USA HOT RESULTS? - Page 4

Thanks Molly.  amazing how many do think the short grass and sod fields are the way to go.  That's what we were told to start with also.  Makes a lot of sense.

I do recommend when first starting puppies, that the grass is short enough that you can see the food drops (and so can the dog) - but not "sod-short" and not trampled on (cross-tracks as at a public park or athletic field) - but yes, shorter grass to start so the footsteps are clear and the food can be seen.  Then once the dog knows how to search for food using the scent not sight - the best tracking is 4"-6" bushhogged or  hay field, not mowed.  Let the track train, challenge, and reward the dog - the line and yourself are only there to help if needed, and keep the pace slow.   Happy tracking!

molly

 Hello all

 I was entered and my dog was one of the dogs that failed the track. I did NOT smell anything, he worked really hard and just lost the last corner. Tough break but that was it. 5 out of 6 dogs in my flight did not finish the track. One in my flight lost the track at the last corner but had accrued enough pts to pass, 74. The other dog scored a 90. There is a explaination of why the 2 days were had so different results on the same field on the HOT site.  http://www.usahot2007.com/tracking_info.htm

I don't know enough about SOD to know if this is true or not, but I did not smeel any treatment when I was out there.

   Frank

Hey Frank as a judge you would know the answer - how does someone "accrue enough points" to pass when their dog doesn't complete the track - got lost and did not finish the track?  I thought you had to complete the track to pass.  Dog can get lost, quit or not finish the track and still get a passing score?  New one on me - maybe because I'm not a judge and my dog has never not finished a track :)

molly

 Hi Molly

  I'm not a judge yet, I'm still working on it... But each leg and corner are worth a set amount of points, (just like each exercise in obd) and the articles are worth a set amount also. The last corner, leg and article are worth a combined total of 22 points, she had lost only 4 points up to that point, then she lost the total last 22 for a score of 74 pts..... It almost compares to a dog in obedience who does not do the send out, the handler tells the dog to go out and he goes 10 feet and downs on his own. The dog did not "complete" obedience, he loses all points for that exercise but still has enough to pass. The dog in my flight just lost the last corner and lost all points after that but still had enough to pass. It is difficult because the dog must have a excellent track going to lose it and still have enough to pass and usually when they are tracking that good they don't lose it. 

  I hope this is clear...

     Frank

ok, but about the go-out scenario you mentioned - the dog who only went 10' and lost the points for the go-out STILL did the exercise.  They set up for it, he sent the dog - he just lost all the points for the dog not executing it properly or at all.  So he still finished the obedience routine that is in the rulebook.  What would happen if the dog refused to do any of the exercise - including the build-up, - what if the handler said "I'm not doing the go-out" and walked off the field at that point - would he pass obedience or automatically fail.  Same thing for not doing any exercise (in obedience) at all - one of the retrieves, one heeling pattern, the long down - what if they didn't even attempt to do it?  Same as if a dog quit the track before finishing?  Didn't attempt the last leg/article?  Seems to me this would mean "fail", just as if the dog gets lost and gets a line-length off the track - is this not an automatic failing score?  Educate me, judge-to-be.  Or anyone else who knows.

molly

Hi Molly

   No, the dog did not do the exercise, the name of the exercise is "send out with down", if the dog does not go out he has refused the exercise. Same as a dog that refuses the wall. ALL points gone. What about the dog that breaks the long down as soon as the handler walks away? Did he "DO" the exercise? No, all points gone, but the dog may continue (as long as it is not a temperment issue). A dog that won't go over the wall and refuses to retrieve on THAT exercise loses ALL 15 pts but can still pass. A dog that walks the last article, did not "complete" the track but can still pass. There are only so many points the dog can lose for the last corner, leg and article. If he has accumulated enough at the time he loses the track , the dog "CAN" pass. IT is the same for all phases, each exercise is worth a predetermined amount of points, the track is no different...I understand what you are saying but this is the way the rules are setup.

   Frank

ok, now how about the dog that is tracking, and gets lost - gets a line-length off the track while searching, or false-tracking, or wandering around - isn't that an automatic fail?  What did the dog do when he got lost on the last leg, didn't find the last leg, didn't complete the last leg - did he just stand there?  If he continued searching, how come the line-length rule didn't apply, causing a failed track?  Or am I wrong about that - this  has happened to me, so I am curious - (one of my dogs failed a track because she got a line-length off the track while being lost and still searching)

molly