Belgian malinois and German shepherd - Page 1

can some one email me on the best way to train my dogs to track. I would like to train them for S.A.R to. i have gsd,belgian malinois and 2 puppies that have the nose for it. please all the help will be great email is cotedonna24@gmail.com thanks

You're serious, right? You think an e-mail will do the trick? 

I strongly suggest you hunt out a local tracking or schutzhund club, and learn from the people there. There may also be a local trainer that runs tracking classes. Just FYI...AKC/CKC style tracking and schutzhund style are two TOTALLY different things, so be sure of which type you want to do before you sign up!

There are some good books out there on tracking, but I don't have time to look up details. Maybe if you google the info I have stored in my brain, you will find the author, etc. One is called "Go Find!" and the second is by William Kohler, the author of Guard Dog Training. Just google "Kohler...Tracking" and it will likely pop up.

I am sure others on the board can recommend something more modern.

thanks i will do that.

If you dont know how to track, how do you know they have good nose? It is more than a nose. All dogs have a good sense of smell. Drive and how the don't react to distractions. I do a test with every puppy. I take them to a very busy intersection and throw kibble all over the road. If the puppy is too distracted by the cars, I get rid of him. But if a puppy pays no attention to the cars and is intense in drive with a deep nose, well he's stupid and I don't have to worry about getting rid of him. Just throw more kibble in the road.

GSD1997, you've just met Chaz, the comedian of the board...

I once attended a tracking seminar given by an RCMP canine officer. The way he started the young dogs off with their first track was to have someone else hold the dog, while the owner ran away from the dog, waving a favourite toy, and dancing around to make sure he/she had the dog's full attention. (We had some very young dogs at this seminar. I think one was only 3 months, and my female GSD, Star was about 5 months.)

Then, of course, the owner would hide, and the designated handler would tell the dog 'go find!'

The dogs with good potential for tracking would use their noses. Those with less potential would just head for the spot where they last saw their owner.

I am going to see a trainer this week so will see what he has to say. 

Good for you!  Good luck! Tracking is a lot of fun!

These 2 books are classics and a must before starting out. In the first book mentionned Bill Syrotuck explains about scent itself and how a dog smells scent. The second book recommended by Glen Johnson teaches you how to teach your dog to track. Good luck. 


http://www.amazon.ca/Scent-Scenting-Dog-William-Syrotuck/dp/0970049420
http://www.amazon.ca/Tracking-Dog-Glen-R-Johnson/dp/0914124048

ok thanks

Here is S&R training.  :
First realize that S&R is an amazing way of life and not something you do on sunny Sunday afternoon. You will be called on searches in mid week in 2 am when snow is falling horizontally and you may be gone for several days. You will need to be ready at moments notice and will need to show up as many times as possible. You must be in top physical shape. You may do this for years and never find a "victim" . S&R is mostly about eliminating areas where the victim is not.  You must not get disappointed by that. Motivation, reason  and satisfaction of doing  S&R is to help people in trouble. Nothing else.  
Dog and training. 
Remember dogs do not look for people, but  they look for people which will throw them toy.  Understand principles of tracking, trailing and air scenting. 
1.Selection. Get a young dog which is x rayed and loves to chase a toy and look for it and does not want to  give up search for it. Breed  with double coat (like GSD) and of medium size. 
2: teach the dog to chase a toy .  Also  throw the toy to a stranger and when dog runs to a stranger he plays fetch. 
3. let stranger hold your dog and you go and hide in close proximity. Dog watches you. Then the stranger says : "Search" dog run and finds you and you play fetch with him.
4. let stranger hold the dog,  hide with a 2nd stranger.  . Dog watches you. Then the stranger says : "Search" dog run and finds you and the second stranger which is with you plays fetch. 
5. You hold the dog,  stranger hide.  . Dog watches him. Then you says : "Search" dog runs and finds the stranger  which plays fetch. 
​6. Increase distance and time from the time stranger hides and you search.
7. training is done in wilderness, avalenge, disaster, water. Principal is the same . In water I hide toy with human hair which I got from barber. For safety reasons in avelange the "victim" must have radio and big air pocket, LT device(!!!)( location transmiter) which is on and you know how to use it and the burial place must be marked. 
8. for  "stranger"/"victim" use family members and then friends who after they loose motivation to hide are offered at  first 6 pack and then large enough amount of money so that the game stays interesting for them .  Use as many different strangers as possible. Money are awarded if the dog des not find them. I personally never had to pay. 
9. But first  join local Dog S&R group. They will guide you. Recognition of the group by local authorities will get you to be called on searches. You will not be called unless you are member of a recognized  group. That is usually non profit organization. 
10. Here are the books you should read.
http://www.carda.org/Booklist.aspx
Study cases of former searches and set up scenarios for your training in the same way.
Prager Hans 
P.S. contact me if you need more free help. 

Good luck!