Working board - Page 2

Yellowrose, would you answer some of those questions you asked. What food do you use and should I with hold food the night before.

Marty

Thanks, I have been studying his methods and some others as well.   I also want to know more about shutzhund in general.  You can teach an old dog new tricks...me included.

Okky dokkie:    First of all....i start feeding a new pup on the ground,,,,,all his meals are fed on the floor  , kennel   den floor,,or outside in the nice grassy lawn....i do this to get his nose ready for something he doesnt know about....just do it everyday in a little mound......teaches him to use the nose.....tthen i start with little pieces of chicken mixed in the food....they fall into grass...let him find them   and when he finishes   say  good find....

I used wienies when I began, many years ago....tiny pieces cut so small in your front apron.....get a food bag for your waist...dont have time to dig for rewards either......

the night before you are going to lay your   5 foot tract.....do not feed puppy...water only....get up early   potty him....and drag his sky kennel to the far side of your property.......use his nylon collar and attach two leads ,,long cotton 15 foot leads bought at Wally world....walmart)   pull under him.....put him in his box.....door facing where you are tracking.....how to finishe is in the Susan Barwig tracking chapter .....of the book sueinc  mentioned....    you can use american flags on sticks or some survey flags......    pound stake in ground to start......lay a rectangle or a triangle point facing the way of the track....Place the flag on the left of the line you are laying......

scuff the ground very well with the heel and your tennis shoe...pour a big handful of weinies in this space...then start a straight line away from the triangle or rectangle.....scuffing and dragging your feet   and droping four tiny pieces of weinie,,cheese or chicken pieces,,,whatever your bait is,,,,go forward toe to heel , scuffing ground , lay pieces in each of your footsteps...go to 10 or twelve feet...put a flag on the left at end......lay a mound for the end   reward of treats......now step real big to the right with your feet and do not leave any tracks with your feet near the track you just layed.....go way out and go back to your pup.....take him out and gently with lines behind you in a line...hold him closely, take to the SCENT PAD....TAKE HAND AND PASS OVER THE FOOD SAYING      SEEK     HIS NOSE DOWN , LET HIM EAT ALL ON THIS PAD   WHEN FINISHED PRAISE HIM GENTLY AND PAT HIM   ...SHOW HIM THE FOOD AHEAD SAYING SEEK....

Point to the food with your finger,,,holding pup loosly up close so he wont forge forward,,,keep saying seek......  main objects here.....teach dog to search on command,,,and let pup get full scent of the start of the track....slowly  moving down the track, keep pointing at food,,stooped over and saying seek.....when he eats all of each step,,,gently praise and pat....do no talk to dog other than those three words......seek   good seek and pat.....   another point to make    dog associates the track is on the right of a tracking flag and he is being rewarded for his find.....keep his attention by pointing to food and seek....at end   when he finnishes handler praise him enthusiastically....

at the beginning of each track...on the way to the scent pad  ,,get you dog up high ,,enthusiastically on the way to the scent pad....get him excited , oh boy, want to seek   want to seek    oh boy , lets go   ready   want to seek   things like that....

the first day just do one track.....after that three times a week   ,,,,at end of first track   put in kennel or hand to a friend to let him watch back up by the kennel....and lay another and run him thru    slowly....same thing......some people do three tracts   if dog is eager...if he does one good  do the second   ,,,if the second is half good...stop.......only end on a good note.....keep a toy or kong or what he likes and after the last track for the day   run away from the track and play with him and make him happy ..praise him and ruff him up...get him in a play mood and then go put him in his kennel for at least 30-45 minutes....the reason ......he needs to  think about what he just did.....do this every time ....every time.....do not vary from your routine......read Barwigs book....

everytime you feed you dog for this month and the next....feed on ground....dont need a bowl...Pets mart has rolls of stinky rolled meat for tracking,,,or frozen Bil jac..or cook some liver,,,dry it and cut tiny....use tiny pieces of what ever you put down.....

At this stage under no circumstances do you correct your pup....just keep your finger down to show him where the food is and say seek......

after two weeks if he is keeping head down   increase the length of tract and use fewere pieces .....in each foot steps....two more weeks ....increase the length until this pup has completed       50 ft of a straight line , picking up all food.....decreasing the food to only one in each footstep and then at the last weeks , skip a foot step....food in 3,  5, 7 9 etx.....use your judgement.....still pointing and then stay behind him and let him work his way to the end    use your finger , only , to keep him going back to food if he starts to stray........praise him for every find.....but calmly and slowly and no other talk....

The word   No is not to be used ever in this tracking..........and no correction untill this pup has completed the fifty foot with doing an excellent job at his track......

the word you want to learn for correction when the time comes...is       PHOOEY

The most important thing to remember...the beginning day , the first introduction to that scent pad, and the slow  way you speak and praise and point ....is critical...let him finish the whole scent pad before showing him the point and the track forward....

In another thread, Two Moons mentions Prestons Schutzhund Tracking site.  I recommend it to anyone just starting out in tracking:  http://www.schutzhundtracking.com/

"Did you withhold food last night for the tracking this am?"

My 2 cents here on this question is that it depends on your dog. You have to determine whether or not your dog is interested in tracking with or without the withholding of food. The withholding of food will certainly have your dog more interested in in the food on the track, but he or she may not need it to be interested. There may  be some dogs even that focus better on the track with food. The withholding of food is a technique that works with some dogs, but not all.

In my own experience with my dog, withholding food doesnt make him do necessarily better or worse so I just feed him his dinner and and light breakfast before training. Through working with him, I know that he will track the same regardless. As with most things in Schutzhund, you have to find what works for you and your dog. 

Good luck!

 Did you get up early this am and lay a track for your working dog...?

Yes I did. Our club meets tomorrow, but it is a saturday routine that I enjoy to take the dog to the park for a track and some obedience work. If I dont then he drives me crazy all day. The boy needs lots of exercise to be a pleasant home companion...wear em out!

What did you do to get your dog ready this am for tracking.?

Crate in car, travel mug of coffee, cut hotdogs, comb hair and brush teeth- not necessarily in that order!

Did you withhold food last night for the tracking this am?

no, I didnt- see above.

What  kinds of food do you suggest for laying a track.....?     What is the best place to track a new pup ?   practice in your own yard   or go to a foreign field or place?

I use hotdogs, but have used pork roast and ham also. I think that a food product is better for your dog than a treat product. Some of my club members use frozen sausage like dog food for tracking and that works well also. 

 You want to start tracking in an area where your own scent is not all over the place. The best place would be a field that does not have a lot of human traffic to start. There may be an area on your property where you do not walk regularly and that will work as well. Your puppy needs to be able to pick our  your scent-dont make it hard for him to begin. You want a good foundation.

How many leads do you use and do you color code your leads for tracking?

With my dog (11 month old male)I only use one lead for training at this point- a 6 footer. He has a tendency to move to fast down the track so at this point I use the short leash so I can control his pace. When he is more advanced and closer to trial I will of course use the tracking leash, but he is not ready for that yet. We are building the foundation at this point and I need control to teach him to be thorough. You could use a seperate leash to give your dog a cue as to what he will be working on- you have to see what helps keep your dogs mind in the right place- if it helps- do it! If it doesnt..dont do it yet.

Do you let your dog watch you lay a track?   When do you introduce "articles" and how do you introduce the articles to the dog.....before putting them on the tracking field....What are the articles made of and can I  make my articles?

I dont let my dog watch me lay a track. I dont know if it would make a difference really though with this dog. He stays in his crate in the car while I lay my track. I also give some crate time between each pha

Continued...

I also give some crate time between each phase of training. I think that a lot of learning takes place during that quiet time.

Good luck!