Practice Search for Lucy

Kelsy and I hadn't seen Lucy in a while, so I arranged a practice search so Kelsy could see her old friend.  Lucy walked the trail a day earlier, and it was about three miles long.  I knew the trail in advance, so I could monitor Kelsy's behavior as she trailed and watch for distractions.  Kelsy followed the trail almost exactly except for the 1 mile stretch of 21st Ave SW.  I knew Lucy had stayed on the east side for the whole mile, but Kelsy wanted to cross to the west side.  I gave her a little resistance before we crossed, to make sure she really wanted to cross, but Kelsy insisted.  Kelsy followed the trail for three blocks on the west side, then one block on the east side, six blocks west, and three blocks east.  About half the time, Kelsy follows a known scent trail on the opposite side of the road.  She has always done this, as far as I can tell, and I'm not sure why.  I think it may have something to do with the way a road cools at night and draws air into it.  Or maybe it was the wind pushing the scent over.  I wish I could see scent particles so I would know how they distribute over time. 

Kelsy followed most of the trail exactly, other than being on the opposite side of the road.  There was just one point in an apartment complex where she got turned around, and I helped her back on track for half a block.  At the end, Kelsy could not pinpoint Lucy's house.  No doubt, there were many Lucy trails crisscrossing and running in and out.  She knew Lucy was near, but she couldn't pinpoint the house.  I did lead her to the gate, and once she was in the back yard, she knew she was in Lucy's world.  She had a good time playing with Lucy and barking at her.  Kelsy played a little fetch with Lucy's ball, and she received snausages for her treat.  After a frustrating week of trailing Cali, Kelsy seemed relieved to work the trail of a findable dog, especially a friend she hadn't seen in a while. 

Temp: 45F
Feels like: 40F
Partly Cloudy
Humidity: 61%
Wind: SSW at 8 mph
Updated: 4/17/11 10:45 AM PDT

Name:		Track 045
Date:		Apr 17, 2011 11:07 am
Map: (valid until Oct 14, 2011)		View on Map
Distance:		3.14 miles
Elapsed Time:		1:16:54
Avg Speed:		2.4 mph
Max Speed:		8.1 mph
Avg Pace:		24' 31" per mile
Min Altitude:		222 ft
Max Altitude:		368 ft
Start Time:		2011-04-17T18:07:35Z
Start Location:
	Latitude:	47.309758º N
	Longitude:	122.352729º W
End Location:
	Latitude:	47.308695º N
	Longitude:	122.351938º W