As usual, through tax season there just is no time for anything, and when I do have a few minutes, I'm way too tired to sit and write up what we've been doing.  However this seems like an opportune time to try to update the Blog since Zuli and I had our final tracking class for this year yesterday.  We've certainly seen some ups and downs with the weather for our tracking sessions and finished on a high note - literally - it was almost 70 degrees yesterday and we were tracking in t-shirts and shorts!  I must say that we've progressed a long way from our first class on January 6th when we did a straight track of about 50 yards dropping food in every other footstep.  Yesterday's track was 150 to 200 yards long with two open angle turns and food about every 10 steps.  The challenge is to continue to train through the rest of the year!  I hope there is an intermediate tracking class offered next winter and hope that they do it on Sundays again.  My friend, Kris Quillen, who took this class with me would also like to take the class next year as well, so we would share the driving again and keep each other company and keep each other inspired to do the training as well.

On the Sundays when we didn't have tracking class, Kira and I entered a couple of Rally trials, and she has earned two legs on her Rally Excellent title.  We owe a big debt of gratitude to the instructors at Canine Training Solutions in Easton, Maryland without whom we never would have qualified for the two legs we have. 

Today, March 9th, it is again warm enough to be outside without a sweater and thoughts DO turn to spring.  I have so many goals for this year I don't know how we'll squeeze everything in.  Maye we won't, but we're going to work towards new titles for each of the dogs and what we don't get finished in 2009 we'll try for in 2010.  After all, titles are just an acknowledgment of the bond between dog and handler, it's the journey that counts.

~~Joanne