I am thinking of trying tracking with my GSD (just for fun not competative) and have read John Cree's method of training. I just have one question, how do you get your dog to stop when they have found the article and not bring it back to you? We have not started yet but did not want to get things wrong and hold her back. She will be way in front on the end of her tracking line. Does one need to be a sprinter to get there double quick.

I do a little tracking but there are others more experienced who will hopefully come on and give their 2 pence worth.

My dog basically tries to bring articles to me, and I tend to go towards her so we are not far from where she found the article and i then send her on again. If the tracking line is long enough and is on the ground behind you as you follow your dog, it is hard to lose the track; however as I said I'm not the most experienced and others may do things quite differently! :P

Lindsay
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Hiya Gaby,

Oh goody another tracking nutter in the making!

I track with all my dogs, they are all very different, from Isla who is a bit of a natural, but gets a bit 'track happy' (she will track for the fun of it, straight over the article in the middle!), Kester, who knows he always gets a game of tug when he finds an article, and Tizzy - just beginning, who knows that when she find the article, she'll get a really tasty treat!. Three dogs, three very different ways of doing it. The John Cree book is great but I suggest that you try to read a couple of others if you can.
When I began, I found that my dogs didn't use all of the line, so it helps to stop your dog from bringing things back, by giving it a position to 'wait' in, I use down for Isla, and sit for the other two. You can then walk to them and give them the reward/treat etc, before setting them up to try again.
There are two main schools of thought about laying your own tracks, rather than having someone else doing it for you, it really depends on whether you have anyone to train with.  If you hav got like minded doggy friends to help you, I personally would get them laying tracks, but thats only my way of doing it!.

Hopefully, Tohme will be along soon, to offer her excellent advice. Listen to her, she really knows what she's talking about, and how to put it into practice.

Good luck, keep tracking.

Ali :)

Thanks Mentalcat. I will be doing it with hubby. We plan to have our first go at the weekend in the Berwyn Mountains (North Wales). No other people or dogs about. We will have to see if she has a natural aptitude for this. Should be fun anyway. Which other books do you recommend? Hubby will lay the track, this should make it easier for her first go as she thinks he's wonderfull. I put in all the hard work Monday to Friday, he comes home at weekends and then I don't get a look in.

Hi Gaby

Here is my two pence worth FWIW! :D

If you are training your dog in Working Trials (as opposed to Schutzhund) your dog may indicate articles by either  standing, sitting, lying down, or picking the article up for you to take.

What method you use depends on your own particular preference and what suits the dog (I always try to work with the dog rather than against it).

I am not sure why you believe you should be way behind your dog with her at the end of the tracking line!

John Cree's book might be considered dated in some quarters and the style of tracking has changed over the years.

Most successful traillists do not work their dogs at the end of a 30ft line any more, unless they pay out the line when the dog may be casting on corners.  I tend to work not much more than 12ft at most behind my dogs, in the higher stakes some legs may be less than 30ft and be quite close together and so you may miss legs if you worked a dog at the end of a long line.  The only time I do work on a long line is in heather/bracken/gorse etc, but certainly not on grass/crop or plough.

If you want your dog to stop on articles you first have to get the dog to value them enough to WANT to stop :D

I use toys at first to have a game and then replace the commercial toys with article toys ie large pieces of sacking/hosepipe etc so that the dog sees all objects as toys and something to play with with me.  I do this completely divorced from tracking itself.

Once you have a dog that is obsessed with articles because they are toys you can then start putting them on tracks.  When you get there, unclip the line, walk back from where the article was located and have a huge game with the article for a couple of minutes.  Then go back up and resume track from where you left off.

You can also train with food on the track and to food (in a box) then gradually put food into say a film container and then once the dog is conditioned to look at every article as a possible food container, swap articles for food if your dog will not play.......

(This is a bit condensed)

The best book on tracking is The Tracking Dog by Glen Johnson.  I would strongly suggest that you go and watch some successful triallists (TD/PD) actually track so that you can see what you are aiming for and try to train with someone who is successful at a high level.

There are various courses put on by various people all over the country but if you are a complete beginner the following may be useful ;)

http://www.learningaboutdogs.com/acatalog/trackingworkshop.html

HTH

Thanks Tohme. The John Cree book had illustrations with the dog way in front on a long line. Thanks for putting me straight. Gabi is already well turned on to playing with toys. Tug with Dad being the favourite. I play games of finding the toy in the house already so this is just a progression to outdoors.

I think I remember John Cree writing in to Working Trials Monthly about tracking styles but i can't find which month it was in now.
I agree with Tohme, the Glen Johnson book is really good and if I'd followed it properly (been more dedicated i mean really) we'd be really good by now :P
Another thing you might find useful is "Start on the right track" which is a  video by John Rogerson, it shows training a youngster from the beginning.

Lindsay
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Hi Lindsay

Might not try this weekend then. Seems like I need to do more reading and the video that you recommend. Want to start in the right way.

Many Thanks
Pat

Hi again Pat,

If you are literally doing it for fun and have no plans to compete in trials, you may find "Nosework for Fun" a great little book if you can find it.
It's written by Roy Hunter who was an experienced dog handler, but is written mainly for pet dogs :)

It's spiral bound and was a great introduction for pet nosework.

Lindsay
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Hi Lindsay
Is there anywhere on line to get the John Rogerson video? My search has not been successfull.

Gaby have PMd you :)

Hi Lindsay

I would be interested in the video also, could you p.m. me also

Many thanks
Maureen

Hi
Do the dogs need to be wearing a harness for this workshop and any particular type of long line?  If so, can you advise style of equipment required and where to purchase maybe something quite cheap on the basis I would love to have a go, but not too sure at the moment if this is going to be for us and therefore not wanting to invest TOO many pennies if at all possible.  Sorry to sound like a scrouge!  :-(

Thanks.

Hi Gunner

I expect Tohme will be along shortly (and put me right if I say anything wrong :D ) but for just dipping the toe into the water, I wouldthink you could purchase a normal dog harness from the pet shop IF it is comfortable for the dog so that it doesn't restrict his throat area as he will be hopefully pulling... however, you can get quite cheap harnesses as they are not all leather, from training suppliers, i got one from Karenswood but there are others....hth

Lindsay
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Hi Gunner, all dogs will be required to wear a harness while tracking, I will be bringing along a selection for people to use, but obviously I do not carry sizes for all types of dogs.  PAH sell cheap webbing harnesses which can be used for tracking, in fact I start most of my pups off in one of those as they grow like weeds! :D  They are about £10 at most for the largest size.

For a line you can use most anything, lunging lines from saddlers are £10 at most for the cheap webbing ones, or you can go to DIY stores and purchase various types of line by the metre, window sash cord is good.  You will need about 30ft (10m) of line at most.

However, again I will be  bringing a couple of lines with me if people are stuck, but obviously if EVERYONE thinks they can use someone else's equipment, some people are going to be disappointed so it is advisable to bring your own.

On the plus side, a long line can be used for many things and a harness can be sold on or kept for future use.

HTH

Out of interest Tohme, do you use the clicker for tracking training?

If so, how and when it is used? :)

Lindsay
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No, I do not use a clicker for training as I have never felt it necessary; I don't know anyone bar one person who does.

All my dogs have found that tracking is self rewarding however finding a toy/food IS the click.

Joanna Plumb's method of tracking using food is what I am currently using on my GSD, in order to get him to track footstep to footstep because he is an extremly strong and powerful dog already at 10 months old and the thought of holding on to him the speed my male weim tracked at gives me a change of underwear moment! :D

Using food with him lowers the drive, as he is very toy orientated, therefore I can keep the calm, focused attitude I want.

It has the opposite effect on my Weims......... :D

Thanks, I hadn't heard of anyone using the clicker except I think (if i remember correctly) Nick Boyce.

Glad your GSD is coming along well :)

Lindsay
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