Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
We are currently Mantrailing and Iām hiding for Kara, a lovely little, very vocal, Springer - I can hear her coming.
Mantrailing with Tatze š¾š¾
- Thread starter Boogie
- Start date
- Location
- South Wales
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!We are currently Mantrailing and Iām hiding for Kara, a lovely little, very vocal, Springer - I can hear her coming.
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
This session was with Pettrailers and slightly different from the last two, which were with Mantrailers.
They donāt do the harness ritual, but you do use a dedicated harness. Then they sniff the scent item and you say ātrailā. Thatās it then, no more cues verbal or non verbal, the dog is in charge. The signal that āwork is startingā is clipping the line from the collar to the harness. You walk a short distance to the start of the trail so the dog doesnāt see where it begins.
The trail is laid much more carefully (I think this is for beginners) by walking really slowly and putting your hand on the ground every few yards. The scent article can be anything at all. One trail it was just a stick Iād held for a moment. Kara the Springer found me no trouble just from that. The other dog was a gorgeous boxer called Stanley who wagged his whole body. Once Iād hidden for him I was his new best best friend. His tail was a whip - ouch! Lol. All three dogs were pretty much beginners and we did four trails each.
We were in the town centre - a very alien environment indeed for Tatze, but she aced it! She was so focussed on the trail that the weird sights and sound were completely ignored. Sheād been excited from mid afternoon when I sorted her bag out. Her tail never stopped wagging. On the last trail she went down a disused car park slope and I thought āit wonāt be down thereā and didnāt follow her. She came back, looked around and set of down again, Becky whispered āfollow herā (she knows where they have hidden, we donāt) and lo and behold, the runner was down there! I like the way she let me do it wrong the first time - a lesson learned, trust your dog, the nose knows!
Hiding, in dark alleys late at night was disconcerting - you could be there ten minutes or so, which is why I got my phone out and wrote a post here to feel less alone, hehe.
I didnāt get home ātill 10:30pm and loved every minute. If anyone had tried to get me off the sofa into minus temperatures hiding in dark alleys late at night six months ago Iād have laughed at them! Tatze was utterly exhausted! Her usual evening default is snoozing with me on the sofa.
Brilliant fun - Iām addicted!
Iāll put photos here when they get posted by Becky.
They donāt do the harness ritual, but you do use a dedicated harness. Then they sniff the scent item and you say ātrailā. Thatās it then, no more cues verbal or non verbal, the dog is in charge. The signal that āwork is startingā is clipping the line from the collar to the harness. You walk a short distance to the start of the trail so the dog doesnāt see where it begins.
The trail is laid much more carefully (I think this is for beginners) by walking really slowly and putting your hand on the ground every few yards. The scent article can be anything at all. One trail it was just a stick Iād held for a moment. Kara the Springer found me no trouble just from that. The other dog was a gorgeous boxer called Stanley who wagged his whole body. Once Iād hidden for him I was his new best best friend. His tail was a whip - ouch! Lol. All three dogs were pretty much beginners and we did four trails each.
We were in the town centre - a very alien environment indeed for Tatze, but she aced it! She was so focussed on the trail that the weird sights and sound were completely ignored. Sheād been excited from mid afternoon when I sorted her bag out. Her tail never stopped wagging. On the last trail she went down a disused car park slope and I thought āit wonāt be down thereā and didnāt follow her. She came back, looked around and set of down again, Becky whispered āfollow herā (she knows where they have hidden, we donāt) and lo and behold, the runner was down there! I like the way she let me do it wrong the first time - a lesson learned, trust your dog, the nose knows!
Hiding, in dark alleys late at night was disconcerting - you could be there ten minutes or so, which is why I got my phone out and wrote a post here to feel less alone, hehe.
I didnāt get home ātill 10:30pm and loved every minute. If anyone had tried to get me off the sofa into minus temperatures hiding in dark alleys late at night six months ago Iād have laughed at them! Tatze was utterly exhausted! Her usual evening default is snoozing with me on the sofa.
Brilliant fun - Iām addicted!
Iāll put photos here when they get posted by Becky.
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
It sounds like super fun, it really does. I love that Tatze was excited all afternoon 
.
Looking forward to the pictures.
. Looking forward to the pictures.
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
It sounds like SO much fun!
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
Now that does found fun and interesting, though not sure about hiding in a dark alley!
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
Oh yes, itās the best fun!
The night before I watched Silent Witness when a woman was murdered down a dark alley late at night. I said to Mr Boogs (these were honestly my words) āIn no way is anyone responsible for their own murder, whatever they wear or wherever they go, but - even so - who in their right mind would be in the city, on their own, down a dark alley?ā
Last night I recalled those words as I waited patiently to be found, sausages in hand, listening to the sounds of the night!
.
The night before I watched Silent Witness when a woman was murdered down a dark alley late at night. I said to Mr Boogs (these were honestly my words) āIn no way is anyone responsible for their own murder, whatever they wear or wherever they go, but - even so - who in their right mind would be in the city, on their own, down a dark alley?ā
Last night I recalled those words as I waited patiently to be found, sausages in hand, listening to the sounds of the night!
.
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
I have a lot of interests - puppy walking, camera club, art club, Pilates, tea club for old folk, Guide Dog speaker, AV person for church. (Did I tell āyāall Iām hyperactive? ). But this one is the first, since I retired, in which everyone is much younger than me.
I love it!
). But this one is the first, since I retired, in which everyone is much younger than me.I love it!
- Location
- South Wales
Really interested in this, @Boogie - because Pettrailers also operate near me, and might be an option when no spaces on the mantrailers sessions (they are hugely busy, it is a "first come first served" business). How many dogs were in your group, and what arrangements (if any) for keeping an eye on them while owners were off being runners for others? (Part of what Pongo is learning to do is settle in the car while waiting, but I wouldn't want to leave him too long unattended yet....)
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
Wow I love it! It sounds so exciting, especially the hiding!
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
There were three in the group but there are usually four. The dogs do wait in the car while you are off running. One lady felt like you and brought her OH to wait in the car with the dog.
I'm so glad you had lots of fun @Boogie ! And great you got to do 4 trails, a group of 3 must have been really nice.
The leaving them in the car bit does bother me a bit, Monty just settles down and snoozes so isn't a nuisance, but I worry about someone breaking in and stealing him.... I could cover up the windows but that looks a bit obvious then. I might take OH's estate next time, it has dark tinted rear windows and you can't see inside.
Now you've used 2 different companies, which do you prefer?
The leaving them in the car bit does bother me a bit, Monty just settles down and snoozes so isn't a nuisance, but I worry about someone breaking in and stealing him.... I could cover up the windows but that looks a bit obvious then. I might take OH's estate next time, it has dark tinted rear windows and you can't see inside.
Now you've used 2 different companies, which do you prefer?
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
I prefer the Petrailers, simply because sheās much more patient with the humans. The Mantrailer trainer is very nice, kind etc but doesnāt do as much coaching and expects to tell you only once. Becky is super patient with slow-learner me. The methods differ very little and I saw no real difference in using different starting āsignalsā.
The dogs need no training whatever, they just do it. Iāve seen eight dogs now, all beginners, and every one was ace. The humans, on the other hand, take aaaages to train!
She is, she must have told me 4 times to keep both hands on the lead!,