[Connie Sutherland]

Although my tracking is more police oriented, I still think tracking is some of the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Keeping it fun for both you and the dog, pays enourmous benefits.

DFrost

I was just emailing Mike that the funnest training I have done are obedience and tracking!

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Can someone please explain this "Squares" thing to me? Either it's more advanced than the first steps we are doing with my dogs, or it's a different technique... just curious!

QUOTE (Armin Winkler): Here is a technique that I have had good success with.  I trample an area that measures approximately one and a half body lengths of the dog by one and a half body lengths of the dog.  So the size of the dog determines the size of the square.  I trample the entire area down, so that every inch of the inside of this square has disturbed ground. END QUOTE

This is from Schutzhund Village at
http://www.schutzhundvillage.com/nose1.html

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Be carefull about staying in the square too long. Dogs sometime think that's all they have to do when they get there and they quit. What I would do is, after a fee squares, start laying short foot step tracks ( ten feet) with a treat at the toe of each step. ( They have to sniff through the foot step to get their reward.) Remember to use your flag at the start. Get them use to the flag being there.

How many is a few? A few days of squares?

 

[Connie Sutherland]

he basically rubs his feet in the grass n drops a few pieces of hotdog where he rubbed his feet n we tell the dog "zoeken!" n praise for sniffing around the footstep area.

Which is better; stomping or rubbing your feet? This is addressed to anyone who wants to answer, in response to what Mike said.

Uh-oh. I guess I need this answer too. I thought it was whatever it took to flatten the area.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Wow, THANKS, Jerry!

This answers every question I have had so far.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Down here in Georgia the fire ants are terrible. It's hard to track with hot dogs. Fire ants likes them almost as much as they like bitting me. Does anyone know of a treat home made or not that fire ants don't do back flips for?

Freeze-dried liver? I buy it, but I know people who make it, too. I'm guessing that the bought kind might be less appealing to ants, since it has minimal odor and no moisture.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Down here in Georgia the fire ants are terrible. It's hard to track with hot dogs. Fire ants likes them almost as much as they like bitting me. Does anyone know of a treat home made or not that fire ants don't do back flips for?

Freeze-dried liver? I buy it, but I know people who make it, too. I'm guessing that the bought kind might be less appealing to ants, since it has minimal odor and no moisture.

Or would it be too low-odor to use for tracking.....?

 

[Connie Sutherland]

The dog has to like it as well as hot dogs. The oder is the crushed vegetation or disturbed dirt that leads to a reward. It's hard to beat a good old hot dog.
I'll try the Freeze-dried liver, Rollover,and the Natural Balance Rolls. Out of these Lexus is sure to like one of them.

This is Lexus

Lexus wants a bigger picture posted!

My dogs looooove freeze-dried liver.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

..... I may have him do two or three short tracks per session. ...

How short is short?