Tips for slowing down a new tracker - Page 2

Lol!  I am a great anchor too!  Hehe.

That is nice form on your dog.  :)

Thanks for the compliment, though, I can't take it as my own doing really.  Today the crows took all my tracking bait after the first 1/3 of the track.  That means he tracked on scent alone for 2/3. He got a confused and a bit hectic after he tracked sans bait for about 10 feet. He recovered well and moved on though. I was proud very proud of him!  Dang crows though!! Times like today I wish I had a trained falcon.

Oh I wish I'd had access to the advice of Koots, Bravo et al  several years
ago when I started Tracking with my boy.   I learnt more from reading this
thred than I ever got before !  I knew of the stuff about 'scentpads', and using
the wind;  but the rest of the advice is more detailed than any book I have
gives me, and 'my' trainer unfortunately died not that long after she got me
started.  Taz liked tracking sure enough but he got to a stage where he
used to skip the last turns of the track and go straight to look for his toy by
sussing out the end of the trail.  Conscious of the need NOT to 'anchor'
the line too heavily (me too !),  others nonetheless advised I learn to use the line
more, to guide / steer Taz better ;  but the emphasis on:  going back to basics,
article indications off-track, trying it without food, lazy S, aging tracks more first,
would all have been more helpful, if I'd had them suggested at that time.
Thank you, guys.

Its a bit late now (he turned 11 on 8 December !) and I am unlikely to start again
with a pup at this point in my own life,  but they were ideas I was glad to read !
Who knows, maybe I can pass them on to another tracking novice or two.


@EduCanine, Sabre looks a cool and handsome dog .

Everything looks fine except for that strange green stuff on the ground. What is that?

Mike :)

I dont think we're seeing that green stuff till July if we're lucky

Check out the new tracking book 'Day 3 to trial' by Glynn Clayton.  It will help you alot.

I'm sure there's a reason for this but why do you have the leash wrapped around you as you're tracking your dog? Is that meant to slow the dog down or what?

What are you using on the track for bait?

~Bob~

Do circles.  Until you go to articles, the only thing u can teach the dog is NOT to like tracking and be dependant on line pressure from back.  If you pull back, the dog will go faster.  Opposite reflex.  

In the beginning u ONLY teach... Ground disturbance = food.  Other techniques will follow.  Gotta know A B C before the dog learns pace, corners, etc. http://www.dogtrainerresource.com/videos.html

see video.  First session.  They naturally slow down.  Then do S PATTERN after 6 months.  Then after  a year, articles, after dog demonstrates he 100% understands what is expected.

JMO