Moment of truth turn practice

If you are not familiar with VST (variable surface tracking or urban tracking on non-vegetated surfaces), a "moment of truth" (or MOT) turn is a non-veg turn that is at least 30 yards away from any veg. It's been named that because it is the true test of a VST tracking dog. 

I have worked a lot with Devon on transitions from veg to non-veg, and I'm pleased with what I'm seeing. In the last week since the weather broke and we've started tracking again, the need to work MOT turns has become clear. So, no time like the present!

Yesterday I laid a MOT practice track much like the one here. I put it down at 12:45 p.m. However, I wasn't able to run it until 5 p.m. The early spring sun had baked that track all day, and it was 63 degrees with 26% humidity. Devon had been in the crate in the SUV since 8 a.m. I got her out and threw a few bumpers to stretch her legs and wake her up. I gave her water and she seemed anxious to get to work.

Devon started her track yesterday well, but she needed water on the first leg. It was too hot and the track had baked too long for this difficult work. I wanted to stop at the article after the third MOT turn, but she started tracking again before I could stop her. Unfortunately she gave up. I knew I would have to work through this issue later, and I walked her through the last two turns.

Devon bounced back well after her track and we both had a good night's sleep. Today, I had planned to give Devon the day off. However, I decided with the cool morning temps, higher humidity and filtered sunshine this might be a good day to work through some of our issues.

I put this track in at 9:45 a.m. and run it at 12 noon. It was 314 yards long with 243 yards of non-veg (77%). The track is pictured here and you can see it had four MOT turns. It was 53 degrees and 70% humidity when I ran the track. The sun had been filtered through clouds all morning until we ran the track and it came out full just for us!

I marked each MOT turn with chalk and finger touches in water (again, the reference is Steve Ripley's book Making Scents of the Urban Jungle). I put finger touches at the new direction of the turn and then every three steps for the first nine steps. Just as "cookie drops" help pull dogs around the corners on veg, I was hoping this would pull her around the corner on MOT.

Devon started strong off the flag. I continued to bring her in at 90 degrees, this time making sure I brought her in so the track ran to her left. I have done several starts where the track runs to her right lately. Sure enough, she went right tracking where I walked to the flag for about 10 yards before she said, "That's not right!" and did a 180 and started in the correct direction. 

Devon worked the first transition onto the pavement and I was patient. I've realized I must be more patient with her than I have been, because I believe I'm pushing her too much. Terrie is my model for her patience with Safe. Devon did a nose touch right where I left the pavement, and I waited as she continued to check the area until she convinced herself that was really the track. 

She worked the first MOT very well, working the extra scent I left for her. I kept her on a shorter line through the non-veg, ranging from 10-15 ft. When she committed, I let the line feed to 20 ft. 

The second MOT was a little tougher. Devon circled and searched. She never put her nose down on the chalk and extra scent. She started down the new leg once, so I followed her; however she circled almost immediately so I moved back to the original leg. I wanted her to tell me where that new leg was. This was hard, and I waited her out. She was unsure since I have been pushing her through these types of turns. I knew this behavior on my part had to end today.

Devon finally committed to the new leg and we were off. The article rewarded her just on the veg. She tracked on and off the islands well. However, when it came time to turn back onto the pavement, she didn't want to go. I waited her out and let her check for the full length of the line when I could. Unfortunately a group came out of the building for lunch, so I had to watch some cars. 

Again my patience was rewarded when she finally committed to the pavement. The third MOT was much like the second. She was unsure and she wanted help. I decided we'd stand here all day if we had to. The only help I gave her was water and a rescent. She searched/circled a lot and I gave her up to 30 ft. on the line, but I kept her pretty close. At one point she came in and stood next to me. She all but laid down and quit. I did give her one step toward the turn, but that was it. As with the second turn, she once went down the new leg but pulled up in a circle so I went back to where I was before the turn. 

Finally, after standing beside me and looking up at me for help (I stood looking at the turn), she trotted out in front of me, turned to her right and trotted purposefully along the new leg. Her head wasn't down, but she was giving me tension on the line. I followed and she continued. Three down and one more to go!

I wondered what she'd do at the fourth MOT since the last two had been a challenge. I left extra scent about every 12-15 yards along the leg; my thought was to make this track a learning track and give her good feedback. She was dead on this leg and I saw her check along the way and once at an extra scent spot. She came upon the turn, and she turned about 3 ft before the actual turn and went confidently down the new leg. 

The wind was coming at our faces, and I realized it pushed the scent toward her; the wind was likely why she made the turn early. She was confident and there was tension on the line, so I followed. She continued down the new leg and adjusted so she was right on the leg. Her head was up, but I knew she was tracking. What a good, good girlie!

She made the veg turn and crossed to the next island. She tracked past her glove hidden behind a tree, but realized it and came back for it. We had a BIG party, and then we sat in the grass and I told her how very brilliant she was.

I'm really proud of what Devon did today. She worked out some hard concepts without any help from me except what I left her on the track. I plan to continue running some MOT practice tracks in the coming weeks to work this skill. I'll gradually decrease her "help" as I go. I'm also going to work on moving her article rewards closer to the MOT turns and off the grass. I don't always want her rewards on veg. The difficult thing with Devon is she's very environmentally aware. This means she is visual and will pull to items on the non-veg where she can see them. It's very hard to "hide" items on paint lines. 

Devon's VST work is really getting stronger, and I'm excited about our progress!