Tracking methods

I have started training Yogi tracking on a number of occasions since he was just a wee pup and have more success with some methods than others.

I am interested in what method(s) you have tried with your dogs and which worked best for you? (also what breed of dog).

********

I trained Yogi initially by using his fave toy, and walking out a single leg on short-ish grass, scuffing my feet all the way and all the way back in a single line. I put his ball at the end of the leg and then scuff feet back again. If that makes sense. I had him tied to a gate or fence, so he could watch what I was doing. Get him all excited about where his ball was, and set him off.

A few months ago I started to train for working trials with an ex army dog instructor. He had me laying the track and hiding myself at the end. He held Yogi's line and had him track me. Now this method seemed to work really well initially. After a few sessions, Yogi was tracking me over long grass, short grass, through woodland, over fences and on a small amount of stubble. However, I was always dubious about how this method would work when it came to be my turn on the end of the line and the trainer laying the track and hiding. Why would my dog want to track what was a relative stranger to him? Anyway, unfortunately the trainer and I (as well as my friend who also trained with him) had a disagreement over certain practices of his and so we parted company.

I have therefore gone back to the original way of training, but have been putting food at the end of the track. However, it seems we are going to have to go right back to basics to get Yogi to understand what I am wanting from him, as he seems confused as to why I am not hiding at the end of the track.

Just interested to know how others have trained their dog to track, their success rate etc.

Pics would be a bonus I forgot my camera when I was tracking this morning, so will take some photos either this afternoon or tomorrow

I have used food on the track for a couple of dogs and a toy for another, never got past a dog leg for any of them though, its hard cold work and you need so much space.

Have you read Glyn Johnsons book? My friend followed it to the letter and ended up with a TD dog in working trials, she did it with a collie and a GSD.

rune

We`ve done winding trails etc. Daisy is totally amazing.
I`ve done the reward along the way thing but haven`t found it necessary because she`s so obsessive. I doubt we`re doing it the `proper` way but it is huge fun - especially when I get a friend to hide the Ballie so I don`t know where it is either. I`d love to do more but we`re barred from the local WT club unless Daisy`s muzzled - which defeats the object a bit. .

The original way you started to teach with the ball is the way everyone I know at WT starts. That other method (of having you hide) seems a bit odd, as the dog is probably air scenting as well as tracking?

Do you think Yogi knows the actual command 'track' Or whatever you use? Has he associated the command with putting his nose down and following a scent?

I would go back to winding him up with the toy and letting him watch you lay a short track and then when he is happy doing that start to add a corner. And then when he is always confident doing those tracks, lay one with him out of sight and then take him to the start and ask him to track...and progress from there..? I had a friend in the UK who is a WT judge and that was how he taught me and Shy and it worked well, but sometimes because he is so excited he can over shoot corners.

So with Kofi I started the food in every single footstep to teach accuracy but I found it so tedious to lay them and so now with him I lay a track and just drop food along at various points, although he doesn't seem that fussed about the food, he just likes to track for the sake of tracking..


I don't have any recent pics of mine (hard when you are on your own!) but here is an old one of Shilah tracking last year when we were just starring out.


Hope you manage to get some pics of Yogi, I would love to see them!

Ive been shown a couple of different methods, but one worked much better than the other.

Step one was to first teach the dog to understand how to follow the scent of 'disturbed' ground by setting up a scent pad

• Leap onto a fresh patch of grass
• Scuff the ground with your feet into a square where you are standing
• Drop about 12 treats into the square and leap back out
• Now put a treat on the end of your dogs nose and lead him to the square. Once he is close, drop your treat into the square and give him plenty of lead
• Your dog should sniff out the treats. Ocassionally he will leave the square, but he will soon sniff back into it. He will learn to associate finding treats on disturbed earth, but not on un disturbed earth. Let him work out the problem on his own.

Know what i mean? So let the dog do the work. The disturbed ground will smell different to the undisturbed ground.

Next you want to do the same thing, set up your scent pad. Then leap out of it and start your track. Dont start your track straight from the scent pad just yet.

• Put a stick in the ground so you know where your track is (after leaping away from the scent pad)
• Walk normally, but with short paces so that your steps are right next to each other
• Dont scuff your feet, and under every footstep (under the toe) put a treat
• This will teach the dog to check every footstep
• At the end of the track put a whole handful of treats and a toy.
• Make sure to leap off the track
• Now go get your dog, lure him to the scent pad with a treat and drop the treat onto the scent pad
• Once your dog has finished the scent pad, use another treat to lure your dog to the start of the track and drop a treat at the start to encourage him to put his nose down
• Now let your dog follow the track. Make sure he goes slowly, but try not to point him any further onto the track as you want him to solve the problem himself
• Keep the lead short for now so he cant deviate too far

That method was from the Schutzhund club.

One i was shown today from a Working Trials instructor was without food.

• Start on a fresh piece of grass. Scuff out a scent pad without treats. You should be enticing your dog with his favourite toy.
• Immediately start walking the track without scuffing your feet, but keep your pace short
• About 10 paces in, hide a toy, scuffing the ground where the toy is and then carry on laying a track for a further 5 paces
• Now get the dog and point him to the start of the track. When he finds the toy, lots of praise and a game

I wouldnt add any corners until your dog is doing the track with confidence.

Thanks Rune. I have got the Glen (?) Johnson "Tracking Dog" book sat by my bed and I have dipped in and out of it ... but must get around to really reading it properly, as I have been told by a couple of people already that this book is like a tracking bible. Thanks for reminding me about it

What are winding trials Claire? How do you lay them?

Thanks Fiona. Everything you are saying makes sense. I have the opportunity to have a hand with the tracking from a PD handler friend of mine, so hopefully she will be able to put me right if I am going wrong.

I do think that Yogi knows what his harness going on means - although it may have become a bit confused in his head when I was with the army dog trainer, and the harness going on meant "mum" disappearing I will have to make sure that I make tracking great fun for him again.

As far as laying the tracks go, I am just laying a single leg and did try with treats, but am definitely going to go back to his ball again - as he works better for that and isn't constantly being distracted looking for treats that may or may not be there.

Like you, I don't think I would have the patience to train the schutzhund style of footprint tracking. I like it to be a bit more natural and free. We are only doing it for fun and not to compete, so if he lifts his head every now and then I am not going to stress about it.

Love the photo of Shilah tracking - he already looks a pro! I remember seeing that pic when you first posted it on DP I will definitely try and get hubby to take some pics of Yogi and I tracking over the weekend.

Thanks for your input.

I have always started with food,double laying,when I I get a good long leg,and the food is in the container not still ontop,I introduce another container halfway up the leg, therefore encouraging the dog to track on after finding the first article,ending the track with a big game with a favourite toy.Depending on the dog sometimes I introduce the time factor, sometimes I introduce a corner (might be a curve ,dependson the dog,if its a corner I often triple lay the corner. I do try not to lay my own tracks, as I'm afraid I'm not always sure where I've been and its always handy to have someone who knows exactly where they have been.And always I'm always carefull of weatherand ground conditions.Hope you see what I'm getting at cos I dont think its the easiest of things to explain.
Good Luck with your big lad Kirsty
Jeanette

You say that you found one method much better than the other? Which one was that?

I can see the sense in the Schutzhund style tracking if you are competing, but we are just tracking for fun and to enhance our relationship, and use up some of Yogi's boundless enthusiasm and energy

The scent pad theory sounds interesting ... what is the reasoning behind doing that prior to starting to teach the track?