How about tracking???

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How about tracking???

Posted : 9/29/2009 4:18:31 AM

Hi All,

My number one dog sport is tracking. I thought that it would be interesting to tell you about Australian Tracking and swap some notes.

Here, we do seven tracks to get Tracking Champion with TD and TDX on the way. Tch is 2 acutes, at least 6 turns, 2 x tracks, 3 articles,1200M could be any kind of farm/bush terrain. We have just started with TSD (tracking and search dog ) tracks, but i am ressiting the temptation until my girl has achieved a couple more obedience goals.

My greatest ever doggy moment was tracking my then 13 1/2 year old Labrador to a TCh. I had retired him as we missed a few years becuase i ws quite il. I basically took him out one day, 2 years after retirement, and he tracked like he had nevr finished. I worked on his physical condition, and did tracks 4-7. He did his last track in 10 minutes, for those that don't know, that is quick. I did nothing other than hang on for his last track..

As you can see form my signature, my 3 1/2 year old mini poodle is also a tracking champ, achieved a year ago.

So what is tracking like there? What are your proudest moments ?

Liesje

Posted : 9/29/2009 11:17:05 AM

I'm very new to tracking. I'm training my youngest in Schutzhund which is three phases, equally weighted, the first being tracking. SchH tracking is highly stylized and by itself has little practical value in the real world. The dogs need to be trained a certain technique and that's what the judge is looking for as they track. We "footstep" track which means the dog's nose must be glued to the ground, checking every footstep. The dogs are tracking ground/foliage disturbance as much as they are following a scent. Air scenting and cutting corners is not allowed and the dogs must be calm and methodical. I believe a SchH1 track is three legs, two corners. I think there is an article in the second leg and at the end. The dog must down on the article with it squarely between the dog's front legs. The handler lays the SchH1 track, but another person lays the 2 and 3. Beyond that there are advanced "FH" titles which get into cross tracks and variable surfaces. On Sunday Nikon did a SchH3 length track but with no articles and just two turns. We teach the articles separately and don't put them on the track until the dog's indicating behavior is correct.

This is the correct look of the SchH dog tracking

This was me doing our first real track with the club.