Kynan Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 For the past few weeks we have been working on retrieves and scent discrimination and have been making great progress. I would also like to start tracking soon and will train my boy to drop on the articles. Just wondering if my dog is likely to get confused and start dropping on the dumbbell or scent discrimination articles and retrieve the tracking articles if we train for both obedience and tracking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptolomy Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 For the past few weeks we have been working on retrieves and scent discrimination and have been making great progress. I would also like to start tracking soon and will train my boy to drop on the articles. Just wondering if my dog is likely to get confused and start dropping on the dumbbell or scent discrimination articles and retrieve the tracking articles if we train for both obedience and tracking? Terrific to hear you are making great scent discimination progress - well done. My question is why would you ask your boy to drop on the articles and not pick them up and present them to you - if he is already doing this with SD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I wouldn't worry to much about confusion - its not likely the articles used in tracking will resemble a DB or a scent article. Mainly they use items of clothing - old socks, t-shirts etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I would just train both as a retieve, nothing in the rules to say you can't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kynan Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 I wouldn't worry to much about confusion - its not likely the articles used in tracking will resemble a DB or a scent article. Mainly they use items of clothing - old socks, t-shirts etc. Good point (i am such a newby but keen to learn) Regarding the method of indication for tracking someone in an old thread said not to use the retrieve. They said it saturates the dogs mouth and noise with the scent and makes it hard for them to resume tracking. Is this true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 It makes logical sense that the article would be a lot stronger smelling than the track (esp. if the tracklayer doesn't wash the articles) but I haven't noticed my dogs having trouble - maybe they've just learnt how to overcome it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kynan Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 Thanks guys for the feedback! I am going to create a poll to find out what indication method people are using and why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Who are you doing tracking with - maybe approach the people running the tracking and find out what there preferred method is. I know a few of them are also involved/have been involved in obedience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kynan Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 Tracking dog club of SA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 yep they are the only ones doing tracking here in SA. If they actually tell you when they train - I tried to do it hmm last year or the year before - left phone messages and they said they would ring me when they trained never heard back . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kynan Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 yep they are the only ones doing tracking here in SA. If they actually tell you when they train - I tried to do it hmm last year or the year before - left phone messages and they said they would ring me when they trained never heard back . Yep having the same problem! On the website it mentions a training day and BBQ in early April but other than that it looks like they just do trials Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natsu chan Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I don't see that it would cause a problem. There's alot of obedience titled dogs with tracking titles too. The dog will learn that the harness means tracking, and the check chain or collar means obedience. I played with my girl with tracking work as neither of us are sound enough to track towards titles and I found it helped with training seek back and scent work. We're still working on it of course as she's only gained her CCD recently, but she understands the difference perfectly well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kynan Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 Congratulations Natsu chan on gaining CCD I think you are right about the collars! Kynans tracking harness came in the post today and we did two short tracking training sessions with it on and did great! He is already dropping to indicate socks and so far no confusion. I think he is cleverer than i have been giving him credit for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Hey Kynan, You will have to keep me posted on the tracking as I really do want to do some this year. Just checked out the date of the picnic and unfortunately its the same day as Kenzie's first birthday DOL meet so we won't be able to get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedy2 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 My question is why would you ask your boy to drop on the articles and not pick them up and present them to you - if he is already doing this with SD? please don't don't don't teach your dog to retrieve tracking articles. when your dog picks up a scented article on a track and brings it back to you a number of things happen that can disadvantage you in a tracking trial 1. the dog has left the track to return the article to you 2. the dog has filled its mouth and nose with the scent of the article 3. when you have taken the article and praised the dog, the next thing you ask to dog to do is find the track 4. the dog now can smell nothing except what was in his mouth for some time (amount of time depends upon size of snout, size of article and weather conditions at the time), so will probably just head out blindly in any direction indicated by you - and he can't smell where the track is because he has left it and all he can smell is just his article. he can be quite some distance off the track before his ability to scent the track returns the tracking articles are quite different to seek back or scent-discrimination articles, they don't smell of you as those articles do, and the command, harness and circumstances are different. if your dog can pick your scent out of that area or those articles, as long as you train with awareness, your dog has enough sense to know the difference. don't build problems into your tracking - the sport is hard enough as it is. speedy2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedy2 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Regarding the method of indication for tracking someone in an old thread said not to use the retrieve. They said it saturates the dogs mouth and noise with the scent and makes it hard for them to resume tracking. Is this true? yes yes yes yes yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedy2 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I don't see that it would cause a problem. There's a lot of obedience titled dogs with tracking titles too. Yes there are a lot of dogs with titles in both disciplines. The old Obedience Championship required a UD and a TDX, and many dogs achieved this working in both UD and tracking at the same time. the Tracking & Rescue Club of NSW offers a trophy for dogs that obtain both their UD and their Tracking Championship - since its inception there have been multiple winners each year. speedy2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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