From the 2012 July-Aug-Sept AWSS Newsletter
TRACKING
by Penny Larson
by Penny Larson
TRACKING – when the first rains of the fall season come and are hard enough to beat down the star thistle and send the snakes into their holes, we pull the tracking equipment out of the garage cupboard, put on our boots and head for the fields. TRACKING – a sport where you and your dog are out in nature. TRACKING – something to do just with your dog and sometimes with a tracking buddy who helps to lay track and to figure out solutions to problems. TRACKING – where you can earn titles from AKC. TD and TDX are done in the field and VST is done on college campuses where dogs move from vegetation to pavement and back. The ultimate title is a CT – Champion Tracker.
Nick working on his TDX track -- almost 900 yards in length and about 4 hours old.
The track led beyond the big tree.
The track led beyond the big tree.
Tracking
starts with your dog in a harness and on a leash. First
time out, a ‘track’ can be just five steps with a piece of hotdog in each footprint
and a ‘jackpot’ at the end. The hotdogs are there to get the dog to put
his nose down on the ground and are gradually phased out. After
the dog negotiates the five steps, the next ‘track’ can be 10 steps, then 20 –
slowly increasing the distance and reducing the number of
hotdog drops. As the distance and
challenges increase, hotdogs (or some similar reward) are used to reward
overcoming challenges (making turns, crossing roads, changes in terrain). There are different ways
to
train tracking, but the method we use is to increase the length of the track in
a straight line, first into
the
wind and then with the wind at the dog’s back.
Cross winds come later. After the dog can follow a
straight
track to its reward (usually a glove and breakfast!), corners are introduced. Each dog works at its
own
pace; some move along very quickly; others take more time and patience. The six foot leash is quickly exchanged for
a 40 foot line. In early training, the
handler stays close to the dog, but the ultimate goal/ requirement is that the
handler be at least 20 feet back. The
extra 20 feet or line gives the handler space to work with the dog negotiating
turns.
My first sheltie, Katie (Trailwind Summer Sprite CDX NAJ), was definitely a guinea pig for me learning to train her to track. We never took any tests or got any titles, but I learned so much from her, and she had so much heart trying to do what I was trying to teach her. Some people can start a dog at the beginning of the season and take the TD test at the end; others take more than one season to be ready to be tested.
My second sheltie, Ryan, earned his TD in February 2002. I still remember the feeling as we took off down the track with the judges and everyone else at our backs. It was just the two of us on a beautiful morning out looking for a glove. The track was 460 yards, had four turns and the track layer had laid the track close to an hour before. He nailed it. It took longer to be ready to take our TDX test. Some of the obstacles were a challenge – crossing roads, vegetation changes, cross tracks, finding more articles, but, on our second attempt, he did it!!!! It was February 2009, 882 yards long and the track was over four hours old. The picture of him tracking up the ditch was at the beginning of the track, and we had just found the leather article. He is now 13 ½ and retired as VTCh Darrowby Tryan My Best CDX TDX RAE HT MX MXJ OF MXP MJP2 OFP CGC PD2.
My first sheltie, Katie (Trailwind Summer Sprite CDX NAJ), was definitely a guinea pig for me learning to train her to track. We never took any tests or got any titles, but I learned so much from her, and she had so much heart trying to do what I was trying to teach her. Some people can start a dog at the beginning of the season and take the TD test at the end; others take more than one season to be ready to be tested.
My second sheltie, Ryan, earned his TD in February 2002. I still remember the feeling as we took off down the track with the judges and everyone else at our backs. It was just the two of us on a beautiful morning out looking for a glove. The track was 460 yards, had four turns and the track layer had laid the track close to an hour before. He nailed it. It took longer to be ready to take our TDX test. Some of the obstacles were a challenge – crossing roads, vegetation changes, cross tracks, finding more articles, but, on our second attempt, he did it!!!! It was February 2009, 882 yards long and the track was over four hours old. The picture of him tracking up the ditch was at the beginning of the track, and we had just found the leather article. He is now 13 ½ and retired as VTCh Darrowby Tryan My Best CDX TDX RAE HT MX MXJ OF MXP MJP2 OFP CGC PD2.
Ryan’s TDX – award and diagram of track
Next came Nick who proved to be the greatest challenge. He was really quite good at it, but his concentration and his work ethic in tracking left a bit to be desired. He got his TD quite easily in February 2005, but the TDX proved to be more difficult as he was so easily distracted and uninterested. I often was sure he knew where the track was, but he’d wander off to check out something else. It was suggested that I give up on him, but I think tracking takes perseverance. Finally, in February 2011, on his first attempt, he did it!! That log in the photo on page 1 was one of the obstacles – he went under, I went over. The track was 880 yards and 3.25 hours old. The last ‘job’ in tracking is to find the glove and indicate to the handler where it is.
That’s Nick proudly carrying his glove out of the field. He is now MACH ADCH Adohr In the Nick of Time, TDX MJC MXG MXF T2B2 RA HT CGC GM, SCH-Bronze, SACH-Bronze, JCH-Silver, RCH-Bronze, TM-Bronze, CL3 VT and still going strong at nine.
Now it's Drummer's turn. He got an introduction last season so, hopefully, he’ll remember some of what he learned then and make progress quickly enough to apply to be tested next February. He has started his competition career and is now Adohr Make a Joyful Sound OA AXJ OF CL1 PS1 PJ1. But for tracking, first, we have to wait for the rains.