SCHUTZHUND TRACKING - Page 1

ANYONE HAVE ANY REASONS WHY YOU WOULD OR WOULD NOT, FOR SCHUTZHUND TRACKING, TRAIN IN SNOW AS WELL. WE LIVE IN AN AREA THAT GETS LONG WINTERS AND JUST WONDERING IF WOULD BE BETTER TO LET THE DOG HAVE THE TIME OFF OR CONTINUE TRACKING TRAINING THROUGH SNOW. MY CONCERN BEING THAT WITH ANY DEPTH, SNOW MAY TEACH THE DOG TO KEEP THEIR NOSE UP INSTEAD OF DEEP?... SUGGESTIONS

It is a good thing to track in all kinds of conditions and all kinds of weather. I track in snow, if it is no more than 4 or so inches deep, just because I am a wimp and do not want to work so hard in deeper snow. The dog will not care. The one problem with snow is not that they will necessarily raise their head (assuming you are training them correctly in the first place) but that they may learn to rely on seeing the footsteps. If this is the same female you mentioned in another post, you have much work to do with her before you are actually running any length of track. You want to teach her good work ethic, and that does not necessarily mean you should simply take her out and start laying tracks. Again, having someone to help you would be a good thing. Training the dog incorrectly can be very difficult to correct later on. Good luck.

thanks hodie. no not same female. a different dog already proficient and properly imprinted in tracking...already does deep nose, long-tracking and already tracking titled however never been tracked or trained in snow

GSDONLINE, Good. Then the dog should be tracked in all possible field and weather conditions. I personally train my dogs to track on natural turf. That causes some slight drifting as the scent is more widely diffused. Also there are abundant rabbits and the dog is taught to leave them alone and work rather than chase as they would love to do. The dog that can track here, can track anywhere. Good luck with the dog.