I have a 9 1/2 week old pup whom I have started training in tracking. I have started with the scent squares for about five days then I added a trail off the end of the square. Am I doing it right or is there something that i am missing. Or should I wait until she is older to start training. Someone help me out.

Howie
Are you a USA member? If so read the tracking article in the last issue that Armin Winkler wrote. It has work very well for me, even with a force tracked messed up male adult Rott I got from Germany. If you aren't a USA member, keep the dog in the squares for awhile till he is showing you he really knows how to stay in the square. Don't rush things, it sounds like you are. And don't use a smelly bait I use dryed liver, it does not have a strong smell to it.

I feel that my TD is the best tracking trainer in the country. He was high in the nationals last year in tracking and just did a 100 FH. He starts us off with long straight tracks in moist grass with our feet close together and small steps banged hard in the dirt. The food is buried deep in the heel of the foot.

Who is the person you speak of?

I have an almost 6 month german shepherd pup, and I want to teach her to track. I don't know what to use to train her? can somebody help me? Do you know where an obedience trainer is, please e-mail me at lilpuppies12@hotmail.com

What type of tracking? What is your training goal, ie Sch, ack, etc?

Hey Guys & Girls,

I'd like you to take a minute and help me analyze this problem, Let's brain strom.

I have a 2 yr old female Rottie, who uses her nose well. But when tracking at ground level she gets so excited with food or ball treats that she lifts her nose to scent, trying to find it quicker.


This is probably a problem that has carried over from the hinden item search, we do, where she is scenting in a room in search of the items.

How do I separate these two searches? So that she stays down (keeps her head and nose down) when searching at ground level on a lead.

But will scent and find items when we are doing our hinden item search, above floor ie.. in a drawer or on a chair under a book.

My GSD doesn't have this problem, he down when on lead and wind scent when searching a room. Why? same stuff?, same teacher?

Where did I go wrong???

I'm new to this type training, but its really fun.

Doug: I read the article you were talking about and used it with my young pup. You stated that you used it on your older dog and it work. I have the same problem. Even though I just received a Sch1 title with my dog his tracking is terrible. I realize it was my own fault. When he did track it was extremely fast. He wanted to get to the next article. This is where force ruined my dog.I would assume that I would start over with my dog using the article's advice. Do you have any other advice. tom

Hi Don. Why don't you post your question in a new thread. One not titled "young pup tracking". I am sure someone would be happy to help you with your problem.

Vince, you start your pups right away on a placed straight track? How does your progression go from day one to, lets say, a couple of weeks. I am sure that hearing many different ways to start scent work will help everyone.

Griffin
I tried a lot of different types of tracking training in an attempt to get my older Rott to track. Hot dogs, toys, helpers, etc. Nothing worked, the dog could not make the connection between the scent and the reward. He was force tracked, by the way in Germany. So, I went back to the begining just as if he was a pup, I stayed in the square for a number of weeks using dried liver. You need to use something that has less odor then the vegetation/ground that you lay the square on. The dog needs to learn the disturbance scent leads them to the food or the reward. The other way around the food is the primary odor (using hot dogs, etc). Once my dog was solid in the square I started to down him in the square just like at an article then restart him, just like after an article. It is a good way to get them over an article problem.
He is coming out with a part 2 to the article by the way.
My first attempt at his SchH 1 ended with a 15 in tracking. After I sarted over in tracking my next attempt was a 90 in very (inch high) dried out grass. My SchH 2 was a 93 in ankle high grass that had not been rained on 2 months or so. So, I am pretty happy. I am now getting him ready for his 3 using helper tracks and it is working real well!