Any ideas how to teach a pup to track?

DanniGirl · Last edited by DanniGirl on Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:20 am; edited 1 time in total

When Danni tracks she tends to quarter along the trail instead of putting her nose down and following it straight. Any ideas how to get her to put (and keep) her nose down on the track? (I know you don't want to force them by shoving their head down)

Thanks!

anne · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:22 pm Post subject:

Are you talking about AKC tracking or NAVHDA tracking or trackign in regular hunting conditions?

Many dogs don't track in a traditional kind of way and if you are asking about the latter, then let her be. I'm not familiar with the nuances of AKC tracking.

DanniGirl · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:17 pm Post subject:

NAVHDA tracking. We just had a training day this past weekend and the only thing we need to work on for natural ability is the tracking. (Or so I was told by a member...)
We drug a pheasant along the ground so the trail was about 30 yards. Danni went first and she quartered it then she she made a 90 degree turn and went about 10 feet off the trail up a small hill then quartered back down to the trail. The next dog (which happened to be the only other weim in the group) did exactly the same thing, but none of the other dogs followed suit.

(I have to add, Danni was hilarious when she found the pheasant! She looked at me as if saying, "I'm supposed to retrieve this...it's huge!" But she retrieved it well. The other weim had trouble grasping the bird therefore he grasped it by the head. Watching the pheasant swing back and forth from his mouth upon his return was very entertaining... Laughing

)

anne · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:38 pm Post subject:

Style in tracking is not evaluated in NAVHDA NA tracking. They are looking for concentration on the track. They can cross the track or track next to the track, as long as they are tracking not hunting. If she's quartering, it would depend on how wide she's quartering and if her head's up. She may have been hunting. If so, that would be a demerit for sure in a testing situation. You can practice with food to help her understand that it's tracking and not hunting. But don't overdo it, Weims are natural trackers. You don't wnat ther to start hunting with her head down. Give her a couple pheasant tracks before the test but that's all I'd do after doing some food tracks.

DanniGirl · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:25 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info...from what you said, I'll let her be for a while. She hunts great and I would hate to ruin that. While she was tracking, her head was down and she was quartering about 2 feet off the trail. The only time her head was up was when she went up that hill, consequently she was hunting then.
I have to remember it was her first track...and she's not perfect.
Thanks again!

anne · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:42 pm Post subject:

OMG first track? She did great! She was on the track it sounds like even if she was only 2 ft off the track with head down.

So??? When're you testing?

WeiMe · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:17 am Post subject:

DanniGirl-Good luck with the tracking! Sounds really fun. Keep us updated on her progress Smile

DanniGirl · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:15 am Post subject:

Thanks WeiMe!
We'll be testing in October.
(You could say I've been inspired by a certain weim named Indy. Very Happy

Obedience is also on my to-do list because she lays down perfect. She does not scoot her front paws forward, she just lays down where she's standing. LOL, not to mention she is obedient...most of the time. Rolling Eyes

)

anne · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:47 am Post subject:

DanniGirl · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:36 pm Post subject:

What?! Wow! I'm sure you're proud...I know I would be. That's quite an accomplishment! Congratulations! Pink whoohoo