Post by Aussienot on Jun 4, 2005 0:36:32 GMT -5
I like tracking because it is one area where the dog rules. The dog holds the cards in this game. The dog has scent abilities that humans can only dream of. For once, the dog leads and the handler facilitates. The human's role is reduced to trailing behind and letting the dog shine.
Tracking is the great equalizer. The dog doesn't need to be of any breed, pedigree or type to track. It's not hard to do, but it is hard to describe in writing. (I understand now why so many tracking books are not worth reading.) Two references that I can recommend are 'Tracking: From The Beginning" by Gary Patterson for the training, and the video "Training the Competition Tracking Dog" by Leerburg Productions for the track laying techniques.
Equipment:
The Basic Footstep Tracking Training concepts are
USING THE NOSE
The natural instinct to search by sniffing is latent in all dogs. The ability to scent is there, you just need to find ways to bring it out. If your dog is naturally “nosy” like a Beagle or a Bassett, then you can do less of this. With Finn being genetically a sight hound, foundation exercises to get him to use his nose rather than his eyes required a bit more work.
The first thing we did was Finger Tracking. Work outdoors in an enclose environment. Hold an amount of bait in your fist, and extend your index finger and point to the ground. Get your dog’s attention, and drop a piece of bait where you are pointing. When the dog goes for the food, move a few feet, point again, and drop the bait. Move again, point, bait.
Repeat this exercise over several sessions. Once you see the dog is following your finger, start increasing the distance you move between bait drops. Also start extending the time between pointing and dropping the bait. The behavior you want to see before moving on is that the dog automatically looks where you point, and that he will search for a few seconds before finding the food.
Make sure to do this in a range of settings. Move the dog around to different locations, such as parks, training grounds and school yards. Keep the sessions short, do it when the dog is hungry, and always use the harness. Take the harness off when you are done, and engage the dog in a game of tug or retrieve, or bite, whatever engages and energizes the dog.
The other foundation exercise to teach tracking is Bait Casting. This works best in long grass or leaves, heavy ground cover, in woodlands or the beach. Have the dog off lead if possible, or dragging a long line if necessary, and when the dog is not particularly paying attention to you, call his name, drop a piece of food and say your tracking command. I use “track”. Make sure the dog sees you drop the food, but also make sure he can’t see the food you dropped, just where you dropped it.
When he locates the food, while his nose is still down, throw a second piece of bait near him and give your tracking command. Keep baiting him as long as the nose stays down. You need excellent timing, and fairly good aim. The goal of this exercise is to keep the nose down and keep him searching. If he raises his head to look at you, move away and wait for him to lose interest again. Then start again.
Keep working in ever expanding circles around you and for longer and longer periods of time. Do both exercises until the dog is showing interest in finding bait, readily put his nose down when you point, and keeps his nose down between incidents of finding bait.
LEARNING TO GO FORWARD
Until now, the dog has been working in random and circular patterns. Learning to go forward involves the basic novice concepts of footstep tracking – a Starting Pad, Track Laying and a Finish Point.
You need to find a tracking ground that is not your yard – too many conflicting smells. You also need to find an area that is not too refined, as you’ll need to scuff up the dirt.
A vacant lot is useful, building sites are good, trails- actually finding an area to track is probably the hardest part.
It’s best to do this early in the morning. Avoid the heat of day, and avoid wet, windy and smoggy weather as these affect tracking conditions. You want ‘still’ weather.
The Starting Pad
Use your feet to scuff up a circle about the size of a dinner plate. Scatter bait liberally around the Pad. At one side of the pad, lay a VERY short, straight track – five steps at most. Remember the goal of this steps is to teach him to move forward using his nose.
Track laying
Create a footstep track. Use heavy shoes, and scuff and kick the footsteps. Create a visible imprint. Damage the environment. You need to be able to see your short trail.
I step forward with my toe pointing down, dig my toe in and drag the foot back to create bare spot, then step into it with the ball of my foot. Leave at least one piece of bait in every foot step, alternating left and right foot prints. You want to create an association between the smell of scuffed earth and the reward of finding food.
The Trail End
At the end of the trail, I put a pyramid of food. You need something to clearly signal “the end”. I also use a toy, which I keep in my bait bag. When he gets to the end and is devouring the bait, I give my release word “free” and throw the toy.
Use a regular leash as there no room for a long line. Move the dog to the starting pad in a straight line, and just before you reach it, finger point down and give your tracking command. Let him move forward ahead of you, and stay as far behind as you can while still directing his movements. Once he’s sniffed around the starting pad, he may find the trail on his own. Hopefully, the bait casting exercises will pay off . If not, use the finger tracking signal again.
Keep him sniffing and finding the treats. Repeat the signal and the command as many times as needed. When he reaches the end, let him eat all the treats, then release, and praise. I use a special toy that only comes out at the end of the trail.
Only do one and quit. Do it frequently, every day if possible.
Real tracking will be covered in the next post.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional tracker and I don’t even play one on TV. Anyone who listens to me does so at their own risk. I know very little about tracking, and everything I do know I stole from someone else. Even this disclaimer.
Tracking is the great equalizer. The dog doesn't need to be of any breed, pedigree or type to track. It's not hard to do, but it is hard to describe in writing. (I understand now why so many tracking books are not worth reading.) Two references that I can recommend are 'Tracking: From The Beginning" by Gary Patterson for the training, and the video "Training the Competition Tracking Dog" by Leerburg Productions for the track laying techniques.
Equipment:
- A Tracking Harness – a strong, lightweight open-chested, custom-purpose tracking harness. Tracking is hard work for the dog. Perfect fit and air flow is important. I only use the harness for tracking. I want Finn to associate the harness with tracking work. Behaviors such sniffing, pulling and working independently of the handler are actively discouraged in obedience and agility, but they are the essence of tracking. So I want him to be “harness smart” and know that tracking rules apply when the harness comes out.
- A Long Line (10 meters) I love worship and adore my Synthetic Tracking Line from Leerburg. It’s waterproof, lightweight, and looks fantastic. (Agassi was right, image is everything, and yes, I am superficial.) A horse lunge line works just as well. I only use my tracking line for the same reason as the tracking harness – to trigger behavior by association.
- Small earth-colored food treats (bait). You need food the dog will smell but not easily see. The pieces need to be very tiny. I use oven dried liver cut into slivers. Dry cat food kibble works well too. Some store brought treats are good if crumbled to size. Dog kibble is usually too large and brightly colored.
As you progress, you’ll need: - Tracking articles – small pieces of leather or wood
- A Pedometer to more accurately set track lengths
Nice to have but not necessary: - A ‘Bottcher’ Harness. This specialty harness helps keep the nose down. In the beginning, one of the biggest challenges is to set the foundation of “Nose Down” instead of “Watch Me”, particularly if you’ve done a lot of obedience training.
The Basic Footstep Tracking Training concepts are
- Using the Nose
- Learning to Go Forward
- Tracking Fundamentals
- Developing Concentration
- Corners
- Articles
- Scent Loss
- Problem Solving
- Track Aging
- Physical Conditioning
USING THE NOSE
The natural instinct to search by sniffing is latent in all dogs. The ability to scent is there, you just need to find ways to bring it out. If your dog is naturally “nosy” like a Beagle or a Bassett, then you can do less of this. With Finn being genetically a sight hound, foundation exercises to get him to use his nose rather than his eyes required a bit more work.
The first thing we did was Finger Tracking. Work outdoors in an enclose environment. Hold an amount of bait in your fist, and extend your index finger and point to the ground. Get your dog’s attention, and drop a piece of bait where you are pointing. When the dog goes for the food, move a few feet, point again, and drop the bait. Move again, point, bait.
Repeat this exercise over several sessions. Once you see the dog is following your finger, start increasing the distance you move between bait drops. Also start extending the time between pointing and dropping the bait. The behavior you want to see before moving on is that the dog automatically looks where you point, and that he will search for a few seconds before finding the food.
Make sure to do this in a range of settings. Move the dog around to different locations, such as parks, training grounds and school yards. Keep the sessions short, do it when the dog is hungry, and always use the harness. Take the harness off when you are done, and engage the dog in a game of tug or retrieve, or bite, whatever engages and energizes the dog.
The other foundation exercise to teach tracking is Bait Casting. This works best in long grass or leaves, heavy ground cover, in woodlands or the beach. Have the dog off lead if possible, or dragging a long line if necessary, and when the dog is not particularly paying attention to you, call his name, drop a piece of food and say your tracking command. I use “track”. Make sure the dog sees you drop the food, but also make sure he can’t see the food you dropped, just where you dropped it.
When he locates the food, while his nose is still down, throw a second piece of bait near him and give your tracking command. Keep baiting him as long as the nose stays down. You need excellent timing, and fairly good aim. The goal of this exercise is to keep the nose down and keep him searching. If he raises his head to look at you, move away and wait for him to lose interest again. Then start again.
Keep working in ever expanding circles around you and for longer and longer periods of time. Do both exercises until the dog is showing interest in finding bait, readily put his nose down when you point, and keeps his nose down between incidents of finding bait.
LEARNING TO GO FORWARD
Until now, the dog has been working in random and circular patterns. Learning to go forward involves the basic novice concepts of footstep tracking – a Starting Pad, Track Laying and a Finish Point.
You need to find a tracking ground that is not your yard – too many conflicting smells. You also need to find an area that is not too refined, as you’ll need to scuff up the dirt.
A vacant lot is useful, building sites are good, trails- actually finding an area to track is probably the hardest part.
It’s best to do this early in the morning. Avoid the heat of day, and avoid wet, windy and smoggy weather as these affect tracking conditions. You want ‘still’ weather.
The Starting Pad
Use your feet to scuff up a circle about the size of a dinner plate. Scatter bait liberally around the Pad. At one side of the pad, lay a VERY short, straight track – five steps at most. Remember the goal of this steps is to teach him to move forward using his nose.
Track laying
Create a footstep track. Use heavy shoes, and scuff and kick the footsteps. Create a visible imprint. Damage the environment. You need to be able to see your short trail.
I step forward with my toe pointing down, dig my toe in and drag the foot back to create bare spot, then step into it with the ball of my foot. Leave at least one piece of bait in every foot step, alternating left and right foot prints. You want to create an association between the smell of scuffed earth and the reward of finding food.
The Trail End
At the end of the trail, I put a pyramid of food. You need something to clearly signal “the end”. I also use a toy, which I keep in my bait bag. When he gets to the end and is devouring the bait, I give my release word “free” and throw the toy.
Use a regular leash as there no room for a long line. Move the dog to the starting pad in a straight line, and just before you reach it, finger point down and give your tracking command. Let him move forward ahead of you, and stay as far behind as you can while still directing his movements. Once he’s sniffed around the starting pad, he may find the trail on his own. Hopefully, the bait casting exercises will pay off . If not, use the finger tracking signal again.
Keep him sniffing and finding the treats. Repeat the signal and the command as many times as needed. When he reaches the end, let him eat all the treats, then release, and praise. I use a special toy that only comes out at the end of the trail.
Only do one and quit. Do it frequently, every day if possible.
Real tracking will be covered in the next post.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional tracker and I don’t even play one on TV. Anyone who listens to me does so at their own risk. I know very little about tracking, and everything I do know I stole from someone else. Even this disclaimer.