SchH 2 Tracking; any comments - Page 1

http://youtu.be/sFSkhgdqy9M

Here is the active link..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFSkhgdqy9M&feature=youtu.be

Nice job.... the only thing I would say is he tracks a little fast.
I will comment a little later on more. I am headed back to work now.

He is a bit fast - but the pace doesn't change.....it is consistant.....the handling seems a bit inconsitant though.......... on the first article you came to one side and he kinda jumped up and then downed again - you came to the left of the dog - then on the next artricle you came to the right........  seems that the dog had a problem with you coming to the opposite side.............  inconsistancy on your part.........getting up is faulty............maybe the handling could change and come to the right and he wont get up...........  he did indicate -----  the line seems very loose and maybe he doesnt know you are on the end of it - thus the fast pace....    maybe alittle tighter and a little bit of bumping might slow him down............if he stays true to his pace you wont loose points.......

I am no expert - but I did notice this........might be something............. any points losts are points that might be important...........

Just my opinion though..........

YogieBear

How does one slow down a fast tracker?

Yogi, there are reasons you go to the left and right during training.

Yes. You go to the left or right of the dog if the dog is not straight after all it is Training.Thank ye for yere comments. Hope i get some more comments you try to get your dog right for there Trials.

Give a constant quick short tug(actually called POP the line gently) everytime the dog gets faster. I cannot watch the video///dial up.

A dog that makes a good tracker has motivation and desire and they are the ones who usually get faster on the track, but the judge is looking for a consistant move and the desire to keep its mind on its tracking which is usually   slow and methodical...Being eager will not count off as long as he does it all the way , doesn't miss any turns or over run them ..The eager dog usually makes a few mistakes of over running a turn as the scent on the  SchH 11 track is older.

Since this is practice, sounds like  you are getting it..and since I cannot see it  , all I have to offer.

The judge will be also looking at the dogs nerves and its bond to the handler as well as its desire to work INDEPENDENtly SO i WOULD NOT  get too worried about    a little fast.. I might call that  "being agressive enough to get the job done, if this dog also show confidence in itself and is actively really got his nose in the ground and really showing it is going to do the task all the way to the end..

Actually the tracking phase is very important,  as having gotten this far, the judge now evaluates anf forms an opinion about the quality of this dog..and how well he thinks the HANDLER did in preparing this dog for this tracking title. I assume since a track layer does the S 11, you are letting the dog tell you where the track is and on the turns is your q to read your dog.
I would stay on the same side all the way on articles...and make sure he waits on his command.But not seeing , are you praising him and walking around in front of him, calming him in the few seconds you have, so he won't jump up and take off excited and forget he is tracking?? 

Teaching your dog to handle all the  uncertainity of where is the track and solve it himself is trying on schutz 2  and 3 but keep practicing till your dog is very confident. and expect the unexpected of wind, rain, noise and other terrrain so practice it now and just be calm ..if you can.. easy for me to say behind a computer but been there and I am not a calm quiet person...

lol


good luck

IF dog doesnt do right do not get mad,,,or angry or irritated with your dog...they sense it..best to go home and redo next day , even if the track is already laid...

YR

Very nice - but there is always room for improvement in all of our dogs!  Yes, the dog is fast but is consistent in speed (minus where the food rewards or what appears to be food rewards - were placed).  No, he does not remain calm/down at articles before the restart command is given or sit is given at the last article - what you don't correct (and no I don't mean it has to be done forcibly - perhaps using the down command several times while your standing straight up before the restart and then slowly fading the words might be all it takes for the dog to understand that he must remain down and calm until your restart command) you are teaching and it won't get better - only worse if permitted to continue.  You feed before picking up the article and the showing of the article (to the judge) - each time, just like you place food after both turns at almost the same amount of paces after the turns.  Realizing that this IS TRAINING - I would say not to be so consistent in what you are doing in reference to food placement after so many steps after a turn or in reference to rewards at articles.  I would also wait a little bit before giving the restart after each article....rather then avoid the problem he is showing in regards to remaining calm at the down...teach the dog now not to anticipate the restart and remain calm by making him wait so many seconds one time and then longer or shorter the next time at the next article (be random) - even if for now you need to remind him with the  command down (platz/oft) .  I really don't think that he will pair the idea of not being straight on the article (as you stated this is the reason you come from left or right side when he downs on articles) if you don't show him what you want.  If my dog is crooked I mark it with a "no", I teach him by showing him (straightening him out) how he should be rather then attempt to lure him into correct position  then I mark it with a yes - he also gets no reward (food or verbal) for a crooked indication.  IF my dog is showing me crookedness on most articles - then I would personally go back to teaching articles (off the track) again until he understand what the correct position should be. 

Dogs are very good at picking up patterns and our body language - sometimes this is good, sometimes not so much. I have seen way to many dogs become accustomed to finding food after a turn when it is being placed in the same location each time during training, then on trial day, when there is no food at all in that particular location - the dog quits, comes back to handler or becomes noticeably flustered.  This may not be the case with your dog and you may not be placing food in the same spot everytime on other days of training...just going by what I see on the film....but better to find out on a training day what your dog will do when there is no  food in the "usual place", and when maybe at one article he does not get the food reward before showing of the article etc...then trial day.  I especially like the placement of the article after the second turn,  that would have been a really good opportunity to have no food after THAT turn, but instead reward at the article or place food right before or after the article .  Placing some food in the footstep right after the article might also prevent that jumping up (missing at least the first step or two) on the restarts and also help in you teaching him self-control - he must wait for your command to restart and slowly restart. 

Just my two cents.....Thanks for sharing your video - best wishes for you and your dog!

I see a very good tracking dog! Motivated for sure! Speed is a little fast, but as previously mentioned speed it is consistent with a deep nose. I love how fast the dog downs on the articles.

A word of caution I learned the hard way. Are you using articles with someone elses scent? Very important in the transition from IPO 1 to IPO 2.

I do see a handler that for some reason seems to pick up the article on the first and last article and moves it forward a foot or so, this is why the dog is moving. I'd like to know why as it seem deliberate. i also didn't care for how the track was ended. I don't think you should do the sit on the last article. I personally tracked on from the last article to a small payday. But given your dog tracks fast now I wouldn't do that. But I would track on from the final article and then end it with a "were done" command or whatever you use. I would also like to see the handler increase the length of time spent at the article. This way the dog gets a bit of a rest, calms him down a bit. Also reduces the dog likeliness to get up premature at a trial.The dog is a fine tracker, the handler need to modify some minor issues, IMHO.

That track was laid by someone else & after the last Article i presented the dog to the Judge & then gave Him his Food. I pulled him back before because he was going to fast but i only Stressed him out & after that he went very slow & he gradually got his Confidence back. I am grateful for yere comments as i have my SchH 2 on the 18th of Feb. So hopefully.???