Quote: steve strom

Hey Mathew, I got some good advice here on the same question.
Slow Down
The multiple tracks is very good. 3 tracks, not too long. At first you'll probably see him track the third one better then the first. Once he's doing all three well you can progress. On the third track you can add the serpentines like Susan said and corners, whatever.

I tried the multiple tracks, but he does the same thing at each track. And he's staying on the tracks, with the exception of a right angle corner because he moves so fast he passes it up sometimes. And I agree he needs to slow down it's just dertermining the most effective way to do it.

For myself, everytime I've needed to fix a problem whether its tracking or anything else I've had to go way back to the beginning to get it straight. I was doing pretty much the same as you are and I went all the way back to nothing but scent pads.

I also think it's important to know exactly where your track is to make sure you're not giving conflicting responses to your dog. This is something I have a lot of problems with (I'm starting to think it's genetic, lol). But I will tell you it's taught me to trust my dog a lot more. He knows where the track is much better than I do, and more than once I've thought he's missed a corner (using natural markers) when he hadn't and I confused him.

I've been thinking about your issue, Matthew, and I think that if it were me, I would also try to age the track more, like someone already mentioned. The reason I say that is because you said your dog slows down when you track again on a track you just did. So, he seems like a talented tracker who, on the second go-round, has to work harder to find the track. However, I personally wouldn't retrack on an original track because I would think that it would lead to casting. Just a thought.

I wish I had been part of the thread that you linked to, Steve. Anita said something about not adding in a jackpot or an article at the end. I understand that initially, but then when and where do you start to add the article? I assume you would add it in the middle of the track, but my current issue is that Carbon wants to indicate the article briefly and then head off to see if there's more track, despite the fact that his best reward comes from the article find/indication. He seems to love the tracking more than any delicious reward I've been able to come up with.

The only reward that I haven't tried yet is the ball, which I haven't used at all because we've worked so hard on slowing him down and I think that would make him hectic.

I love tracking...and I hate it.

I put it at the end of the third track. The third track is where I introduce anything new. Maybe working on the articles separate of the track would still be helpful Amber. It seems like every new thing creates a new issue that it's easier to fix if you are doing one thing at a time.

 Quote: steve strom

Maybe working on the articles separate of the track would still be helpful Amber.

Didn't mean to hijack the thread, but I will say that I am working on the article separate, and separate he seems fine, because the reward is the food that he's happy to eat as long as there's no track to distract him. Once I think he's ready to go to the track...

Well, once on the track, he views it more as an annoying speedbump for the rest of what he really wants...to track more. However, I have been adding the article on multiple short tracks instead of at the end of a third of longer tracks. That might help. Thanks Steve!

Back to you, Matthew!

 Quote: Amber Morgan

 Quote: steve strom

Maybe working on the articles separate of the track would still be helpful Amber.

Didn't mean to hijack the thread, but I will say that I am working on the article separate, and separate he seems fine, because the reward is the food that he's happy to eat as long as there's no track to distract him. Once I think he's ready to go to the track...

Well, once on the track, he views it more as an annoying speedbump for the rest of what he really wants...to track more. However, I have been adding the article on multiple short tracks instead of at the end of a third of longer tracks. That might help. Thanks Steve!

Back to you, Matthew!

I am getting the feeling that we might have the same dog!

Maybe because dogs naturally want to sniff the ground it's easy to think your dogs training is farther along then it actually is.
It's not like, say the retrieve where it's so clear that they get it. It makes us beginners miss details and get fooled into thinking they are tracking footsteps when they probably arent. I think thats why these questions always get answered with take your time and go back and make sure of the fundamentals.

This morning we went out to track, and he actually did very well. I put down three 50 pace serpentine tracks, heavily baited the first 5-10 paces, fed him a little just before tracking, and aged the tracks ~20 min. All things I have done before (with exception of feeding him first), but just not in this combination. Track 1 and 3 were excellent, on two he got a little carried away. The plan next time is to slightly increase the length of each track by 10-15 paces, and keep doing this until he is consistant, then add corners, then 2 tracks, then 1 track.

Matthew this morning when I went tracking I realized I forgot to mention something I think really helps: After I lay my track/tracks (depending on what I am working on), while ageing, I take my dog for a good 20 - 30 minute walk, it stretches his legs, gets a tad bit of the piss & vinegar out of him, puts both of us in the same wave length, sort of a warm up thing. I realize everyone takes their dog out for a short walk to relieve themselves, but I make it a pretty good walk at a quick pace. At the end I put him in his box, offer a little water, then take him out and go tracking. This weird little ritual seems to make a big difference with my current young dog, anyway!

P.S. Congrats on the good tracking this AM. It's times like that which make it all worthwhile. Keep up the good work!