Circle tracking? - Page 1

I am starting my puppy tracking and I have used just straight line tracking in the past. Has anyone had experience with circle tracking? If you did do circle tracking, how long did you do it for and did you do it without a line, with a trailing line, or with a line? Thanks......

I've used them on a few occasions. I used a trailing line that could not get snagged in cover. My thinking is that the line is a cue for tracking. I have also done closed tracks with me on the line. I drop bait as the dog tracks in front and can run the track 3 or 4 or more times.

Ok, thanks, Gunther!

I am a big fan of the Circle for both teaching a new pup/dog or for 'fixing' tracking behavior. I stole this from Ivan as he has had great success with this method. What I like is that the dog learns to be independent in their work, I do not inadvertently give queues or direction, I decide when the track is over, and the dog gets use to corners and wind direction all at the same time.

If I may ask, are you teaching competition, or real world tracking?

Cutaway...thanks for your thoughts!

Deacon..both. Competition into search and rescue. I was reading an interesting article from a trainer that did both and she was always taught in competition to never let the dog go back on the track...to always keep them going forward.

Then she started doing search and rescue and come to find out the bad guy had backtracked and the dog was right but handler was so competition engrained and wouldn't let dog backtrack. So, she retaught and allowed dog to go back on track and found her dog's tracking improved...especially corners. Just thought it was interesting. We head out to meet tracking group in morning......a balmy 14 degrees without adding the wind chill factor. *sigh* Oh, well...gotta train.