Ever encounter a stray dog while tracking?

[LHunter82FXRS]

I laid a track this morning for Chico, only about 150 yards, and let it age for 1 hour before I took him to track. He was doing so well, and right when we got to the first turn a medium size stray dog came running up to us. It got to approximately 15 feet away. The stray wasn't trying to attack ( I think), but it totally broke Chico's concentration. It would bark and move a couple feet closer to us and then stop. Chico didn't growl, pull on the leash or lunge, he just was staring at it. I picked up a decent sized stick and waved it at the dog and it turned around and went the other way.

It was still in the vicinity of the park where we were, but it was far enough away, that I thought Chico could continue tracking. I got his attention focused back on me, and then I told him to "track" and away he went. The stray did come back two other times close to us and each time I picked up a stick and started waving it at the dog and it ran away. But then I had to get Chico's attention back on the track.
If this should happen again should I let Chico still continue to track even if he looses focus or should I just call it a day, and set a new track later?

[umzilla]

It's happened to me many times and I do what is needed to get my dog to get bak into working the track. It happens at AKC tracking tests - and your dog is expected to work through it!

I do HATE it when it happens tho......

Christine

[Catu]

All the time. I don't have to worry that much for Diabla's concentration, but I hate that they eat the food and then all the work of laying the track is lost.

[Chris Wild]

All the time. Never an actual stray, but lots of dogs off lead straying from their owners despite leash laws. I will never understand people who pull up to a park with "Dogs must be on lead" signs posted everywhere, SEE someone else out with their GSD, then hop out of the car and turn their dog loose to run amok.

Anyway, how we handle it depends on the age/maturity/training level of the dog we're working. First step is obviously to get the canine nusiance to go away. If the dog we're working is young and totally blown by the experience and doesn't understand tracking well enough or have the mental maturity to refocus after the incident, we'd scrap that track, put the dog up for a while, lay another track and start again. If the dog is experienced and mature enough to handle it, we now incorporate an unplanned distraction into the training session and get the dog back tracking.

What I would never do is scrap a track after the incident and leave, having that be the last memory of the training session in the dog's head. Training must always end on a good note and when it comes to tracking, that means a good tracking experience. So whether it's lay another track and start over a while later, or just continue on the current track, may depend on the dog and the situation, but either way never end right after a major disruption without getting the dog back to work and having a success in training.

[Chris Wild]

Just a fond memory relating to the topic at hand:

Years ago I was tracking Ira at a park and an off lead Lab with no owner in sight ran up, jumped on her head and then bounded a few yards away and stood stood right on top of her track and play bowed. Ira, normally happy to take any opportunity to play with another dog, completely ignored him and kept tracking until she got to the point where he was standing and play bowing on her track. Then she looked up, gave him a dirty look, left the track to walk a small arc around him, came back to the track, put her nose back down and continued down the track, leaving a befuddled and obviously very disappointed playful Lab in her wake. It all happened in the space of about 5 seconds and without me saying anything.

[LHunter82FXRS]

Originally Posted By: Chris Wild.....
What I would never do is scrap a track after the incident and leave, having that be the last memory of the training session in the dog's head. Training must always end on a good note and when it comes to tracking, that means a good tracking experience. So whether it's lay another track and start over a while later, or just continue on the current track, may depend on the dog and the situation, but either way never end right after a major disruption without getting the dog back to work and having a success in training.

Very good point about ending training on a good note. I will definitely remember that in case that situation would arise again. I was successful each time at getting Chico back on "track" and he did finish, so we have our own little mini celebration at the end of the track.

[LHunter82FXRS]

Originally Posted By: Chris WildJust a fond memory relating to the topic at hand:

Years ago I was tracking Ira at a park and an off lead Lab with no owner in sight ran up, jumped on her head and then bounded a few yards away and stood stood right on top of her track and play bowed. Ira, normally happy to take any opportunity to play with another dog, completely ignored him and kept tracking until she got to the point where he was standing and play bowing on her track. Then she looked up, gave him a dirty look, left the track to walk a small arc around him, came back to the track, put her nose back down and continued down the track, leaving a befuddled and obviously very disappointed playful Lab in her wake. It all happened in the space of about 5 seconds and without me saying anything.

WOW! My hats off to Ira and you for training her, that is very impressive.

[Chris Wild]

LOL.. thanks, but I can't take credit for the training. Ira was a tracking machine and it came naturally to her, it wasn't taught. I taught her articles, cleaned up the corners a bit and that was about it.. the rest of the time I was just dead weight at the end of the line.