TDU/VST Seminar, notes

This entry is a recap of my notes:

Additional handler skills for urban tracking includes:

• reading the dogs fragile signals, much more subtle than in field tracking
• shifting responsibility to the dog for staying on the "good track"
• accepting that your dog may move well off the track to investigate options
• keeping you and your dog safe when tracking in parking lots or crossing roads

Hard-surface expectations

• don't expect your dog's nose to be flat against the asphalt
• don't expect your dog to be as close to the footsteps on asphalt or concrete as he is on lawn
• accept your dog is tracking even though he is paralleling the track several feet to several yards to the side

Corner communication

• once there is a change of behavior, stop and let your dog search for the next segment using your whole line
• make sure your dog has completely searched the whole 360º several times before moving
• as your dog starts to follow the next segment, let the line out almost to the end, then follow and immediately climb up the line
• when the dog lines out - corner communication includes asking the question, "Is this the good track?" AND increase pressure on the line

As you are teaching your dog, handling will vary between teaching-helping

• it's not a one way street. you'll go back-and-forth through various levels of helpfulness as track complexity and conditions vary
• It's common for a dog to "lose" a skill, for many reasons or no reason at all
• step back in track complexity and then move forward in small steps, so the dog can re-acquire the skill, with added depth of understanding

How to balance your desire for the dog to track close to the track vs. letting him follow the dispersed fringe...

• if your dog is losing the track following the fringes, then focus on keeping him closer to the track - using well-marked known tracks
• if your dog is usually good at staying close to the footsteps, let him work where he wants, even overshooting a corner by 30-50 yards
• after all, your dog has to learn to re-find the track when he's 30-50 yards off the track before you can realistically pass a VST test; likewise you have to learn to handle your dog and allow him to recover
• if your dog is usually good at ignoring contamination, then allow him to follow a known contamination track for 30-50 yards before stopping him and you'll get practice re-finding the track

This is the last of our seminar blogs, until next time. 

Tomorrow Gimme and I are going to Chehalis for an NW3 trial. It's only 30 minutes from home - what a blessing. Please keep those prayers and good thoughts coming...