate nation wide. But Dusk is a fabulous tracker and I work hard to be a good handler and team mate for him. The morning was cool and wet but at least it wasn't pouring. After watching the first dog fail before he even got off the first leg of the track I was more determine than ever to focus. The first leg of my track followed under some power lines. The lines were humming and snapping in the wet weather. Dusk was not bothered by the static but I knew that this is why the first dog who is sound sensitive failed. Dusk did his first corner with out a problem and we sailed through the second leg. Another corner and we started up a slight slope. I saw him working his cross tracks by carefully checking them and then he was back on his track. Before long I saw his head dip and he blew air through his nose in a snort but then he kept going. I got to that spot and looked around but failed to see the first article. Dusk indicated but not in his typical way. We missed the first article....a plastic checkbook cover. We flunked at that point but since Dusk was tracking strong we were allowed to keep tracking without the judges but with the person who had laid the track. Another corner and we went along the side of the hill where he found the a ratty slipper which he grabbed and bought to me. This is how he usually indicates a article with a good retrieve!! Then our track turned up hill. It was a bit of a climb and I was puffing...busting a lung. When we crested the hill we had a panoramic view of the valley below with the filtered sun making diamonds of the rain drops. It was breathtaking!!! I wish I could some how capture it for all of you to share. I called to my tracklayer "This is Heaven!!". I felt such partnership and peace with my dog and the whole world. Dusk continued to track along the ridge until his head dropped down and he brought up his final article a leather glove. There is such joy in tracking with Dusk...my heart was full. Tracking is unlike any other dog sport in its demand for partnership. We didn't get our title this time but honestly I feel very satisfied with our work. We will try to get into the tracking test that will be held in the fall to get our TDX title. Working with a dog at such a high level is both exhilarating and humbling...I am a lucky girl.