trailing/tracking

[will00dogdog]

Hi can anyone help???? Max my GSD has just started trailing and in the TD test it states the articals left by the track layer should be recalled or at least identified,( I would prefer identified ) Max is very keen on the line and tracks very well but getting to the artical he just carries on over the dam thing does not even take a look we have tried more of the track layers sent near the artical by standing for a good minute on it and stamping the ground near it and also making sure the artical is well sented help he will recall with toys well in play but in work mode he just wants to find the person hiding in the hedge I am doing searches of around 700 yards with 3 good sharp right angles and 3-5 articals I seem to find all them as he walks straight over them no chance at night though,

Any Ideas please....

[mike]

i am slightly confused as to what you are training, tracking or trailing?, the method of training is very different for each discipline.
going by the way you describe the track layer and TD standards i will take it you are doing tracking.
how did you start the dog off, did you use a food reward on track, is the dog always on a tracking line and harness whilst being trained. you say you are leaving someone at the end of the track for the dog to find, why ?, if the dog wont indicate on one article correctly why have 3-5 on the track.

sorry if i sound a bit negative but it sounds like you are rushing things.
instead of having someone at the end place out a toy, it stops the dog lifting his head and helps it concentrate.
if it is tracking use a food reward after so many paces ( a very small piece of hot dog sausage ) gradually increasing the gap between pieces. ( put each piece in the heal of the foot print).
once he will do a 30ft leg well then put in a turn, not forgetting wind direction, once he is doing two legs well put an article on track with a piece of food underneath, he will soon stop as he now knows what food means on track.

finally YOU control the speed he goes, your connected to the dog, a steady walk is as fast as you want, you will know where the article is so you slow down as he gets near.

i could go on for ever as tracking is an absolute art form when done properly and enthrawling to watch when trained well.
take your time and try and find a local club as its best taught not learnt from a book or forum.


mike

[will00dogdog]

Hi Mike Thankyou for your reply I am very new to this although I was brought up in a gamekeeping background and learnt to track everything, I was told you will never teach a gsd to be a gun dog all the books I read said its not worth doing it and dont try it so I did and bubba was a very good gun dog I did rough shooting and she would go in the thick bramble and flush anything in there out, she would retrieve with a soft mouth and made me proud it may of been a one off but no longer shoot so no need to train for that. Max was my replacment for Ben my protection dog Ben had a gastric torsion and he retired so I was self employed at the time quickly found a rescue Max and trained him to cover the shift of Ben old faithfull Max is very soft in the mouth had his teeth damaged by his previous owners he was beaten and was so nervous couldnt even pee without cowering, now after severel years of confidence building and light work he has gained loads of confidence and shows great signs of tracking, I have been using articals mainly for myself to know when my tracklayer is going, In the world of judges and kennel club any dog going for a TD test has to pick up the objects left by the tracklayer I would like to head for that standard but yes I think because of security work where he had to find the person at the end of the trail,( and get his reward )I am having to still use that to convert him to finding items and he getting a reward and finding the tracklayer and also getting the reward hes used too!!! he is only in his 6th week of this so I maybe asking a bit much, he will not take food as a reward but he does love his frisbee so that we will start with on the track. Thanks Mike hope you can understand that and read somthing which you maybe able to point me in another direction,

[Daryl]

Hi Will

Are you training with Berkshire?

One slight problem, LSDogs do not have a standard or assessment (or use at this time) for a 'Tracking Dog', however we do for trailing......

You will be pleased to know (Pete correct me if I am wrong), that articles on the route are not a requirement for a trailing dog, this is because finding the MISPER alive as quickly as possible is of a higher priority!

Hope this helps a little

[will00dogdog]

Hi Daryl, Yes I am training with you all, Pete also said that last night and I was well pleased, Max does do quite well at trailing as long as I keep the ancors on . I thought it makes more sense to find the person as quickly as possible but on the other hand in a criminal search you would need the articals left behind the person as evidence!!! Max does give people a good lick when he can although he did have a bark at one of the girls last night so sorry for that he does sound bad when he nervouse barks, I will be getting people to approach me at night to get that out of him, Thanks again Will

[Daryl]

Thankfully the work that we do is to find the MISPER ASAP, any criminal evidence needed will be sought after we have preserved life.

[Pete]

Will,

Send me an email on sox@k9-sar.com so I have your address and I will send you some documents that you will find useful.

Pete.

[mike]

bit of a link you may find interesting

http://www.sardawales.org.uk/trailing.htm

mike

[Robert Bradley]

Mmmm, wording of the site could be improved...

Elsewhere using a Trailing dog could drastically reduce the time spent searching for Alzheimer’s patients and suicides, which seem too many of the Call Outs we are asked to attend.

Seem too many.... ?
Trying to save those peoples lives is less important than doing it on a mountainside??

Or am I being over-sensitive?

[mkp123]

OMG! I thought tracking and trailing were the same. And for last week’s article I actually put the word trailing instead of tracking so that I needn’t go on repeating the word tracking! Well both are same in one sense; they mean following a person. But tracking means following the person’s exact path where as trailing means following the person’s scent. So in that case trailing should be affected by factors such as dispersion of wind and temperature.