Scent tracking...

is there certain clubs you can go to to train your dog to follow scent trails? or is it just something to do yourself with them?

im asking because im trying to find something that will tire asbo out mentally, he needs something to do otherwise he never stops. i thought about agility, but with asbo being so sensitive i dont think its the best thing to get into with him (which is a shame cos he aint half quick, can fly over the jumps)

so i thought about doing tracking with him. when out he loves to follow different scent trails, and he has a good nose on him (ive seen him walk about on two back legs trying to follow a scent thats in the air like when next door are having a BBQ)

i think this would be a good outlet for him, but how do i get into doing it? any help?

We did air scenting in class.. I hid in some bushes - in the opposite direction the wind was blowing and the dog who was finding me had a scent triangle to find us.. The wind blowing towards the dog - we walked along the length of this triangle and made our way closer to the person but following a sort of triangle shape so the dog had no way of losing the scent..

Does that make sense?

Or you could simply get a person to walk and hide in a field and have him on a harness and long line - encourage him to find the person and then when he does that person is to make a huge fuss...

Louie failed at Air scenting - he'd much rather have the rabbits than Leanne

When teaching Bailey to use his nose better we started with the plant pot game Started with 3 pots, a few centimeters apart and his a bit of chicken underneath one of them. Led Bailey up and let him sniff out the chicken, we then gradually moved the pots apart and added more pots and put them in a haphazard way all over - still with chicken only under one - Bailey loves this game and we still play it in our garden.

sounds good may have to buy some plant pots

Could start out with treat under a towel? Terrieriest quite fond of that one. Not sure it isn't responsible for him sniffing out the Lurcher's lost tennis ball in the undergrowth the other day. Usually he's not interested if it's not something of his.

http://www.workingtrialsworld.co.uk/...0training.html

http://www.workingtrialsworld.co.uk/societies.html

The best book on tracking is The Tracking Dog by Glen Johnson, you can learn how to do this on your own and if you follow this book to the letter you will have a GREAT dog.

If you fancy other types of nosework look at the David Ryan and Pam Mackinnon ones on here:

http://www.apdt.co.uk/dog_training_events.asp

HTH

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tracking-Dog.../dp/0914124048

This link will also show you other tracking/scenting books available.

thanks for that. will definately buy that book when i have a bit of money spare. i think its something he will be good at.

wonder if any cresteds have done it before

Any breed of dog can track

I am training Yogi to track and have the book by Glen Johnson that has already been recommended, and I also have a bit of help from my friend, a PD handler. We are loving it, and it is very easy to get started on your own.

There is a tracking thread here that may be of interest

http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=151504

ALL dogs track, we do not have to train them to do it. They track wildlife, bitches in heat etc.

All WE have to do is to train them in the STYLE we want; ie a la Bloodhound, Working Trials, Schutzhund etc.