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Tracking Dog, Not Working At Start Of Track?


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I am tracking with my dog, using food. and trainer and i noticed last week (very hot day, dog not working well) that he was mucking about, mind all over the place, but seemed to improve as tracking progressed. And its been happening for a couple of weeks now. ie. becoming a habit im reinforcing?

So advise was: practice longer serpentine track to capture/mark/reward more of the correct tracking behaviour, change food i am using for higher value, longer intro up to track start, using the distance to settle the dog into calm focus mode, drop food on floor as approaches start to get his nose down. Block anything other than correct. Correct = he can move forward. Do not feed the night before, and that meal is on the track in the morning.

(This is Foot Step Tracking IPO. With food in most footsteps. 2 scent articles. ie. beginner level). Track is 30 mins old.

Any suggestions for how to have him work earlier in the piece? to have the first 10 meters with focus?

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I'm sure there are others here who have a TONNE more experience than I do - but I know with my boy and scent work I rev him up (as much as possible - he's kinda of chilled out about scent work) before the start. Lots of "are you ready to work", I put his harness on and wait until I'm ready to swap his lead from his collar to the harness and give it a gentle adjustment so he really gets that it's on - I'm sure he knows but it's just part of the deal. Then give him the search phrase ("track") I don't use "where is it" or "go find it" as we use "where's your ball" and other similar phrases when we play. I never use 'track' in any other circumstances with him.

I know in scent work (nose work) you can't / shouldn't drop food on the floor so things are different there - but also you want the dog working before you enter the room or search area for two reasons - 1 the scent might be on the door frame and 2 - you might displace the scent if you barge in - better to let the dog work on its way in and have a really good calm sniff before crossing the threshold and starting the timer.

Last time we did some nose work we worked in a hall set up like this:

post-51207-0-30695200-1458512515_thumb.jpg

1 meet the Marshall - external to hall

2 use practice boxes with hide - if we wanted to - external to hall

3 wait on/at chair external to hall - external to hall

4 enter hall through annex

5 meet judge - have rules explained

6 cross threshold into search area - time starts the second you or your dog crosses the line.

So - Ideally you want your dog really switched on from 2 and really working from 4. You wouldn't cross the line (6) until you were certain he was working. I was lucky to observe a number of searches in the same set up - in dogs with a stronger indication than mine they were already pulling and pretty sure where the hide (one scent in this case) was the second they walked through the annex & waited very impatiently for the judge to introduce herself & do the formal stuff.

Some people say not to feed on the day - some people say their dog wont settle and concentrate if they're hungry. I've always fed Scottie a lighter meal (kibble no extras) before scent work - mainly because he doesn't travel well. Training treats are always pretty high value - cooked chicken or beef strog cut into small bits or bacon/ pre-diced ham if I've had a dis-organised week. Then a smaller (kibble) dinner as he's had a serve of meat during the day - but I think that's really personal preference and depends on you & the dog - try it?

We're also told that the dog is always right - In theory YOU don't know where the hides are so you need to trust they're doing the right thing from the second they cross the threshold so I wouldn't be 'blocking' but then I'm not really sure of the rules are you allowed to double back in the early stages? We're usually told you can make a noise (whistle, click, kick a box) to get them back & focused - We're allowed to go anywhere - including back tracking - in the search area - on the correct side of the line - so long as we don't exit the area and we don't go over time.

All in all - I'd be working on getting your dog really engaged in the lead up - if that means a longer lead up so be it - but I think it's possibly more on re-enforcing that it's time to work now. hope that helps? Hope someone with lots more experience can give you more IPO specific advice.

Edited by Scottsmum
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did a disasterous track on friday, totally off his game. We crossed a wombat den/surrounds. Didnt see it till we were on it together. Maybe that's too big an ask, cross tracks in early days.

I'll keep on keeping on. We'll get a good day next time perhaps. Managing about twice weekly so far.

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