tracking---am i doing this right? - Page 1

ok...ive asked questions about tracking, and with all the articles ive read i think im close to teaching boss the right way but im not positive im doing this the right way....this is what ive been doing for the past 3 days...

first, i let him out of the kennel, let him run around  and play/ potty. then i tie him up to something while i lay the track...Q #1-(should i tie him where he cant see me lay it? or should he watch me?) I have an old mayo jar that i put kibble in,i shake the jar around a little to let him know there is something inside, then i open the jar, let him sniff---

when i start the track, i go to an area in the yard that him or i have not walked on that day/ also different area than i laid the track the day before. i jump to the area where my track starts, i scuff a scent pad about 1 1/2 ft. put my first flag to the left of my scent pad, sprinkle kibble or hotdogs in the scent pad..then i make a trail leaving the scent pad (scuffing my feet) and sprinkle kibble in the trail as i go...after about 8 feet i put down my second flag and go another 6 paces, then i make a right turn..(Q#2- should i make a sharp right turn or curved?) .....i go about another 8-10 paces , scuff harder at the end, put the flag down, and leave the unopened mayo jar at the end...

I jump as far as i can away from the end, go get boss, (he drags me to the first flag wagging his tail, he already knows what they mean..) i point at the scent pad and tell him "search" he stays on the scent pad for a little while, then he follows the trail..yesterday he did pretty good...but he does try to rush a little,( Q#3--should i be worried about that right now, or wait untill he gets full understanding of the trail?, also what should i do if he tries to back track, to get kibble he missed? or if he goes off the trail a little, should i let him so he can figure out the difference in the trail-smell/ disturbed grass= food, untouched grass= no food? or should i correct him right away, (he only goes off about a foot then goes right back to the trail, if he stays off for more than a few seconds i point at the trail and say "search" again)..when he gets to the end i put him in down, then tap the top of the mayo jar, he usually puts his foot on it then, when he does that i praise then dump a small pile of kibble between his front paws. (later i plan to use a rubberband and attach scraps of fabric to the jar, eventually removing the jar altogether)..

more Q's-- can i tie him back up and do it again reusing the same trail, or should i make an entire new one?  how many tracks should i do in a day? (ive been doing about 3 short ones) .. when should i start making the tracks longer?

sorry for all the Q's...i wish i had someone here to yell at me when im doing something wrong.....but i don't so it would be a great help if ya'll could yell at me if any of what i wrote above is 'teaching' him the wrong way/ bad habits..

hello?

Hey, the watching/not watching is where I am now with mine. As I was saying on my question earlier we let the dog watch the first few trainings as the tracklayer leaves to imprint the game to him of this person is walking away and she's got your stuff so you'd better go find it. Then transition (theoretically, anyway!) to tracking without seeing the tracklayer go.

From what I'm learning I don't think I would lay a new track over another one or rerun one. Can you tie him to a tree or something at the end of the first track and continue on with the second?  Also, since you are laying your own maybe you could double lay your tracks. Which means to lay a track, put down the article and retrace your steps back to the dog. 

Is there any way you can get anyone else to lay them for you so he doesn't become used to just having you do it?

It sounds like you're really having fun with this. I know you've been looking for a while for a good activity to use for the little monster :) I love that dog.

thank dawgs.. i will try the double lay thingy today...

i had my younger cousin help me yesterday and im glad you said that (have someone else lay one), i guess he was used to me just doing it, he didn't want to follow her track, it took a little while to get him to do it, but eventually he did...

ive been working on his OB everyday also- he did REALLY good last night, stayed pretty tight while heeling, quick with the turns...kept his eyes on me...but...Ive been teaching him to sit in front of me when i say "come" -  and he is doing that good (will move from heeling position to the front) but he doesn't actualy want to face me, his body is usually towards me straight on but he tries to avoid 'facing' me straight on, he wants to lean his head to the side of me and he doesnt get as close as he should......anyone have advice on how to get a nice straight/ close sit in front?

1.  For now, I think it's a good thing to tie him where he can see what you are doing.  Just be sure to tie him short enough that he can't get too tangled in the line and tie him low enough that he can't do back flips & hurt himself.

2.  I wouldn't put in any real turns just yet,  keep it easy for him so that he is very successful.  Also at this stage I would keep the tracks really short.   Once he really has these little short tracks down pat, then you may want to add some nice wide serpentine.  You make the track longer when the dog knows what you want of him & does it consistently.

3.  Don't let him back track.  At this stage, you should be up close on the dog so you can support him.  You don't want him to turn around.  With beginning tracking I don't correct, but I don't give them enough line to really get off the track.  AT this stage the goal is for him to understand you want him to track each footstep.

Remember, we aren't teaching them to track,  they already know how to do that,  this is just another obedience exercise.  Three short tracks is fine.  Don't use old tracks, lay new ones.  I don't use kibble, I use soft foods so that my dog never has to chew or if the dog is not a chewer then he doesn't choke on hard kibble.  I use microwaved chicken, hot dogs, Zukes mini naturals, or Natural Balance chubbs - something like that.  If you live where you can buy FROZEN Bil Jac, that stuff is like crack to dogs!

I don't scuff my feet, even with puppies, I pick up my feet for each footstep.  The only thing I do with puppies is take smalller steps.

I'm not understanding what the purpose is of the mayo jar or the scraps of fabric, can you elaborate?

For now, it's ok that you are laying your own tracks, you'll lay your own track for your one anyway.  Right now you want to make it very clear to the dog what you want him to do.

One other thing, I would not be working on too many new things at once.  You want to be sure he is rock solid on fussing in the correct position, sitting correctly, focusing on you, even with distraction before you move on.

It sounds like Boss is a really nice young dog, and you're doing a good job with him.

I am not into sport tracking but wouldn't laying a track by walking to the end and back to the start on top of the track mess with the dog? 

Wouldnt it be better to go heel to toe than forward and backwards?  I mean even with tracking they follow the direction of travel based on age.........................

Just curious..........I know when I started my trailing dog as a young puppy with sports tracks I started with teeny tiny footsteps and food in each step then started making my stride longer and with less food.  Of course once we started trailing we were in a different mode.

I wouldn't walk back & forth on the track, no.  Also don't scuff or walk heel to toe, take normal steps just smaller in the beginning.

sueincc-- i was finially able to start reading on that link you posted...(it wasn't working before)...and i think i might need to start all over...lol...i did'nt do the just the scent pad alone first...i think i will not do any tracking over the weekend then start scent pads only for a couple of weeks...

>>>I'm not understanding what the purpose is of the mayo jar or the scraps of fabric, can you elaborate?<<<

i was keeping the 'jack-pot' in the mayo jar, thought it would be helpful later in teaching him to 'signal' the artical--because he has to down and put his foot on the jar before i open it and let him get the treat inside....i thought i could transition from jar to fabric (scraps of leather or something) by attaching them to the jar for a couple of weeks untill he assiociated the fabric= reward..........but, when i start doing that again i am going to switch the mayo jar to something flat/ not easily seen (what is suggested on the site you posted).....

his ob is going pretty good...my only problem is that he knows what to do, he just doesn't always want to do it.....the trainer i saw said something like...not everyone needs a prong, but for my size- and i think my voice type - that i should get one .....i think he is right because boss doesn't seem to notice my corrections unless i scream my head off,lol...which i don't want to do......but thanks to going to that seminar, i think hearing the trainer (another man..) saying it..finally got it through my hubby's head that i needed one...so i think he is picking one up today....im hoping that will clean up his ob..(the dog's not hubby's--hubby needs an e-collar)

Why don't you buy a few videos and books?  Find a club that can help you.  I was thinking of coming down for Jazz Fest, but that isn't until late April.  You need someone there to help you.  You need to watch others too!

I agree, no turns at this point.  Short tracks, but did you say 8 paces, a turn and 8 more pace?  Your dog is old and big enough to go a bit furthur.  Do multiple short tracks. 

I like to go off property to track.  Yes I do tracks at home and I have acreage, but I like to go to very different terrains, places.  At first I may let the dog see me laying the track but not too long.  The dog needs to learn to use and trust his nose. 

When you get to the turns and articles, don't mark them with a flag.  Flags are too visible to the dog and after a few tracks he will pick up on them.  Use the ribbon/tree tie on a sinker or the carpenter chalk to mark you corners and articles.  I think it is good to mark your stuff because you must know at all times what is going on and how to help the dog.  Some people take a journal and wite notes with a map.  I have never done this because I am lazy and a man but it is a good idea.

Loose the jar.  Before you know it, Boss will know your going traking before you slice the hotdogs!  Trust me on that one.  Before you know it, Boss will be dragging you to the start flag. 

I started a thread months ago about the scent pad only method.  I looked for it and only found the other one about articles.  I have always gone straight into tracking.  I never did the scent pad only.  I know people that live by it.  At this point, I don't know if you should go back or not.