Tracking Questions

[laurlitt]

I will start by saying that Maddie (5 month old puppy) has food drives to die for. There's no doubt that she can eat breakfast and then go out to track...

Right now I am teaching her to move forward down the track. She seems to have caught on to that in about 4 tracks. Should I start to worry about footstep to footstep, or let her just go down the track. She seems to just go down one side of the track and she's dragging me the whole way. I am currently holding her back (I'm holding the leash close to her collar) and pointing out the bait in the footsteps. The footsteps are real close together right now so if she's eating from the right step, she's quickly past the left step before she can even catch wind of it... (would a toe-to-heel footstep be better than overlapping footsteps?)

Next question... I've put a jackpot (a handful of bait) at the last footstep and I think she may smell that and drag me towards that (depending on the wind)... should I not put a large jackpot at the end to avoid the race to the end?

Last question... I want to play toss or tug w/ her at the end of the track, but even though her play drive is real high her tracking drives are more intense. I can't even get her to look at the toy even when I move far away from the track... any suggestions??? I want her to learn when tracking is done...

THANKS

[roccorottie]

Ok, as you know, we're doing this on weekends with our 8 mo old.

I should preface this by saying we started off with just working on the scent pad with our pup. This got him focused on what would be the start of his track and it helped him understand there are 2 impressions left on the tracks (left, right). There were some goodies scattered among the scent pad. We did this for a week straight before we laid down some tracks.

Now that we're onto tracking, we do footstep to footstep. I keep the left & right close to each other. We dig in with the toe first (nice & deep to encourage the nose getting waaay in there) and drop our treat - then the heel comes down. The point is we're keeping the treat deep in that toe region. If she's going from one left foot to the next left foot, maybe try slowing her down, as maybe she's racing?? I haven't seen her LOL

I have not heard of the large treat pile used at the end and this could be throwing her off/making her race. I say try eliminating it and see if it helps. She may in fact be racing ahead since she knows a big ole pile is waiting. ;)

As for playing with her on the end, we do that as well. I have taught our guy the "release" command in his OB work - this is basically his cue that the work is now over and he can relax and we'll play for a bit. If she doesn't know this, maybe you can try heeling her off & away from your tracK (have some extra treats handy) and then see if you can whip out your tug and see if she'll play.

Just some thoughts...

If none of this works, you call Dave D - hahaha! (couldn't resist)

[valdes43]

Yes, condition the pup to hit foot step to foot step. If your pup is rushing through it, then maybe you need to put the foot steps a little bit more spread apart or don't give her such a big jackpot at the end. The end should not be a huge deal, the pup must get it's satisfaction from the track.

Do not worry about playing right after the track. Obviously your pup enjoys the track (or the food ;)) much more. Playing after the track is a secret weapon for the less motivated dogs. You don't wanna beg your dog to play. :D

JMO

[Muckdogs]

Ditto on what Val said. Another thing you can try in the early stages is a meat drag, along with treats interspersed along the way. Real trip is hard to come by (green, not white) so you can take a big piece of liver, tie a string to it and leave it out for a day int he sun (gets REALLLLLL ripe), then take the thing to the track and drag it behind you, as you drop treats in the footsteps. Eventually, you will be able to skip, 1, 2, 3, 4 footsteps with treats, but the dog will keep looking in each step for the bingo. The meat teaches them to stay on course and keep the nose down, because they love the smell of the meat. who the heck knows why, as it activates my gag reflex, but THEY love it.

[laurlitt]

Originally posted by valdes43
Yes, condition the pup to hit foot step to foot step. If your pup is rushing through it, then maybe you need to put the foot steps a little bit more spread apart or don't give her such a big jackpot at the end. The end should not be a huge deal, the pup must get it's satisfaction from the track.

Do not worry about playing right after the track. Obviously your pup enjoys the track (or the food ;)) much more. Playing after the track is a secret weapon for the less motivated dogs. You don't wanna beg your dog to play. :D

JMO

I think I need to make the footsteps a bit farhter apart and no jackpot at the end... I don't think she needs that motivation at all!!! I'll try that today.

Since I shouldn't be begging her to play... should I be doing something to let her know tracking is over... or should I just put her up for now and have her begging for more next time she comes out... I don't think I can handle any more drive though...

Valdes, How many tracks do you lay each session for your little guy...?

[valdes43]

Originally posted by laurlitt


I think I need to make the footsteps a bit farhter apart and no jackpot at the end... I don't think she needs that motivation at all!!! I'll try that today.

Since I shouldn't be begging her to play... should I be doing something to let her know tracking is over... or should I just put her up for now and have her begging for more next time she comes out... I don't think I can handle any more drive though...

Valdes, How many tracks do you lay each session for your little guy...?

Laurie,

I just lay one per day about 3-4 times a week. They are about 100 paces long since he goes pretty fast himself. He does pick up just abou every peice though, if he ever misses any it's 1 or 2. At the end I just put 5-7 peices down and tell him "good finish" while he's finishing it up. He still doesn't know what it means because I have drag him off the track but that's OK.

[Storm]

Having started off with a scent pad and reaching a point where the dog is showing good intensity and removing him by the collar before the food is finished, I would lay say three scent pads a meter apart. As he is almost finished on the first one bait him with food till the next and then same procedure to the last one, taking the dog off before the food is finished. Once you have good "slow" intensity, you can move onto a short footstep track, heel to toe. This is the start to rythem, from foot to foot. Once you have good consentration from foot to foot, then only should you start opening up the footsteps, sideways. The dog should have learnt the routine and should direct into the slightly wider prints. Sometimes a little restraint is necessary to enable the dog to get the first treat in say the left print and only released as he goes into the opposite print etc. etc. Keep close to the dog remember the dog can track already, what we do is try to create the correct enthusiasm to track like we want it to. I don't like to a big scent pads as sometimes the dog learns that at the outskirts there is no food and tends to adopt this on a track. Also don't let the dog wander as sometimes this becomes a learnt behavior on a track. Try finishing off with a scent pad at the end with sprinkles of food, really stuck in there, there must be some indication that tells the dog this is the end and where the dog is removed with good enthusiasm too. Lastly when tracking bring the dog out, some guys cue the dog somehow at the trailer already, track leed or whatever, do the job and when finished put the dog away, clear cut. Don't faf around with your dog before or after the track. Each track is to be seen as a continuation of the one before that's why some guys do a food track as soon as possible after a trial.