Tracking Trainning Tips

[♥Baxter♥]

Hi, for a couple days in a row now I have started to train Baxter into finding his treats, how do you go on training him to smell lets say an object that you want him to find, like eg. hiding my daughter, & getting him to find her? (I haven't tried that yet) but interested to hear from those that practise tracking with their GSD in particular?

Having great fun with tracking so far

Edited October 4, 2010 by ♥Baxter♥

[Mas1981]

I only went to tracking training for about 7 weeks but what they did is make the person who will be hiding keep some old socks on them for about a half an hour or longer, and then you drop the article along the route you are walking. The hiding person must also keep treats on them to give the dog as a reward. We used flags on stakes in the forest so that we could tell whether the dog was on the right track or not. I am sure others who know more than me could help you better

[Aidan]

Hi, for a couple days in a row now I have started to train Baxter into finding his treats, how do you go on training him to smell lets say an object that you want him to find, like eg. hiding my daughter, & getting him to find her? (I haven't tried that yet) but interested to hear from those that practise tracking with their GSD in particular?

Having great fun with tracking so far

It is good fun The simplest way to begin is to have your daughter lay some short tracks, leaving food drops as she goes. The food is eventually faded from the track when the dog gets the idea to follow the various scents associated with a track.

[Kavik]

There are several ways to train tracking, depending on what your goal is and how pedantic you want to be about the dog following the track.

I have done a little footstep tracking where you place food in the footsteps

[♥Baxter♥]

There are several ways to train tracking, depending on what your goal is and how pedantic you want to be about the dog following the track.

I have done a little footstep tracking where you place food in the footsteps

More for fun & also to get his best potential out of him..I don't want him to end up being used by any outside party whatsoever - just out of personal 'satisfaction' more than anything (he is so cute when he is tracking! lol)

[Hunterhound]

I have bloodhounds, so I have trained for man trailing as well as tracking. My BH bitch got her TD title this season & will step out doing a TDX5 next year.

Personally I don't like leaving food on the track as this can encourage a dog to LOOK for food rather than following the scent. You need a scent article of the person who is laying the track (wooly socks are great) at the start and it is also good to place other socks along the way...just to keep your dog on track. If you choose to do tracking trials later on, the dog MUST find & indicate the articles. The higher the track the more articles and the longer it goes for. We always leave the treats enclosed in a container at the final article...which is usually substantially larger, like a shirt or jumper. When they indicate the 'find' or final article give high praise & then the treats as a reward for a good job.

Initially you don't want your tracks to be too hard...just short and sweet with a few articles along the way...you need high praise when they indicate the article. One 90degree turn initially...then you can add another leg/turn later as the penny starts to drop. You will need a harness & normally I don't like to harness up until you are just about at the start scent article...this then indicates to the dog that they are about to go to work.

Where are you from...I'm always happy to do some fun training in tracking. I'm in the Hunter Valley