Return to Website
The Rough & Smooth Collie Chat Forum

Welcome to the Rough & Smooth Collie Forum, the Forum of the Rough and Smooth Collie Training Association.
Please use this Forum to discuss Rough or Smooth Collie related items, including training techniques, hints, tips, or diet advice.
If you have a Rough or Smooth Collie related problem feel free to share it with us and hopefully someone will be able to help.
Tell us about your recent success stories and achievements – we want to know about them!
Search For Similar Forums   ·   Return to Website

  First
  Prev
  Reply
  Home
Next  
Last  
Search this Forum:  
Viewing Page 1 of 1 (Total Posts: 6)


Author Comment    
Kristine

dreamforge@mac.com


Nov 15, 06 - 12:06 AM 		Teaching a puppy first steps to track

Does anyone know how to get a Collie pup (4 months) started in tracking? She air scents really well on her own (and has used that to target her 'counter surfing' activites) but I would like to get her into tracking - all the articles say that it is important to start early, but they don't say how!
I have started with those scent 'tubes' they use in obedience, but that it only for a static object.
Jean Tuck



Nov 15th, 2006 - 5:05 PM 		Re: Teaching a puppy first steps to track

Hi Kristine,

I'm afraid I don't know of any Rough or Smooth Collies who are currently doing tracking, so no one to advise you I'm afraid. Sorry.

Good luck with your pup. Is it a border collie or a rough or smooth?

Jean
Kristine



Nov 15th, 2006 - 5:47 PM 		Re: Teaching a puppy first steps to track

She's a pure tri-coloured Rough Collie girl.
Gail



Feb 21st, 2007 - 1:29 PM 		Re: Teaching a puppy first steps to track

Hi Kristine,
My RC Nishmah has tracked and competed in Working Trials. Just need to ask you first...do you live in the UK as tracking in other countries varies to what we do in the UK.
If you want the dog to track then you do not want it to air scent as it will be blown off the track by any wind. I start off a young dog on a nice easy surface such as a wheat field with short growth on it, the wind should be coming from behind you or directly into your face when you face the direction of the leg of the track, i.e. no cross winds to start with,the dog is already in it's harness and line and is waiting to go, you hold the dog while a friend then lays a very short track ...no more that 10-20 paces, keeping the dogs attention and lays tasty morsels of food in every couple of footsteps and a fovourite toy at the end.
The track layer comes back to the start and off you go with the dog. The dog will learn that it follows the track to get the food and that there is wonderful game with you at the end of the track. There is a certain skill required in learning of all of this. If you live in the UK there are clubs to join and courses to attend to learn the basics.There are books too that willbe helpful. There are many methods of teaching dogs to track and it is a case of learning what motivates your dog.
Once you get into tracking I can honestly say there is no bigger buzz than being towed round a field by the dog.
Hope this helps.
Gail
Kristine



Feb 21st, 2007 - 5:14 PM 		Re: Teaching a puppy first steps to track

I live in Canada - but those hints are helpful. All tracking trials are mostly the same, they lay a track and your dog follows it. I care more about the skill of being able to find people than the specifics of the test.
I am working out of the book - Tracking Dog: Theory and Methods. I am planning to start training mid-March so that I will be ready by the tracking trials in June. My Collie loves food (only the best deer meat and chicken though - none of those cheap jerky treats).
Do you know if you can practice tracking in snow? I would like to get started now, but we're under about 2 feet of snow.
Is there anything specific about working with Collies to track or do they work just like every other type of dog?
Thanks for the help!
Gail



Feb 21st, 2007 - 10:43 PM 		Re: Teaching a puppy first steps to track

The objective of tracking in the UK is based on police dog work i.e the dog tracks to find criminals or evidence left by criminals. In competition we train our dogs to track for articles on the track not to find people at the end of the track, so the tracking methods used here may vary to Canada. Articles vary depending on the level that the dog is competing. In the lower stakes dog have to find things such as tiny pieces of carpet, string, small metal objects,empty gun shot cartridges. As the dog progresses the articles get smaller.
In my limited experince with Nishmah I found that she did tend to wind scent the articles on the track and if it was very windy and the leg of the track was cross wind she could be working at least 3 feet away from the actual track. This isn't helpful when the dog has to find a change of direction and there could be several of those in close proximity in a competition track. However this trait made her an excellent search square dog and she nearly always got full marks for this exercise. The problem that she had with wind scenting on tracks was probably made worse by my own inexperience as she was the first dog that I had taught.
In the UK the dogs have to complete several other exercises as well as tracking to gain any qualification in Working Trials. We do not have tracking only stakes, the dogs are not allowed to enter until thay are 18 months old as the competiton is very physically demanding and the jumps require that the dog is fully mature to prevent injury .
I wish you lots of fun with your dog, please keep us informed how things progress.
Gail


  First
  Prev
  Reply
  Home
Next  
Last  




Get your own FREE Forum today! 
Web Calendars   Online Photo Albums   Free Guestbooks   Free Web Hosting 
powered by Powered by Bravenet bravenet.com