Tracking - Page 1

I have used the ball on the track for the reward.  I always like to make sure it is in a low spot or divit so that the dog does not see it too soon!  The rules are the same, dog must indicate the article....ball in this case....just as it would anyother type of article.  When the dog downs for the article, I walk up and pick it up just like I would anyother article EXCEPT the dog gets a cue from me(breath sound is his cue) that he can have the ball.  We engage in 2 SECONDS of play, tug o war style with the ball, I platz him back on the track in the proper dirrection, put the ball away and tell him to search again........worked incredibly well for my dog!

Vickie

you have to be careful that you don't teach the dog to indicate only for the reward and not the actual article.. I will often rotate rewards, (food ball etc) and how they get them.  predicability can be your enemy.  But in training I always reward sin some way at the article..

hope it makes sense

Jeff 

Jeff,

You make very good sense.  Let me clarify.....there are always OTHER articles on the track as well.  The ball isn't always there.....I might put it on the track every 3rd or 4th track I lay.  I always use a huge variety of articles as well.  The ball on the track isn't for every dog either.  Some are just too nuts and frenzied for the ball and can not get back to work tracking too.  My first post was pretty much to say, yes, I have used the ball effectively on the track!

Vickie

It also depends on the dog.  I had a female that was very food driven but her prey/play/ball drive were over the top.  I wouldn't use a toy on a track because her food drive was good enough to reward with food at the article.  Bringing a ball or tug out would only make her hectic back on the track.

I really don't like to use toys, period.  I take that back.  the only time I like to use a toy is at the very end for a reward after the food reward at the last article.  I don't like to take the dog off the track.  Just a personal preference.  i would rather keep the dog on the track and reward with food, but I guess that requires a dog with the right drive.   If your dog doesn't have adequate food drive (which I would probably get rid of)  Then I guess you need to use what motivates them.

The particular dog that I used this technique with had both excellent food drive and ball drive.  In his younger years he had too much frenzied ball drive.  Both rewards work for him now as he is older.

Vickie

Good discussion guys, I think as a few here have said, it really does all depend on the dog, every dog is different in the different phases, a problem I could see arising with some dogs is that they dont pay enough attention to the track itself if the reward is higher at the article or a ball is somewhere along the track for example speeding and overshooting. In the ideal world every body has a dog that has very high food drive and snorts the ground like a pig but we have to use the drives the dog has got. Personally my own dogs have strong ball and food drive, but of course we are always open to discussion on getting the maximum points.

While we are on the subject of tracking, how do you guys feel about loose lines and tight lines whilst the dog is tracking, again personally I feel it's individual to the dog you get the feel when the dog is tracking correct and then just look at the tension in the line. Do you think most of the time lots of tension creates too much speed not enough atention to detail on the track ? I actually found with my female that a slack line would make her concentrate harder and search the corners more carefully. How have you guys found it ?
Happy training...

DSV

For me and my dog
I had to teach the dog at home in the living room on articles.
I had to teach her to find them then she got a piece of meat.
then I taught her to down on one and she got a piece of meat.

At the time she already knew and had been tracking.

But, for me placing the article in the track after not having them there didn't work.
So, I taught them off the track first then slowly introduced them.

Now, if I had taught them on the track to begin with then I could of done a different approach.

Also someone told me to place food on top of the article. That didn't help. It made it more confusing for the dog to
understand the concept.
So, with her finding the article knowing that she is to down then I pick up the article after making sure I tell her how great
she was , then I feed her a piece of meat. I made it more simple and made sure I broke all the steps down.

I also keep the line tight as I can without pulling her back. If the line is slack she slacks off like a kid.

Dogs are very individual indeed.

You work up to a certain level.
As pups you do the pads. Then in slow steps the track is lengthed. You go from food each step to less food as the
dog matures physically and mentally. I do for now leave meat out there on the track to keep her from rushing through
just to find the articles to eat. This can slow the pace some to keep her from zooming along, I still use a piece in the turn as well to help her learn to not miss them.

You can use as many articles as you want but make sure they are spaced . For me, two was plenty for my dog the more I
added the more she missed. I don't know why, but she did.

But, for articles there is no food on them.  The key is to find the article, tell me(article indication, the platz), then wait for the pick up(me picking up the object) , then wait for a reward(praise verbal or stroking the back). Then, wait til I tell her to search again.
Each article is done the same way each time to lessen her confusion.
That is what has helped my dog. Everyone may use a method that works better for their dog.