training a dog to track

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steamer
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training a dog to track

Post by steamer » Sat Mar 26, 2011 8:32 am

im working on teaching my gsp to track for na test . could use some tips on teaching him thanks for any help

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helpful_cub
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Re: training a dog to track

Post by helpful_cub » Sat Mar 26, 2011 10:26 am

steamer wrote:im working on teaching my gsp to track for na test . could use some tips on teaching him thanks for any help
There's a few ways to go about it. For birds, I've seen people use a string and a dead bird and they drag it along the ground and hide the bird. They also place some feathers along the way to keep the dog interested. Over time you stop using feathers and pick the bird up occasionally making the dog circle until he finds the trail again.

Another way is to take the dog's dinner and dinner bowl and walk it outside and hide it. Drop the occasional bits of dog food along the trail so the dog is interested. Over time reduce the amount of dropped food needed.

Eventually your dog will learn to follow the turned up earth smell. Be sure you use a unique command so he knows when you mean for him to ground track. Also make sure there is always something at the end of the trail if you do command him to track. Positive reinforcement is a must.

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Red
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Re: training a dog to track

Post by Red » Sat Mar 26, 2011 10:45 am

I started my pup with a greasy steak, dragged it about 6 feet in the grass into the wind and dropped it at the end, took the pup to the start and let him smell my fingers and then the grass, gave him the "find it" and let him lose...

Now he knows what find it means and will track a bird or whatever else....

There's a few ways to go about it. For birds, I've seen people use a string and a dead bird and they drag it along the ground and hide the bird. They also place some feathers along the way to keep the dog interested. Over time you stop using feathers and pick the bird up occasionally making the dog circle until he finds the trail again.
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Re: training a dog to track

Post by GUNDOGS » Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:05 am

My pup is taking her NA test in may, sorry to ask a question on your post steamer but this is a good topic..what i would like to know is how do they set up the tracking part of the NA, whats expected of the pup?..thanks....ruth :D
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Cajun Casey
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Re: training a dog to track

Post by Cajun Casey » Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:22 am

Get the Green Book.
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

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Re: training a dog to track

Post by snips » Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:55 pm

I think I do it a little differently.. I like to drag a dead bird and plant a good flying live bird at the end..That way you are not comprimising them pointing...If a dog is tracking a running bird it will fly away if they get too close, so I am simulating the real situation.
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larry
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Re: training a dog to track

Post by larry » Sat Mar 26, 2011 5:44 pm

I usualy start with short drags of a dead bird, but also have done it with training bumpers. If the dog has a good nose he can track, but sometimes they would rather search. By starting with short drags I try to keep the dog calm, then pat the ground with my hand at the tracks begining (if using a dead bird leave some feathers). The dog is rewarded by finding the bird at the end. Gradualy increase the length of the track as long as dog is doing well. I am trying to calmly teach that whenever I pat the ground in front of the pup he can follow a scent track and find a reward at the end (bird or bumper).
I will also let training quail out of my Johny house and then wait 20 minutes or so before running the pup. This gives the quail plenty of time to walk around. I am usually doing pointing drills but many times I have seen the pup doing some tracking of the moving birds before finding and pointing.

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Re: training a dog to track

Post by 4dabirds » Sat Mar 26, 2011 6:25 pm

some people will use a bird tied between two people on a long rope so the dog is not tracking your scent to the bird.

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Re: training a dog to track

Post by Georgia Boy » Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:50 pm

I start training on a lead so that if the dog is wanting to search ( which most bird dogs do) you can stop his forward movement when he gets off the track and let him continue when he is back on track. Once he gets the hang of it and understands what is expected, cut him loose. Searching for the bird is not the same as tracking in the test.
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Re: training a dog to track

Post by helpful_cub » Sat Mar 26, 2011 8:33 pm

I took my GSP out hiking to a highly used trail today and discovered something interesting. I don't need a guide, signage or map. Since the trail was so recently walked on, he just followed his nose and walked us around the trail loop. He even avoided foot prints that looked a few days old. I understand much better now how these dogs can be so useful for search and rescue operations.

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Re: training a dog to track

Post by PrairieGoat » Mon Mar 28, 2011 5:58 pm

GUNDOGS wrote:My pup is taking her NA test in may, sorry to ask a question on your post steamer but this is a good topic..what i would like to know is how do they set up the tracking part of the NA, whats expected of the pup?..thanks....ruth :D
From my experience, they generally release a pheasant with enough flight feathers removed to "ground" it. They then place two small piles of feathers.....one at the beginning of the track, the other just a little farther up the track. Once the pheasant has gone "far enough", they will summon you and your dog up.....show you the feather piles and tell you which way the pheasant went. You then give your dog the track command and once you are sure it is on the track you release it. They then move to a diffent spot and do the same for the next dog.

Fairly simple, but it trips up quite a few dogs.....especially here in the arid west where the wind is generally blowing a gale and humidity is in the negative numbers!!! :wink:

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GUNDOGS
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Re: training a dog to track

Post by GUNDOGS » Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:34 pm

PrairieGoat wrote:
GUNDOGS wrote:My pup is taking her NA test in may, sorry to ask a question on your post steamer but this is a good topic..what i would like to know is how do they set up the tracking part of the NA, whats expected of the pup?..thanks....ruth :D
From my experience, they generally release a pheasant with enough flight feathers removed to "ground" it. They then place two small piles of feathers.....one at the beginning of the track, the other just a little farther up the track. Once the pheasant has gone "far enough", they will summon you and your dog up.....show you the feather piles and tell you which way the pheasant went. You then give your dog the track command and once you are sure it is on the track you release it. They then move to a diffent spot and do the same for the next dog.

Fairly simple, but it trips up quite a few dogs.....especially here in the arid west where the wind is generally blowing a gale and humidity is in the negative numbers!!! :wink:
Thank you for the reply prairiegoat, i think/hope she will do well on this test, thanks again....ruth :D
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Re: training a dog to track

Post by Ruffshooter » Mon Apr 04, 2011 10:29 am

Initially I use three dead birds, drag the firs to a spot some 10 yards or so then leave it and drag the second from there another 10 to 15 yards, leave another dead bird, then the final one the same. By the third one you don't have to guide the puppy to much to stay on track.

When getting ready for Pheasant track, I will tie a live pheasant or chuckar to a rope and drag it along marking my way with grade flag pins (so I know where I went and know exactly what the pup is doing and why). The first couple will be just 30 ot 50 yards or so, then plant the live bird, wings in tact, so it can fly off. Might eve shoot one on occasion if the pup points and holds till the flush or shot. Make it longer after a while. Then of course you can do the actual pheasant track as described above.

Anyway, that what I do.
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