Would this be CHEATING, while training - Page 1

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kitkat3478

by kitkat3478 on 09 January 2009 - 23:01

     I have been working the heck out of my boy Duke. I think we are making pretty good progress with the tracking. Today we ran two seperate tracks. The first one (I have a good bit of snow), I used pepperoni and cheddar cheese. Stomped my track out, came off the scent pad, when for straights. Got him outside, walked to my track a good ways away from my house. Made him sit and wait, showed him first pepperoni, sook. His nose went to the ground, and he was off and tracking, stepped off the track only 2-3 times(snow makes it real easy to see where the track is). Back to the house, good-boy,good-boy all the way back to the house. A little tossing and tugging in the back, and back to his crate. An hour later, I said, hell, let me see if we can go another round. I fried some beef liver in bacon grease, cooled it and cut it. Back out to the field (which is now my training field), laid another track, stomped it good, back around dropping my little pieces of greasy goods, than back around stomping the goods into the snow and no doubt, into the bottoms of my boots. Come back wait 20 minutes, get Duke,collar and leash on(he's beginning to know the collar means controlled actions),get out the door, and I give him a little piece of the liver, than ask you wanna sook, on our way to the track, he obviosly smelled the stuff on my boots, and he led me to the track, went around, intent on finding the goods, never picked his head up and he searched "intently" for that liver. end of track...Good-Boy,Good-Boy and than gets his favorite tug and we tugged and tossed to the house. I loved it.

      My question is this, Is that wrong to totally bait my track with great scent? it seems to work real well.

ps: I asked Tracey what to do, and she told me, Get With SHELLEY, she's my best bet. So you may just be seeing me Shelley. I'm hoping to get Dukes BH in May, OFA  comes in May also


sueincc

by sueincc on 09 January 2009 - 23:01

I  really have great results using  pea sized pieces of cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, but in a pinch, hot dogs will do too.  If I lived where I could get Frozen BilJac I would use that.  My concern with the spicy greasy stuff would be how healthy is it, if you are using a lot of it.


Mystere

by Mystere on 10 January 2009 - 00:01

Using a lot of scent in the beginning is not a problem.  But, using bait that  you  could scent on a snuffed-up day defeats the whole purpose of training the dog to track.  What happens on trial day, when there is NO such strong scent?  IMO, better to use something with much less obvious scent--the dog can still smell it just fine, even if you cannot.  Hot dogs should probably be the strongest scent used and wening 9no pun intended) off that as training progresses.   Even cheese is pretty strong as a scent.

The rolls of food that you can cut up have little scent, and don't need refrigeration.  Their drawback, IMO, is the preservatives, which I like to avoid giving my dogs.

 

I use soft, pea-sized training treats, or bits of venison jerky for tracks.  It is non-perishable, small, little scent and not as greasy as hot-dogs.  Also, you don't end up with a stinky car, if you forget any left-overs for a few days.


kitkat3478

by kitkat3478 on 10 January 2009 - 01:01

     Duke loves Beef Jerky. That is what I try to use for "everything " reward. He seems to smell it right through the package when I get in the car after buying it. He's like a pick pocket than. My dog has NO food Drive!! None, He turns his nose up at hot dogs. I am only planning to use this greasy liver until he gets the idea of what I want from him. I was real excited today how good he did.

    I checked out the sites that some on the database directed me too, and have been doing a full scale search for knowledge.

     I am not kidding when I say, this dog of mine is Truly Great! He has so much fun when we are working together.(so do I)


by MAC70031 on 10 January 2009 - 01:01

Sounds to me like you've identified rewards that the dog is really willing to work for. That is NOT cheating, it's smart training! What you will need to do, as another poster pointed out, is guard against the possiblilty that the dog won't work unless there's treats on the track.

Start with food every three steps, then every five steps, then every seven steps, and so on until he can go nine to eleven steps between food for about three months.  Once you get there, mix it up (i.e. 3, 9, 7, 5, etc.) for another 2-3 months, then lay one track with 17-21 steps between food at one place on the track. Then get back into 3, 9, 5, 7, etc. 

Eventually, you will work up to about 11-19 steps between food, with BIG payoffs at the articles. I've had good success with this method (one Schutzhund III bitch got a 99 in tracking; another dog got 94 on his Schuzhund I). Try it and see if it works for you!

Dave Port

Haus Leisa German Shepherds

 

 


Mystere

by Mystere on 10 January 2009 - 08:01

Bump

PowerHaus

by PowerHaus on 10 January 2009 - 08:01

From what I read above you walk your track 3 times?  That is way way too many times, IMHO!  Put the bait in EACH foot step as you lay it.  The food HAS to be in the foot step and it is best if you can get the bait in the toe of your foot step, this way he HAS TOO take in the scent of your foot steps from the heal.  I think you are walking over your track way way too many times.  Also, not so much food....it will turn into a weenie hunt if you put so much on there and also if the dog is tracking at break neck speed now it only sets you up later for missing corners.  Remember you have 20 minutes (I think) to finish a SchH1 track!  That is a long time for a shorter track.

Vickie

www.PowerHausKennels.com


ziegenfarm

by ziegenfarm on 10 January 2009 - 14:01

i worry a lot about what is in dog food, so i also worry a lot about what is in treats and track bait.  pepperoni, bacon grease and beef jerky!   eeeeecccchhhh!  take a good look at the contents listed on those packages.  that stuff isn't even fit for humans to eat.  an occasional tidbit probably won't kill us or the dogs, but for the dog's sake, please be mindful of how much of that garbage you offer him.

good luck with the tracking it can be a lot of fun for both dog and handler; quality time together. 

pjp


sueincc

by sueincc on 10 January 2009 - 14:01

Wow, I didn't catch that about walking your track 3 times, stop doing that!  Incidentally  I think everyone has provided good information on this thread - Excellent use of the PDB!


weissblau

by weissblau on 10 January 2009 - 15:01

had a lot of fun reading all that

my motto is do what you got to do if it works every dog is different

Anna

www.vonweissblau.com






 


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