Hi Brian,
I am new to this forum but just wanted to post this one comment about training. I am also in the process of training my pup a 8 mo.GSD who will be ready to start his certification process next month so I know where you are coming from. Just a suggestion that perhaps you might want to check with the team to find out at what point you are called out..stage I, II or III etc. The reason I say that is because teams and resources are deployed according to what is needed ie: tracking, trailing or airscent. Usually there is a protocol, I know in my state there is and only certified handlers are deployed in the discipline they have been certified in. Hopefully this information is helpful in your deciding how to train your pup. Good Luck!
Karen
MASK-9

Originally posted by Old earth dog Bob Scott:
On this same line of discussion, All of our dogs are trained right away with air scent. Is there any advantage/disadvantage to teaching FST and TTD before airscenting? David and Lisa, you both mention them being a good foundation. Our TD has done a great job teaching what he knows,(airscent and cadaver) but gets hard headed when someone suggests techniques he hasn't taught before. Old E,
I only meant TTD being a good foundation for the tracking/trailing dog.

In relation to airscent work, since air currents do different things with scent (pooling, lofting, looping, etc.) the track may be nowhere near where the scent is pooling, being blown, or landing. The handler has to learn to recognize a scent pool or whatever conditions are occurring, and how to move the dog into the right area, while the dog has to learn to keep working until s/he works it out. In a case like that, where the track is not there, FST has no real advantage for the airscent dog at that particular moment that I can think of. Many airscent dogs will put their nose to the ground and track without having been trained to do so, if that is where the strongest human scent is, just as tracking dogs will airscent without having been trained to do so.

As far as whether it's better to teach one before the other, I have no direct experience with that. Most of the dogs that I have either trained or worked with have been either airscent or tracking, not both. Of the ones that do both, I did not notice any specific issues that pertains to this particular discussion.

Thanks Karen, keep me posted on how your training goes.