Tracking Phase

March 21, 2009

Buckeyes Plantation

Jersey, GA

First training day with the local NAVHDA chapter. Some folks were preparing for the upcoming Natural Ability test and they invited us along.

Tessa did two pheasant tracks today, each one equally successful. She was tracking a little wide due to the way the wind blew, but once back on track followed it straight to the pheasant (which was in a crate hidden in the woods). I then called Tessa back, and she immediately came, but she kept on running, so while she was cooperating, she was not doing so fully, running hither and thither all excited about just being there. Work to do on the recall, but I knew that.

If you look closely, you can see her rounding the corner just left of the hay bale:

NAVHDA Test Rules - NA:

"The ability to concentrate on a track is an important trait of the versatile hunting dog. [...] This exercise is primarily a test of the dog’s ability to use its nose and to concentrate on the track. Desire and cooperation are also factors which are noted by the Judges during the course of the test.

A flightless pheasant or chukar is released in an area reserved for the tracking. [...] After the bird has gone a sufficient distance and is out of sight, the dog is brought to the release spot and the handler sets the dog on the track. After releasing the dog, the handler will stand quietly, facing forward and allow the dog to track on his own. It is important to calm the dog for this test. The handler should ensure the dog is concentrating on the track before release. A NAVHDA Judge may help a handler start the dog properly. The distance the dog works the track is not as important as the concentration and intensity displayed by the dog when following the track. A dog that follows a track a short distance over ground with little or no vegetation and slowly and deliberately “spells” his way forward should be scored higher than the dog that speeds longer distances with little accuracy, especially under favorable conditions of wind, moisture, vegetation, etc. The young dog must display eagerness and perseverance on a track. [...]The score is dependent upon the quality of the dog’s performance, not the method used. In this test the dog is not required to retrieve the bird, simply to follow the track. "

Field Phase

March 21, 2009
Buckeyes Plantation
Jersey, GA

First training day with the local NAVHDA chapter. Some folks were preparing for the upcoming Natural Ability test and they invited us along.

We planted three quail. Although it seemed like Tessa searched forever, our mentor said she is clearly hunting and not just running around, so that is a good thing - she just needs more practice. She finally found one and froze for a brief moment, then flushed and chased it which is not a problem for the NA test.

In the photo above, Tessa is leaving the woods on the left to run to the field across the road. The next dog did the same. We later learned that one of our quail had flown over to that field.

This was also Tessa's first exposure to gunshots, and she was not bothered by them.

NAVHDA Test Rules - NA:

"The dog is hunted in cover where the presence of game has been assured by the releasing of game birds. At two random points along the course, a Judge will signal a gunner to fire one round of blank ammunition from a shotgun in order to watch the dog’s reaction to gunfire. The dog will then be marked as “Not Gun Shy,” “Gun Sensitive,” or “Gun Shy” as the case may be. A gun sensitive dog is one who, although obviously disturbed by the shots, is willing to continue the search without undue delay or loss of interest. This is a clue to the owner to use caution and judgment in further introducing the dog to the gun and may also impact future breeding plans. A dog is considered to be gun shy if it leaves the area in fright or returns to the handler and then refuses to hunt. Leaping into the air to locate the source of the shot, or checking with the handler for the same purpose are not judged as faults as long as the dog immediately continues the search. Dogs judged as being gun shy may not qualify for a prize classification, but are permitted to complete the remaining tests. Breeding of gun shy dogs is to be discouraged."

Water Phase

March 21, 2009

Buckeyes Plantation
Jersey, GA

First training day with the local NAVHDA chapter. Some folks were preparing for the upcoming Natural Ability test and they invited us along. The water phase posed no problem. Tessa had a blast in the pond.

NAVHDA Test Rules - NA:

"A truly versatile hunting dog must possess the desire and confidence to swim. The water test should take place at a spot offering easy, gradual access to deep water. The handler will be provided a selection of training dummies. The handler will be instructed to throw a dummy into water of sufficient depth for the dog to swim. The dog is expected to make a forward moving entry into the water and swim twice. For a complete and fair evaluation, the Judges may ask for the dog to be sent into the water more than twice. The dog’s swimming speed and style are of little importance. A dog that leaps into the water will not be scored any higher than the dog that enters without hesitation in a more deliberate manner. Dogs that retrieve the thrown object will not receive higher scores. The retrieve is immaterial - the importance here is whether or not the dog has the desire and self confidence to swim twice. Dogs requiring game as an enticement to swim will be moved to the end of the line and called back after all other dogs are tested. If game must be used to entice the dog, the game must be dead. When dead game is used, the maximum attainable score will be a “2.”

Spring

March 20, 2009
Athens, GA

Keeping Tabs On Her

March 18, 2009
Sandy Creek Park, GA

Tessa in a whoa with her dress collar (leather) and grab tab which comes in handy for off-leash work.

Tessa On The Rocks

March 9, 2009

Athens, GA

Already yawning...while spring break has started for everyone else in Athens-Clarke County, Tessa will have to attend dog school tonight. Ah, it is so much more fun to sit on a big pebble by the river!

Bostwick, GA

March 8, 2009
Bostwick, GA

I took Tessa for a drive to rural Bostwick, GA today. We were hoping to meet up with my second favorite dog in the world, store dog Ringo, but the store was closed, and Ringo was nowhere to be found, so we walked around the old cotton gin and down the dirt road behind it. Didn't see any birds either.

Ringo The Gringo

Bus-left

March 8, 2009

Sandy Creek Park, GA

This morning at Sandy Creek Park, we found that dog park no. 3 had been booked solid so we had to stick to the old baseball field. Tessa had a good run and off-leash training session but when it was time to go, she refused and lied down in the middle of the field. Now, I don't play games of keep-away and endless recalls, so I simply walked to and out of the gate, locking her back in, and towards the car. It took a while but she finally realized she just may be left behind in the big cage that is the baseball field. She came flying to the gate, only to find there was no way out. Here she is looking for the exit in the dugout.

I took a few photos, then put her in a sit, clipped on the leash, and we nicely walked back to the car.

The Model

March 7, 2009

North Campus Parking Deck

Athens, GA

Today we had a busy day. In the morning we had our routine nature outing at Sandy Creek Park. When we got home, we had lunch, and Tessa had a brief nap, and at 12:30 we walked to downtown Athens (about 30 minutes) to meet with six fellow photographers of mine for a photo shoot around town that would last until 5 p.m.

As so often, we ended up on the top floor of the North Campus Parking Deck, a great place to shoot. Photos, not birds. Almost out of habit I posed Tessa and took this photo, and when I turned around I noticed the other photographers joining in, making this look like a canine celebrity surrounded by her "pup"arazzi:

Above photo courtesy of my friend Bill.

The Nose

March 2, 2009
[at home]

Dog Park No. 3

March 7, 2009

Sandy Creek Park, GA

I am lucky enough to live a 6 mile drive fom beautiful Sandy Creek Park, a 630-acre recreational park that also has several fenced-in off-leash areas for dogs. One of the dog parks is free, and the other three are for rent at the cost of $ 1 per dog per hour; at the check in we are handed the key and a stainless steel water bowl (there is a well pump). The largest one is 3 acres of grassy field intersected by a small patch of woods. This is the one we love the most. Below is a photo of one half of dog park no. 3, and you can see a very small silhouette of Tessa on the field.

I really love this concept. I have grown to dislike public dog parks which I find very unstable at least in this town, with incidents increasing as both the student and resident population grows.

At the Sandy Creek dog parks, we can choose to have the area for ourselves, or we can share it with friends and their dogs that we know. As a matter of fact, we are planning to hold a Jubilee reunion here one of these days with sister Tink and half-brother Porter.

I Fought The Fence And The Fence Won

March 7, 2009
Sandy Creek Park, GA

Last week Tessa had a little run-in with the fence. We were walking in the 3-acre fenced dog park when she ran off after a bird. I was only half watching so I am not sure if she tried to jump the fence or simply didn't see it, but next thing I know Tessa is splayed on the wire fence, much like a cartoon character, and returned to me with a cut right between her eyes, her first but likely not last battle wound, judging from the way she flies through the woods and shrubs.

Snow! [Day 3]

March 3, 2009
Athens, GA

Our evening walk finds us in snow again. Despite warm temperatures there was still plenty on the ground. The upper level of the North Campus Parking Deck was still blocked off for traffic.

The Safety Of Home

March 2, 2009
[at home]

Because the snow was so heavy and plentiful, its weight snapped trees and power lines. At 6 pm on day 1, my power went out and would not come back until 31 hours later. That meant no heat, no light, no TV, no internet, no phone.

Since Tessa is still such a spazz around home, lighting candles for illumination purposes was out of the question, so when the sun went down, we simply went to bed (and got about 10 hours of sleep each night in the process). In between walks on day 2, we huddled under comforters to keep warm.

The night before, Tessa watched the snow fall from the safety of a warm(er) home.

Snow! [Day 2]

March 2, 2009
Athens, GA
Carlton Street Parking Deck [UGA]

We awoke the next morning to blue skies and lots of sun, and a frozen winter wonderland. It stopped snowing around 9 p.m. and then temperatures dropped into the 20s, holding all that nice snow in place. And of course, UGA was closed so we got to enjoy it. All our neighbors were still asleep when we headed out before 8 a.m. to walk across South Campus.

While the storm had kept us close to home the previous day, it was the ice and a fallen tree (one of many) that prevented us from going to a more fun place, but at least we had campus to ourselves. Except for the clean-up crews that were already working on restoring order.

March 2, 2009
Sanford Drive
Athens, GA

Below is Tessa on what I call the "Orbee Field" where we usually play fetch in the mornings. Not today. In the background you can see the snowman that Tessa built all on her own.

March 2, 2009
D.W. Brooks Mall aka "Orbee Field"
Athens, GA

Snow! [Day 1]

March 1, 2009
Athens, GA

We were running errands today when around 1 pm the rain switched to sleet and then to snow. It was a wet and heavy snow, and it kept on coming for 7 hours, ultimately accumulating to 6.5" - quite a bit for Athens, GA. The last time it snowed this much was during the "Blizzard of '93" on March 13, 1993. The wintry weather had been announced, however, I didn't dare to hope for it and was caught off guard quite a bit.

My camera is not waterproof so at first I stopped at a muffler repair shop and used its awning as cover to take some photos. Tessa didn't quite know what to make of the cold fluffy stuff covering the ground.

I still thought we could make it to Southeast Clarke Park across town where I could let her run, but just one mile further down the road I realized that I wouldn't make it anywhere. Cars were crawling along as the snow started to cover the roads. We stopped downtown and walked to North Campus where Tessa finally realized that this is great fun as long as you keep running around in it.

March 1, 2009 2:36 p.m.
Hancock Avenue
Athens, GA

North Campus Parking Deck
Athens, GA