Tracking

Mmmkay, since we saw our first glance of muddy ground today, I figure I should start preparing.

What kind of lines do you all use? I think biothane is popular? What else?

I'm set for a teacher, food, and harnesses. I think all I need now are lines :)
 
I either use a biothane line or nothing. I found that tension in the line (any) was creating a frantic dog. I took off the line for a couple weeks and when the dog was settled in I started having them drag the line and now I'm proofing a slight bit of leash tension.

Or I would be. lol I haven't tracked in two weeks, I think we'll try today at lunch.
 
Thanks guys!

Also, 2 more days until our first tracking lesson. Very excited :D
 
How do you manage a dog that is 'track happy'?

Fred has never really been interested in the reward, more the scenting.

I've tried all sorts, verbal praise, toys, tripe and other treats, pile of treats, box of treats. He just wants to keep on going.

He doesn't even pick up the tidbits along the way.
 
Dizzy said:
How do you manage a dog that is 'track happy'?

Fred has never really been interested in the reward, more the scenting.

I've tried all sorts, verbal praise, toys, tripe and other treats, pile of treats, box of treats. He just wants to keep on going.

He doesn't even pick up the tidbits along the way.
Click to expand...

GO WITH HIM! :) Is he responsive to the directions of the track? Does he have a start behavior? If he does, just let him go then!
 
PWCorgi said:
Mmmkay, since we saw our first glance of muddy ground today, I figure I should start preparing.

What kind of lines do you all use? I think biothane is popular? What else?

I'm set for a teacher, food, and harnesses. I think all I need now are lines :)
Click to expand...

YAY?! Don't you have lines? In theory... that's really not the important part. A good fitting harness and articles and flags ARE important though... I need to get the articles out of storage!
 
So I went to a good seminar from an IPO champion, Mario Verslype, this past weekend and he has a really cool way of teaching tracking. I've decided to restart Aeri and start Snipe on it, so I figured I'd post our work here. Videos to be included!

Mario's technique emphasizes a SOLID foundation that allows a dog to make a leap to crazy tracks without all the tedious baby straight tracks most people spend so much time on. I'm a bit skeptical, but it certainly seems to work for him and does make a lot of sense, so we'll see!
 
stardogs said:
So I went to a good seminar from an IPO champion, Mario Verslype, this past weekend and he has a really cool way of teaching tracking. I've decided to restart Aeri and start Snipe on it, so I figured I'd post our work here. Videos to be included!
Click to expand...

I am super excited to watch your training progress! Take lots of vids!

I have recently re-started tracking as well, using Steve White's HITT method. I take vids of every session since my record keeping sucks, and it's useful to be able to go back and watch immediately after the session, from a different point of view.

Here is the first vid I made, a fun one showing our very first HITT track. I have the rest on my youtube channel as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU7upTft8OA
 
You guys reminded me I have to go fill out my log book for the last several training sessions!

And I also use a Biothane line.
 
Panzerotti said:
I am super excited to watch your training progress! Take lots of vids!

I have recently re-started tracking as well, using Steve White's HITT method. I take vids of every session since my record keeping sucks, and it's useful to be able to go back and watch immediately after the session, from a different point of view.

Here is the first vid I made, a fun one showing our very first HITT track. I have the rest on my youtube channel as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU7upTft8OA
Click to expand...

Go to the hardware store and get a cheap 1 inch diameter PVC pipe. Here they're less than 2 bucks for a 10 foot length. Obviously you'll cut that down to size. Drop you food thru that, save your back :)
 
stardogs said:
So I went to a good seminar from an IPO champion, Mario Verslype, this past weekend and he has a really cool way of teaching tracking. I've decided to restart Aeri and start Snipe on it, so I figured I'd post our work here. Videos to be included!

Mario's technique emphasizes a SOLID foundation that allows a dog to make a leap to crazy tracks without all the tedious baby straight tracks most people spend so much time on. I'm a bit skeptical, but it certainly seems to work for him and does make a lot of sense, so we'll see!
Click to expand...

Can you give a brief synopsis? I'm curious how it differs from what I do. I hate tracking and anything to make it easier I"m for :) I used to do 3 straight shorter tracks, now I just do scent pads, scent boxes and then right in to full tracks
 
release the hounds said:
Go to the hardware store and get a cheap 1 inch diameter PVC pipe. Here they're less than 2 bucks for a 10 foot length. Obviously you'll cut that down to size. Drop you food thru that, save your back :)
Click to expand...

Hah, I should have given that a try. I'm at the point now where the food is being weaned away....tonight we moved to an average of 20".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxT4OXurqA0&feature=youtu.be

I really have to start training article indications now.
 
release the hounds said:
Can you give a brief synopsis? I'm curious how it differs from what I do. I hate tracking and anything to make it easier I"m for :) I used to do 3 straight shorter tracks, now I just do scent pads, scent boxes and then right in to full tracks
Click to expand...

Pretty much what you've started doing, but very very very tediously thorough on introducing all sorts of factors while the dog is still doing shapes - he varies surface, age, temperature, time of day, weather, and treats used daily.

1mx1m square daily for 20-23 days, fading food from 25 teeny bits to 2-3 teeny bits one by one, with some buried after the first 5 days or so, 60cmx60cm square for about 3 weeks roughly 3-5 times/week, repeated with 1m circle/60cm circle, 1m triangle/60cm triangle, 1m rectangle/60cm rectangle, then full tracks with crazy stuff like zig zags and serpentines, acute turns, etc.

^basic summary of a full day seminar so obviously this is just the key points lol
 
you mean you can't give me the seminar verbatim :) Thanks for the recap though, I should bury some of the food, good idea.
 
Tracking is so much fun. Wish I had taken my camera to Joey's classes when we first started out. We are hopefully going to be taking another tracking class soon. The trainer got approval from my boss to start a "level 2" class since so many of our clients loved doing tracking. I took the class for free with Joey since its through my work and he is a total natural and we had a lot of fun.
 
So many methods :o.

I've been starting out with this with Fiona.
http://i2ik9.com/Urban_Tracking_3000_ words_v2-2_080819.pdf

So far, I've done maybe...6 sessions over two weeks time. As far as I can tell, I haven't seen much improvement from the first session. She's getting to put her down on the track, but she is still zig zagging, seems to me searching the next treat, without catching on she is supposed to be scenting. I would have thought she would have 'gotten' the water trail at least, but not so much.

I've never tried to train this before, I've never watched tracking or tracking training in person, and I think I don't know what I'm doing. :p
 
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