The Preface:
The temps were in the mid 70s with hazy sunshine. Ray was hot from the start. In retrospect, I should have let him swim in the pond before starting but figured he would be ok.
The second corner was in ankle-deep marsh water. Ray searched a 360 pattern but was quick to find the new leg. Another 50 yards on the third leg and we found our second article, a glass case with a wonderful indication.
Third turn was no problem and Ray was right on the track for this entire leg. The judges said he did a head swing at the first set of cross tracks but I didn't see it.
The fourth corner required a search as it was bounded on either side by dirt roads with little swales. He worked it out and was off again to our third article, a sock. Article indication was not great but he nosed it before moving on and that was enough.
Shrubs that looked like cotoneaster bound the fifth corner. He investigated them and the line tangled badly. Each time it tangled, it brought him to an abrupt stop. I had to go to the line and untangle it several times. Ray began to get tired. This was a hill crest out in the open and it was hot. This is where Ray first started to de-motivate. He started down an earthen trail but broke off so I didn't follow. He investigated lots more shrubs and got tangled some more. He started down the trail again but wasn't showing me strong tracking posture so I was reluctant to follow. He tried to go through the shrubs but broke off. I could read him that there was no track through the shrubs. He finally began down the trail again and I stepped forward to follow. It was the reassurance he needed and he began tracking strongly. At the bottom of the hill was a little gully and he worked strongly through a small creek and up the other side of the hill.
This is where the “bunny incident” occurred. Off to the right, a bunny sighting and Ray started aroooing and wanted to give chase. I restrained him, called him back to me, watered him, rescented him and asked him to track. Up to the top of the hill where there was an obvious corner (um – mashed down grass). I couldn't see the direction of the track from trampled grass as the cover was very short. Ray was getting hotter. He started down the track but broke off after about 40 yards. He kept gazing off to the right (bunny land, I think). He quit working. He would go out then come back and stare at me. I asked him to track. I watered him, I rescented him, and I pleaded. The judges said that it was about 8 minutes that he stood still. I expected the whistle at any moment. I needed Ray to move – move anywhere. When he tried again, I stepped to follow. It was enough of an encouragement and he started to move faster. We looped around some shrubs and I followed even though we were not moving in any kind of straight line. I was hoping he would come across the leg of the track and he did. He went into strong tracking posture and I felt confident in him again. About 20 yards later was the final glove.
The track took 50 minutes. The last two legs were hell and probably took half an hour. Ray is a high-drive tracking dog and I have never seen him quit. He had quit only 50 yards from the final article. I had to handle and motivate him to work when he was so tired and hot that he didn't want to go on.
Ray's TDX is bittersweet for me. He worked out the difficult parts of the track easily but was short on stamina at the end. It was not a pretty track.
