rushdoggie Posted November 17, 2013 Report Share Posted November 17, 2013 OK, its not obedience, agility or flyball, but I think this is the right place for this thread... Anyone else track? I started it as an activity for my "needed a job but spooky" dog and I am really enjoying it. I just started my Papillon, I am really enjoying taking them both out on an early weekend morning and enjoying time spent outside (even in the rain!) and watching them work. They totally love it. I hope to get my spooky dog certified this winter. I don't know if I will enter him in an actual trial yet, but I figure if I can pass a certification then I will have met my goal of training him to a TD level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted November 17, 2013 Report Share Posted November 17, 2013 I've done a little with Kipp - just basic footstep tracking. It was great when he was on restricted activity for 2 weeks following a soft tissue leg injury. He loved it! I don't do more of it because I want him airscenting for SAR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted November 17, 2013 Report Share Posted November 17, 2013 Similar to Mara, I took a tracking class when my dog had an injury (ileopsoas strain). The class was 8 weeks long, and the instructor also trains the local SAR team(s) and has been involved in tracking dogs for over 30 years. She is a gem. I loved it too. It was an eye-opener to see the dogs lock onto a scent. (Border Collie, Welsh Springer, hounds, a mix or two, and even a Pitty) We started with a simple ~ 80-100 foot track we made by shuffling our feet and making one 90 degree turn, and by the last class were tracking an aged track (about 30 minutes) about 1/4 mile over gravel and a small stream and up and down hills. I remember one class where the instructor has us working in 3 feet tall grass. It was awesome. Jovi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falon's Mom Posted November 17, 2013 Report Share Posted November 17, 2013 I loved doing tracking with my other dogs. Now that my ankle is finaly healed enough for hiking again, and Sage is starting to get his brain back, I am starting his training in ernest again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziggzmom Posted November 17, 2013 Report Share Posted November 17, 2013 Tracking is the one activity that my soft dogs have really been able to forget how scary the world is. They confidently take charge and dig into the harness and will just about pull me off my feet to get me to follow them down the track. Tracking has been such a wonderful activity for all my dogs, but especially for the scardy dogs:) Happy Tracking~ Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camden's Mom Posted November 19, 2013 Report Share Posted November 19, 2013 We're on the tail end of a fractured growth plate recovery (only two more weeks of limited activity) and now I wish I'd looked into tracking as an activity to keep him occupied and fulfilled! Given his utter disregard for his body, I'm expecting we'll be on limited activity again at some point in the future... so how does one go about training a dog to track? Is it best to take a class or are there any good training books you would recommend? He loooooves the "find the treat" games (I either scatter bits of food into the yard or hide pieces of food around the house) so I imagine he'd enjoy tracking, too. I always thought it sounded like a fun activity, but assumed BCs weren't really the breed for it. I'm curious to know more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushdoggie Posted November 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2013 I am terrible at "reading the instructions then doing it" so I was lucky enough to get some help from an experienced tracker who I train with. She uses the John Rogerson method which gets them actually tracking right away (vs looking for food on the ground). She recommends it highly. She also recommended the book About Tracking Dog Trainingby Betty Mueller . You need some flags (I use surveyors flags from the farm store) a non-restrictive harness, a long tracking line (I use a synthetic lead I bought from Denise Fenzi's webite http://www.thedogathlete.com/collections/leashes/products/synthetic-leather-leads which I like because it doesn't tangle terribly and it doesn't absorb water, because we track in the rain here) and articles like old gloves, handkerchiefs, old leather wallets etc. Its a nice, quiet 1:1 activity with your dog, and its great if you can find a tracking friend so you can lay tracks for each other and help each other out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falon's Mom Posted November 19, 2013 Report Share Posted November 19, 2013 I use my boys as targets for tracking. They think its a fun game of "Hide and Seek" that they get to play with the dogs. I also focus more on urban tracking rather then wilderness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziggzmom Posted November 19, 2013 Report Share Posted November 19, 2013 Finding a person or group to track with would be the best way to go. If you look on line you might be able to find tracking clubs or dog training clubs in your area that might be able to help you out. Just like any other venue, you will hear different ways to train your dog to track. They have all been used successfully, so use the method that works best for your individual dog. The important thing is to have fun tracking your dog, it's a wonderful way to spend time with your best buddy:) Happy Tracking~ Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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