May 19, 2011
It’s winter here in Canada. My dog tracks too fast. Should I slow it down and what about tracking in snow?
Full Question:
Mr. Frawley,I wanted the opportunity to express to you how impressed I was when I viewed your video regarding tracking, RCMP style. First, I should introduce myself, my name is Don McLeod and I am a member of the canadian Military Police. At present I'm training a malinois/shepherd cross in tracking and drug detection with a local police detachment who possess a malinois and shepherd. Your video was very informative and I have gained a large amount of my knowledge from your video. I would like to ask you a question in regards to two items. First, the dog that I'm working has a tendency to fly on the track, in other words, if I had wings, I would look like a glider on ascent, whoom... There is no problem with his tracking, he holds well to the ground, over shoots his corners, circles well, gets the scent and whoom... should I start using slow and easy commands to slow him down?? Also, the weather here in Shilo Manitoba is snow covered ground, and the dog is still working level one field tracks. Should I continue field tracks in the snow, or move to a different type of location??
Anyhow, thanks in advance and keep up the excellent production of videos
Don
Ed's Answer:
It sounds as if you have a very nice dog. When you see dogs that are tracking fast like yours there are a couple of things you can do to slow it down other than trying to enforce a command and do it through force. The concept is simple, just make the track a little more difficult but ageing the track longer and putting more corners in the track. This is going to naturally slow the dog because the track will be more difficult. That way you don't have to manually slow the dog.
In regard to tracking in snow, one of the RCMP instructors told me that he likes winter because he can take his level one dogs and move them on to ice tracks. This is where a track is laid on ice and aged for up to 10 minutes (initially the track is not aged at all). He claims that all of the dogs can learn this and it then makes hard surface tracking that much easier in the summer. Tracking on ice is one place where the reward can be a ball or a toy. It can be difficult to hide a man out on a lake.
Hope this helps,
ED FRAWLEY
In regard to tracking in snow, one of the RCMP instructors told me that he likes winter because he can take his level one dogs and move them on to ice tracks. This is where a track is laid on ice and aged for up to 10 minutes (initially the track is not aged at all). He claims that all of the dogs can learn this and it then makes hard surface tracking that much easier in the summer. Tracking on ice is one place where the reward can be a ball or a toy. It can be difficult to hide a man out on a lake.
Hope this helps,
ED FRAWLEY
No ratings yet
Was this Q&A helpful? Let us know!
Can't find what you're looking for?
No ratings yet
Was this Q&A helpful? Let us know!
