I've just started experimenting with placing dog food (Innova dry) in each footstep. I find feeding the dog on the track to be different than using hotdogs (which I have used for the past 10 years).

Since the pieces are quite small, should I place several of them (2 or 3) in each footstep?

The dog is 1 year old and I need to slow her down and keep her focus throughout the track.

Karmen or Cindy... did Bernhard explain the dog food procedure to you during his stay?

I started with the 1 kibble (kibble is smaller than innova's kibble size) per footstep as long as they're normally food driven and nice and hungry, they'll track it.

Today will be the 5th day I've done it and have seen a considerable amount of change in his attitude on the track. Much more careful, calm, and focused. We'll see how it goes... I'm hoping to have this attitude conditioned.

Kibble? I have been advised by Heinz Gerdes ( multiple BSP and ownwer of V. Emsbogen Zwinger) that one should NEVER use kibble as track bait.
He also recommended that if there is a speed problem, i.e. too much speed, use more food per footstep to slow them down.

Did he say why you shouldn't use kibble as a bate? I have used kibble for 6 years now and they love it. I use it to reward in obedience as well. I figured if they like it use it?! All my dog have high food drive and it doesn't seem to matter what I use, they work for it.

Did he say why you shouldn't use kibble as a bate? I have used kibble for 6 years now and they love it. Cindy, Karmen, Sch3FH2... any thoughts?

Originally posted by az trooper:
Kibble? I have been advised by Heinz Gerdes ( multiple BSP and ownwer of V. Emsbogen Zwinger) that one should NEVER use kibble as track bait.
He also recommended that if there is a speed problem, i.e. too much speed, use more food per footstep to slow them down. The only thing I see about putting too much food on the footstep is a: there would be too much food scent overriding ground disturbance scent and b: you're working with the dog's food drive, the more food drive you satisfy the less incentive to keep going. So your limited to a certain distance in track in order to keep motivation up.

I've got no problem with using kibble on the track IF the dog values it. I let the dog tell me what is attractive enough to make him want to work, and if he's got strong food drive and kibble is rewarding to him, fine. I wouldn't put more than one piece per footprint. The idea isn't to get him to stop and eat at each step; we want him to move calmly and steadily forward. If she's too fast, the first thing to check is whether you are unintentionally putting drag on the line in an attempt to slow her down. This will make them dig in (opposition reflex) and hurry more rather than slowing them down. Second, I would increase the difficulty of the track if she is too quick. Add multiple turns, serpentines, etc, causing her to have to slow down and work harder to find the track; don't give her any long straightaways where she can just charge ahead.

Great advise sch3fh2.

Now I don´t know what kibble is but I have been tracking with dry food all the time. I started with 1 in each foodstep but never more than one per foodstep. It is best you use dry food with the least ammount of smell. I use Nutro dry food for tracking if you have that over there.

I think you should find the REASON why your dog is speeding because there can be many reasons to it. I seem dogs speeding the last track just because they want there food reward at the end of the track. Then I believe it is best to try to put more motivation in the beginning of the track and less at the end. I personnaly don´t think putting more foot per foodstep is a good idea of slowing the dog down.
One thing I use and seen results with is instead of leaying one streaght line I lay round curved line (like the 1/2 of 8´s connecting something like that -_-_-_ but then connecting and smooth swings) start with big swings and then smaller.
I had a problem that my dog takes speed when no food is there and this makes him slowdown. OFFCOURSE in order to do this you need to KNOW YOUR TRACK PERFECTLY otherways you are even further from home.

http://www.kringgroepantwerpen.tk

Are you tracking into the wind, with the wind, or random?

You can use longer footsteps, slows things down some.

I have better luck slowing tracks down by altering the conditions of the track, rather than changing the layout. Age longer, different grasses, different times of the day, other surfaces. Always randomly, makes the dog slower for every track. I guess its the same concept as messing with the turns and stuff.

Are you rewarding at the end of the track?

How hungry is the dog? You can play with when and how much you feed her before she tracks.

I think that pressure from the handler is the most difficult problem to fix. Messing with the dog to much, pulling the line, walking up to the dog every six steps, can all screw up the tracking. Not only will the dog track too fast, but also motivation to track correctly goes down the toilet.

(I'm not saying that is you, just a topic for discussion.)