Tracking Question - Page 2

The problem with food is both my dogs tend to blow right past it! Sometimes they keep on going, other times, they circle back to get the food, then get confused as to where they're supposed to go after that.

It's not a matter of speed. Neither one is a speed demon on the track. On the rare occasion they're going too fast, I lean back abit on the lead, and they slow down.  I use dried liver and sometimes cooked chicken, and the bait doesn't seem to make a difference as to how often they eat the food drops.

The grassy area is not a lawn, but a natural area with a variety of plants growing on it. It's mainly grass, though, with a few low shrubs, wildflowers and weeds. It's quite similar to the open field where we hold the classes.

If I'm doing the sandy area, I make sure it's after the sun is gone, so the scent doesn't get burned away. I do tend to use more food when tracking there, and both dogs have done surprisingly well on it. One night, Star picked up the corner, when I couldn't even see it, as I'd lost the flag part of the marker, and it was too dark to see it without the flag!  The sand is soft enough to hold my footprints, and I'm guessing that helps it hold the scent, too.

There aren't a lot of farmer's fields around here, unfortunately. The area is too rocky for agriculture. It's mostly bush. Open areas tend to be dry and sandy, with low, tufty grass, gravel and rock. I try to find areas where the grass is long and unmowed, as this holds scent better, but there's not a lot of them around!

Fortunately, I have a big enough backyard that I can get a track or two out of it...assuming the neighbour's lab doesn't come over and contaminate the track, and steal my food drops!