I am just a beginner so please forgive any foolish questions. I was wondering if I should take any special precautions during winter tracking.

My main question is how cold is to cold to be out tracking?

I bought my first Gsd dog 6 months ago then I found out about schutzhund. To bad it wasnt the other way around because I bought a half american and half german show line dog. I never knew there were different types of GSD. Oh well. There went the scutzhund dream.

I worked the scutzhund type tracking for a while and she seemed to do well at it. I did not worry about her downing for articles on the track since I do not intend to title her. I got bored standing out in a field with her while she tracked so I decided to do some more interesting tracking with her in the woods. This way I could get some extra exercise for myself.

Then I came across an article written by Mr. Frawley about TTD. It seemed to be the type of tracking I have been doing with her.

In a couple of months we have worked up to 1 mile of tracking on old trails of dirt leaves, twigs and across dry creek beds etc... She has to make at least 4 turns and the last turn is off of the trail through the woods for about 30 yards or so. Today she did it in a steady rain. She had just a little more problem, but took me right to the spot.

Any advice on the winter tracking or TTD would be appreciated. I want to get her up to 2 miles but am not sure of a goal to set after that.

She loves to work and I would like to keep her at it.

Thanks

This article (and some other good ones on the site) should help you.

the referenced book Scent and the Scenting dog is an essential for your library but the article has good extracts and discusses tracking in snow.

http://www.uspcak9.com/training/scent.pdf

Thanks!

Dave,
I am semi new to all this also. It sounds like you are doing good. As far as winter tracking/trailing I have been taught to recognize when my dog is cold/tired/stopped working. Here our weather can get below zero at times so I really watch Max for shutdown. He wears boots if there is alot of snow or ice and I only run 15 minutes (time depends on temperature and his body language)and then we put him in a warm vehicle for 15 minutes. He restarts the trail nicely and I also use scent articles of the person I am trailing (during training anyway).
I also have been taught that unlike humans, who think "linear", meaning that once we learn something we go on to the next thing and the next and so on, dogs are "circular" in their thought patterns, meaning, you need to go back to the basics, ie..puppy runaways, shorter trails/tracks and so on just to keep there memories fresh on everthing we teach them. My Bloodhound will go two miles or more, but I always throw in short trails (not all the same length) and I also do not run the same length more than once every two weeks. Basically I keep him thinking. If I ran a mile everytime I train, pretty soon I condition my dog that a mile is what we do, period. So if my victim is on the trail less than a mile Max may not alert because he is conditioned that it is farther. If my victim is more than a mile out, he may quit at a miles distance because he is conditoned that we stop at a mile.
Like I said, this is what I have been taught by trainers that I know. I am in Search and Rescue so it may be that training is different for Schutzhund/Ringsport/PPD work. I am trying to learn each so I know the differences between all.
Take care
Carol

I always used 10 below zero as a rule of thumb on winter tracking.

I dont know what the USPCA recommends in the post (have not read the article).

My memory was the RCMP also talked about 10 below zero - if someone has direct contact with a RCMP officer ask them and send me a PM. In my opinion they are not only the hands down leaders in tracking in North America - they also have their share of winter tracking.

is that -10F absolute, or wind-chill? just curious...