Jump to content

Tracking


 Share

Recommended Posts

  • 4 weeks later...

what a weekend....Dezzy and myself passed our track 4 today at the German Shepherd trial and Tamika and Jessie passed their track 3 which they now have their tracking dog title....I am so proud of Dezzy and especially of Tamika and Jessie....my feet have not touched the ground yet :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately Coco and I didnt pass our T3 yesterday, the cows at the start and the quail, hares and potaroos all in the first 70metres was just too much for her gun dog mind :laugh: Still was a great learning weekend for us and I'm sure we'll be better for it in the long run

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh well kathq there is always next time....as I say an expensive training session.....and thanks we have had a great season so far and hopefully with more to come...I nearly didn't pass the T4 as we had to put up with two lots of kangaroos in which Dezzy thought would be much better to play with rather than track but we managed in the end which is the main thing :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all, tracking is next on the to do list so l have some novice questions for you all. We where thinking of going down on Sat to watch the tracking comp out Geelong way but how do we find out where everyone will be ? Also l have noticed several comps are over 3 days so can you enter all 3 days or do you send your entry off and a ballot decides which day you track, what about the tracking comps on Monday l assume most people work, if it's a ballot and you have to work do you miss out ???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Next weekend near Geelong, i assume you mean Inverleigh, is a TSD trial rather than tracking (this means the dogs already have their Tracking champion titles). The style of tracks are somewhat different. The meeting point for that trial is Victoria Park at Inverleigh, and people will disperse from there.

Most trials are 2 or three days, you put in a single entry and hear in the days prior (it can be as late as the thursday) which day you are on. If you work mondays you indicate on your entry form or a note that you are unable to do mondays due to work. If there are simply not enough track for entries then they ballot, it isnt that common but some trials being smaller are more prone to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi all, sorry I have been absent for a while. My thesis is finally handed in :)

I was wondering if I could have some brain storming help with my new pup. Hes 8 months old and tracking fairly well, he can certainly manage a track 1. however he wants to do it at turbo speed. He literally runs the entire track. If Im lucky he will do it at a canter if Im not he will literally drag me around. He's 30kg and on slippery surfaces with a wet rope - Im worried that this could get dangerous, not to mention that judges dont run.

I need a way to slow him down. I am thinking of trying the foot step method that they use for schutzhund tracking and going back to square one and retraining him. My mentor recons I just need to make the tracks harder by aging them longer. The problems with that is that Im not sure why he is pulling. He's an excitable bouncy pup and my gut tells me that hes just getting too hyped up but it is also at the back of my mind that it could be due to anxiety and he's trying to get it over with quickly. If that is it and I make the tracks harder then he'll get worse....

Has anyone else had this problem....how did you fix it???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi all, sorry I have been absent for a while. My thesis is finally handed in :)

I was wondering if I could have some brain storming help with my new pup. Hes 8 months old and tracking fairly well, he can certainly manage a track 1. however he wants to do it at turbo speed. He literally runs the entire track. If Im lucky he will do it at a canter if Im not he will literally drag me around. He's 30kg and on slippery surfaces with a wet rope - Im worried that this could get dangerous, not to mention that judges dont run.

I need a way to slow him down. I am thinking of trying the foot step method that they use for schutzhund tracking and going back to square one and retraining him. My mentor recons I just need to make the tracks harder by aging them longer. The problems with that is that Im not sure why he is pulling. He's an excitable bouncy pup and my gut tells me that hes just getting too hyped up but it is also at the back of my mind that it could be due to anxiety and he's trying to get it over with quickly. If that is it and I make the tracks harder then he'll get worse....

Has anyone else had this problem....how did you fix it???

Im sure more experienced heads will appear but for what another newbie to the games opinion is worth :o

Coco is a very strong GSP who pulled like the proverbial steam train in the beginning.. You dont want to know how many times I have fallen over. The steps that were suggested to me are

1. Tie knots at 2.5meter intervals in your rope this gives you something to hang on to.

2. Wear gloves yourself helps with grip again and stops the old rope burn across the hand.

3. She has slowed down considerably now we are 6 months into our training, but if she doesnt get enough energy released during the week leading into a trial then forget control at the start flag.

4. The age of the track has helped a lot as she needs to concentrate more

5. Persistance - keep at it, dont overdo the training so that they get bored. I do three tracks a week but I have a glutton for work (thank goodness).

6. And lastly on the weekend someone suggested I lean back slightly instead of taking the strain on outstretched arms - shifts the centre of gravity back making me much more stable on my feet.

Hope this helps..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:laugh: had the problem with my agility BC girl, RubyBlue - still have it - and she's now 10 and a half and still thinks everything should be done at warp speed. :laugh: And having it harder, as in TSD - hmmm - hasn't really helped the problem - although it probably does make her work her nose a bit harder.

It is important to try to get them to work at a steady pace - not only for the safety factors - my girlis only 15 kg, but I've still had rope burn from the lead if I haven;t been paying attention. More importantly, if they're going too fast, they can get a noseful of scent and then be a long way past a corner (but still looking like they're on track) before they realise they've run out of scent. Then, even if you haven't been called off, it's hard to work back to the corner. (Been there, done that ... :( )

I haven't found the solution with Kirra, although she does respond a bit to the word steady, and me putting the brakes on. I think I'd be inclined to try older but shorter tracks, and more turns maybe, and more frequent concealed articles (with treats hidden inside a fold or something, to make the dog work harder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My weim was too strong and fast, though fortunately very accurate. I certainly had serious rope cuts. He was responsive to 'steady' though i never really trained for it, just used the word anytime he was over the top, whether it was tracking to fast, or racing around the house etc. I also used a horse lunge after one serious rope burn, it does afford you more grip with the wider band. Not ideal and frowned on by many a judge, but in training it will help you hold and slow better. Many people with strong dogs will also put the end of the lead behind their body and lean back on it. Recently i handled a freinds beginner dog in training who was way to overexcited causing her to be fast and diving side to side a lot as she wasnt focussing enough. With her we found if we did some heel sit drop attention exercise for a minute behind the start post (not looking for obedience trial standard just indication that she was listening to commands) she concentrated much better when then allowed on to the track.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the ideas guys. My other dog pulls too so I already have the gloves and wrap lead round behind and lean back technique but at 6kg lighter (and much calmer) she is much easier to manage. I like the knot idea, I might also look at getting a new rope that's easier to hold generally. My mum jokingly suggested getting a rockclimbers harness so I can brace against him :p

So... I am thinking the next track I do with him I will lay myself to cut down some of the excitement. I will let it age maybe 45 -50min (30min certainly doesnt make a difference) and in the mean time he can have a good run. I will look into a new rope.

Whats the problem with lunge reins dogdayz? Its been years since I last lunged a horse but the reins are similar to the blackdogs leads arnt they?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

this is a link to video footage of a Gopro on Jessie's harness whilst she is tracking....it is really wonky as it is a first attempt but we are trying to work out a way to make it more stable.....it is interesting seeing everything from a dogs point of view and is very funny..... :rofl: hopefully will get better footage soon that I can post up and show everyone and hope you do not get "seasick" watching it....lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks Staff'n'Toller....apparently you can buy a vented helmet strap which works but do not to really want to pay $60 for one time although maybe we might do other stuff with it as well....it would be so funny I think :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

what a fantastic weekend.....Tamika and Jessie passed with a good pass for their Track 4.....Dezzy and myself just by the skin of our teeth passed Track 5....now we only have one week to practice our new tracks so maybe the next trial will be an expensive training session :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...