Learning how to track

I am hoping to train Mia how to track but am a bit unsure on how to proceed.

I have been reading The Canine Kingdom of Scent by Anne Lill Kvam and have been doing the "Search for Treats section". I place treats in long grass and then get her to search for them. So far I haven't really tried more than 7m but she has a decent success rate. I just don't know where to go from here. Should I just keep on trying to expand the search area?

I originally thought the book would be like a "step by step" guide but I'm not sure if it is intended like that and is actually just a book on lots of different things you can do with your dog rather than doing them in order. I have also read this website: Schutzhund Training and it seems to take a different approach to doing it. I don't know if I should be trying what is in the book, or what is on the website... or mixing the two together?

The book suggests trying something tasty to a piece of string and dragging it across the ground and getting the dog to follow that scent. The book doesn't suggest you should take any real care with placing your feet or leaving treats in your tracks.

The website suggests taking care with your feet pattern to start out and leaving treats in almost every step.

Which should I do? The latter seems to make more sense to me but I don't really know. I am completely new to this and have no friends or support in this area. Basically I want some re-assurance that there is not a wrong way of doing it! Also maybe advice on which is the better way to go about it, are different methods better for certain types of tracking?

I was hoping that someone more experienced than myself would have replied to your request. I have only tracking trained one dog to UD level, so wouldn't claim to have expert knowledge, but here goes:-

I don't think finding titbits in the grass is teaching anything other than to use her nose to locate food. If you intend training for trials, it would be more useful to teach her locate some well scented articles within the 15 yard distance - and use your titbits to reward her.

For me, tracking in general is too complex a subject to deal with on a forum. You say you have no-one to ask, but if you are going to compete, you will have to travel, so it may be worth attending a training day which is within striking distance. I would decide whether it is Trials or Schutzhund that you are interested in training for, and ask the Secretary of your nearest club for their advice. You could also visit the Working Trials World website and explore some of the options on there.

In the meantime, the classic book on this subject is, 'Tracking Dog, theory and methods', by Glen R. Johnson, it is an excellent overview of the subject. There are several Schutzhund video's available, (mainly American). You may even find some free to view on the net.

Take the time to start right, rather than have to retrain, and make it lots of fun.

Good Luck, Carole.

Me again! One game you could play on your walks is to lose (drop without her noticing) a glove, or something similar carrying your scent. Don't go too far at first - say ten steps, then point to the ground and ask her to find it. Encourage her to be steady rather than dash and retrieve. This time of the year is helpful as you can often see your own steps on reasonably clean land.

Great advice from Carole, I also wonder where all the experienced working dog people have gone to? I posted a similar request a few weeks ago and also Carole answered that, but no other input from anyone else?

As regards my own experience, I have been taking my own GSD to a trainer all summer and a lot of that time has been spent tracking. When my pup was 3+ months old I hid treats around the house and got him to search for them. So the "search" command was ingrained in him. With the formal training, start off by getting an assistant to lay a straight track across a field by shuffling feet and laying just 2 or 3 treats, one at the start, one in the middle and one near the end, then leave a toy for him to find at the end. (25 meters would be about right).

Using a long lead tell the dog to search and play the lead out to allow him to use his nose going forward. He is sensing the disturbance in the grass to follow the track. Your job is to keep him on the track, do not follow him if he wanders off left or right. If he reaches the end of the track, your assistant will be waiting there to meet him and make it clear this is the end, they will make a fuss of him with a "good lad" and play with the toy to signal job done.

When he is happy with this you can introduce turns, again using minimal treats but ensuring you leave a treat just after the turn.

It's a pity there isn't a tracking certificate in the UK, like the TD and TDX they have in the US and Canada. I am not particularly interested in bite work, just tracking and obedience.

Hope this helps
Apache

Just to clarify in working trials there is only manwork in the PD stake, the other tracking stakes have no manwork (bitework), so that's the opens UD,WD and TD and the champs UD, WD and TD, these stake all have nosework, obedience and agility.
I answered set nights tracking question on another forum.

Thank you both for your replies, I am sorry that I have taken so long to respond... I didn't realise anyone had replied!

I found a local club that does Working Trial training once a month and went along to a session. It was really good fun !. I think I was pretty confused about what I was asking Mia to do (getting confused between tracking and searching) and just making a mess of everything. I have only tried tracking in a straight line for 30m or so but she followed the trail and found the cheese at the end. I tried a search square as well and she found the objects (containers with food in them) but didn't know what to do with them. Over Christmas I have 2 weeks off and I am going to try and teach her how to retrieve (she will for a toy but not random objects). She is very food orientated which is why I have used food so far to motivate her. She loves the hurdle and I would like to give long jump a go.

The next session is not until January but I am hoping to make some progress with her by then. To be honest I doubt we would ever actually take part in a trial as I am worried about the scale (although I suppose every beginner is) and it would take a hell of a lot of obedience work . I think it will be great fun just to train though.

Glad you are enjoying it, and have got some clarity in what you are looking for your dog to do.

I'm glad you're enjoying it. By the time you've mastered the rest of the exercises, I'm sure the scale won't seem half so scary. You could possibly start with the Introductory stake which is for newcomer dogs, and has reduced height jumps.
The tests do have quite a practical value, even without the element of competition. I remember the feeling of floating on air when my old dog, Tweed, was able to find a set of car keys lost by a fellow dog walker on a steep grass banking!
What is Mia, and how old is she?

Mia is a Great Dane and will be 4 in December, so not your typical working trials dog! She is very lean and athletic for a Dane though and is quite highly strung for her breed. It was funny watching her tracking at the working trial training as she does it in a completely different way from the labs. The scale bothers me particularly for her because of her size and also she is not getting any younger so by the time that she might mentally be able to do a scale, physically it might not be advisable. She soars over hurdles though and physically I know she could do a long jump (having seem her cover that type of distance on natural terrain) but mentally I don't know if she would.

Ah, I see the reason for your apprehension now! Eddie is the opposite end of the spectrum - a short legged Beagle - so it's often the long jump which is our bogey.
Hope you have lots of fun and friendship anyway.