Tracking - Page 1

Hi Folks,
Schutzhund tracking
Do you feel that tracking in the morning or tracking in the evening has any benefit to a dog or has any effect if you tracked in the evening but then suddenly tracked in morning of a trial ? I'd be interested to hear your views...

DSV

I like starting out  with my younger dogs and any time I'm indroducing something new by tracking early.  There is more moisture in the grass dirt etc so there is a stronger scent system. As the dogs progress I start doing tracks thoughout the day.  later in the day tracking can be a good replication for dryer weather hotter days etc.  The biggest thing with tracking is giving the dog some exposure to many different kind of conditions so that the dog has both the confidence and experience to figure out a variety of conditions you will find ..

I try to prepare for all eventualities by tracking at all times of the day and even the night.

I have to agree with Jeff.  For SchH tracking I especially like early mornings when there is dew on the ground.  Also, I find I have less problems with ants in the morning in warm weather.  However, I do track at all times of the day and sometimes will wait till a hot afternoon to go tracking just to expose my dog to it. 

I try to vary everything as my training progresses from length, age, time of day, temperature, wind etc.  I take all of those factors into account before I lay my track.  I was out with my dog working the other night at 2 AM.  I activated the lights at one of the city parks and went to the ball field.  It was like daylight, and the ground was covered in dew.  I had a really nice SchH style track there with my police dog.  It may be my new time to track when working nights.  It was cool and the conditions were really nice.  Certainly is a fringe benefit of my job, at least I'll try to make good use of working nights. 

I would certainly do some tracks in the morning a few weeks before a trial just to expose the dog to it, if I mainly tracked in the evenings.  I don't want my dogs to have any surprises or to be exposed to anything new before a trial.  For training any time is ok.  The biggest benefit of tracking early in the morning is being able to see the track and is close to the conditions you will have in a trial.

Jim

Thanks for the replies guys, it's nice to see educated opinions coming forward away from all the other stuff that goes on this forum. I think like anything else like you guys said exposure to all different scenario's is the key so tracking at the evening or in the morning shouldn't make any difference to your dog if it has been exposed correctly.

All the best..

DSV

I track in the morning because around these parts during summer I might as well be tracking on the surface of the Mother F*^@+ing  moon so if I wish not to choke to death on, or  be blinded by,  dust,  midway down the 2nd leg of my track,  I track at dawn when there is an oh so slight kiss of dew on the ground.

I track in the morning and on real good grass when teaching new things and to help build confidence. After they learn i move to harder conditions then back to easy for a quick confidence builder again. Never stay on hard conditions after they learn. I always go back and forth.

    Mark