Slowing down the speed demon tracker - Page 1

So after taking a break due to personal chaos, I'm back on the training wagon with my youngest.

A bit of a break to mature seems to have focused her tracking- where previously, she was chaotic, weaving all over the track, not settled into the footsteps, now she is VERY one-track-minded on the odor. Problem, if you consider it a problem? She is a BULL. I am grateful she's not even 50 pounds. She wants to haul me down the track, and while I'm glad she has so much drive for it, I'm concerned about her missing turns/articles if she doesn't learn to be a bit more methodical.

I'm going to take her out right now and run her with a lot of turns and less bait, see if it makes her think, and start her on articles next week. I have a few tricks to slow a dog down, but I'm curious what others' experiences are and if anyone else has any ideas I haven't thought of or been taught yet to slow down a dog that tracks like her tail is on fire. I have no desire to quell her desire to track at all, just to slow down a teeny bit, for my piece of mind more than anything.

I've had a few strong trackers myself, and started a few K9s that want to speed down a track, but NOTHING like this dog. She is CRAZY. Maybe I should track her pulling a few tractor tires.

A prong collar on both rings will slow down most dogs as long as it doesn't hurt their drive. Adding more articles helps slow down a dog. So I guess you need to work on articles first? :-)
I had one dog that I had the line around my waist and the dog drug me around the track.
You joked about tractor tires, but it might be worth putting a car tire/rim on the end of a long line and see
how that works to slow her down? Dennis Helm has a Tracking Guide and he uses weight pulling to condition his Dobermanns. I'm not sure if he ever combined the two and had them dragging a tire while tracking.

Thomas Barriano
Dubheasa Germania (11/05/99-08/11/08) SchH III M R Brevet AKC WD III AWD 1 STP 1 CD WAC TT
Ascomannis Jago (06/20/03) SchH III AKC WD III AWD I TT WAC
Belatucadrus (08/14/05) DS BH TT MR I
Flannchadh von der Bavarianburg (5/21/08) BH STP I

Start over with footstep tracking and make sure she understands she has to sniff each footstep in order to proceed. Circle tracks, serpentine tracks will help. Also, if she is rushing to get to the jackpot at the end, incorporate in the track several small scent pads with a handful of food in each of them as you lay the track. Several jackpots instead of just one at the end helps a lot.

Also, the more you try to slow her down with a line the harder she will try to pull. Tracking off leash or with slack in the line (once she understands the concept of footstep tracking) is much better than trying to slow her down with a tight line. The more resistance against her, the more she will want to fight and plow through the resistance.

No jackpot at the end. I would not add extra corners. If she is very food oriented, add more bait. Lay circle tracks, dont go behind the dog, but to the side, so she cant pull. If she gets the circle, stepp more towards the middle of the circle, let her just work out the track on her own and keep the line slack. Once she is more methodical, then slowly go with her again, first more to the side, then behind her. If she doesnt pull once you are behind her again, go back to straight lines with a wide u-turn, then slowly close in the turn untill you have a corner. Be patient :)

And, on top of everything else said above, I'll repeat to you what Armin Winkler told me when I asked the same question:

"If she's not missing any turns or articles, and follows the track like a train on rails, why bother?"  Now, granted, he DID first ask if I was shooting for high-level competition, or if I just wanted to work and title my dog, and my intentions were the latter...I realize that if you're wanting more than to just earning honest titles on her, you're going to need to keep every single point you can and the for some bizarre reason, the sport wants to see footstep-to-footstep, s-l-o-w tracking that can be done at a lazy walk so you've got to cut her speed in that case. 

IMO, if I'm needing a dog to track someone or something, I'm needing the dog to find that person or thing as quickly as possible, not as leisurely as can be! Yet another way the sport has devolved the exercises from being the testing to determine if a dog is suitable as a breeding candidate in it's work ethic and ability.  Schutzhund has long since stopped being about the dogs, unfortunately.

TJL852

I'm curious about how many dogs you've actually put tracking titles on?
You asked the very same question two years ago in a Vapor topic and now you're giving advise.
What is your advise based on?

Thomas Barriano
Dubheasa Germania (11/05/99-08/11/08) SchH III M R Brevet AKC WD III AWD 1 STP 1 CD WAC TT
Ascomannis Jago (06/20/03) SchH III AKC WD III AWD I TT WAC
Belatucadrus (08/14/05) DS BH TT MR I
Flannchadh von der Bavarianburg (5/21/08) BH STP I

I don't even remember asking the question two years ago cause that was two years ago, jeez. Damn, you must be bored to be sitting on the Internet trying to recall if my information is valid. Ive been training IPO for 4 years and have taken a 11 week old malinois to a IPO3, PSA PDC and another puppy to a BH. She should have her 1 in a couple months. This is why you won't ever see another post from me, because of idiots like you. Don't assume anything. Go train.

TJL852,

So the answer is since you first asked the SAME question only two years ago. You personaly trained ONE
dog to track? Typical Internet Expert, hiding behind a user name. What's even funnier is, if your "expertise"
is questioned or you're asked for a llittle background.  You get all pissy like a little girl and "threaten" to not post
again ROTFLMAO. Jeez, if you hadn't of made the announcement no one would have noticed.
Why don't you come back when you have some real experience and you're not just regurgitating something you read on the internet or heard from an experienced trainer

Thomas Barriano
Dubheasa Germania (11/05/99-08/11/08) SchH III M R Brevet AKC WD III AWD 1 STP 1 CD WAC TT
Ascomannis Jago (06/20/03) SchH III AKC WD III AWD I TT WAC
Belatucadrus (08/14/05) DS BH TT MR I
Flannchadh von der Bavarianburg (5/21/08) BH STP I

Lol yeah Thomas you're exactly right. Not saying I am an expert, but it worked for me. Was just tryin to help someone out and you come on here accusing me of not having titled any dogs. Look at how many posts you have posted on here compared to mine. Yeah I'm the Internet trainer alright. I work my ass off, enjoy training and give my dogs the best possible life so go screw with someone else buddy. By the way, my name is Tim Leonard and I'm not here to argue so I'll catch ya later, Thomas.