Working Dogs Q&As

Good day Thank you for all the excellent training content. I have been training my pup since eight weeks old to do footstep tracking and he does it accurately and at a good pace. Not quite a tracking thru drive pace, but the dog is focused. I have been doing tracks in the country about 4-5 days per week. I was told that is too much tracking and should back off to 2 per week. However, my dog loves to track and I don’t think he’s being overworked physically by any means. ...

Hi Cindy, You have been wonderful with answering questions in the past, thank you. My question is this: I have a service dog that is struggling with the retrieve. The dog will take and hold but the moment the object goes to the floor the dog is baffled. He cannot seem to understand the difference from just above the floor to floor. Obviously, this has made teaching the dog to bring objects difficult. Any thoughts on ways to break it down further for the dog? Thanks

I am working my GSD in tracking right now and had a question on corners, I was wondering what your thoughts are. I went out with an RCMP handler and watched him do some tracking practice. When his dog would overshoot a corner he would start circling the dog. I started to use this in my own training with my dog when she would give me a negative. I then went out with my local club and after they watched this I was told not to do this as the dog should find the track again on her own so I should...

I am going to be a new K9 handler his summer. My wife and I are expecting our first child in May and plan on picking up my K9 partner in July. We have a female German Shepherd and a male Siberian Husky. My question is I have been flirting with the idea of having an outside kennel and my k9 living out there. My thought process is that he can be well rested and not stressed with a new baby and two dogs when he comes home from work. Is that a good idea? I live in Iowa and also wondering what you...

I am adamant about not having drugs near me and would like to sniffer train my dog. My husband's cousin is a County Officer. Our county does not have the money for police K9s and this cousin really wants one. 1st, can I legally train my dog and 2nd, can the cousin use her if need be if I keep complete records of her training? What do I need to do to accomplish this?

Hello, I am interesting learning tracking with my Wire Haired Pointing Griffon. She is 3. We do obedience work, but I would like to work on some tracking. I see several videos of yours. Can you recommend an order to this? And if there is any supporting material in the books? It seems there is a level 1 tracking but I cannot figure out how to match the video numbers. If you can give me a recommended viewing order based on video titles that would be great. Thanks, John

I have been a dog trainer since 1984 in law enforcement environments in SA. Why do some dogs show all the potential to become working dogs, go through training and pass the evaluation for working dogs (patrol and/ or sniffer), but when you deploy the handler and dog, some (a very small%) will report back that the dog doesn't want to work during operational deployment? Is this a mystery of dog training?

I am a new K9 Handler on a SWAT team for my city. I was ordered to carry my long gun, and draw down, when approaching a suspect while the dog is apprehending him. We do have two other officers that do have lethal cover at the time I am approaching. Is it safer to have the long gun or unsafer in that situation?

Ed, I have recently become interested in tracking dogs. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. How should I begin? What type of dog is most suited for search and rescue? I am too old for police tracking and most important to uneducated in this field. Please let me know when you have time. Thanks. Your friends in China, Jay

Ed, I have bought several books and DVDs from you including a tracking DVD. I have a trained Walker Coonhound that I use to find lost pets - mostly dogs. I volunteer and donate my time here in Sacramento. My question is this: how old can a trail be in the city, city streets, for a dog to reliably track. My Coonhound has proven correct with little trouble on a week old scent in heavy traffic and very busy place, but can do two weeks in a park that is wooded located in the cit...

Hi there, I have done my best to find the Sigma Pseudo Corpe Scent on your web site so I can order it in the near future as I have just ordered the book 'Deaths Acre' and hope to have my canine partner ready for the next step toward the finding a corpes. As I live way out in the middle of no where I am right now on my own on this so am hoping these items will help me. Thank-you, Tamara

Hi Ed, My GSD starts "air scenting" when I get into the woods. How do I keep his nose down? We first started in a large field, wind at our back, tracks are about 1500ft. 3/4 of the track is nose down in the grass about 6 to 8 inches high (very good). Once we get to where the person was hiding (Woods), he misses the track by at least 30ft-40ft... I can locate the person (which is my intention) but I know he misses the track since the person indicates where they entered... What sh...

In one of your articles you mention that a dog should be trained in FST before going on to TTD. I am a civilian operational SAR Dog handler and have received the majority of my training from members of the RCMP PDS (including Gary Murray -retired). Unless something has changed, every officer (including a PDS Supervisor) were vehemently opposed to using food. Maybe on the odd occasion a hot dog would be used to help a particular dog over a problem. Anyway, I'm not looking to poke ho...

Ed! In looking - mainly by fluke - in the 'questions/comments' in the sar section - just under Patti Thompson's pic of Deja working Fresh Kills.....a person talks about their 10 month old training in air scent. You replied that "10 months is way, way, way too young......". Uh - since when? I've been training air scent for almost 20 years now and always start them off extremely young - including my dog from Leerburg lines - and all have been exceptional air scenting dogs. I'm talking 4 mont...

Hello! Just had a couple of tracking questions/comments. I recently purchased your Tracking Through Drive Level 1 tape and have started watching it and doing some of the basics (handler laid tracks)....and boy, have I already come under serious scrutiny over doing it differently then our trainer does it. I started doing the actual exercises today by having someone hold onto Remco while I ran away, calling him and teasing him as he went crazy. I went straight out then hid behind a t...

Dear Mr. Frawley, You have been helping me previously so I dare to ask for your time again: My now 4 year old GSD, Harry, is very high prey orientated. My previous question was how to slow him down on a sport track. I followed your advise and those problems are gone. Thank you. I have never used food on the track, Harry is not fond of food, he'll leave his bowl for his ball only too willingly. He has done so many tracks, I train him since he was a pup. I did IPO, Int....

Ed, Great web site. I'm a police K-9 handler/supervisor for a medium sized Sheriff's Office. Question in reading your TTD Q&A, and watching your Tracking I & II videos I have learned loads on tracking. Recently, I had a differing opinion with another K-9 trainer regarding training a new dog in tracking. This trainer was very concerned about the 'amount' of 'quartering' (straying from the footstep track) the dog was doing. He was having the new handler post when the dog wandered a c...

We, at the American Institute On Domestic Violence are trying to research the amount of time DNA and scent for tracking would remain on various materials. In the case of a missing or victim of domestic violence or child ID system, what would be the best material use and the scent extension to expect from it? I am hoping your expertise can provide that information. Thanking you in advance. Enthusiastically, Rick Naylor, VP American Institute on Domestic Violence

I have an eight week old GSD puppy that I would like to train as a police service dog. I have tested him according to your procedure and found him to be excellent. The dog has a great prey drive at this point. My question is when, and how, do I begin tracking training with him? I purchased your video on Tracking through Drive for my current police K-9 and found it to work well. Thanks, Scott K-9 Handler

Ed, Thanks for the Basic Obedience tape. I have been working with Law Enforcement K-9's for about ten years and you have by far the best no nonsense tape on the market. Thanks. It has made my two dogs outstanding working members of the family who can be totally enjoyed anywhere. I'm interested in taking one of my dogs up a notch in his training centered around urban and rural disaster search. Particularly FEMA certification. I'm stumbling on some basic stuff which I b...