tracking without classes?

[tylerg_95]

is it possible to have my dog track without having to take classes?

[Chris Wild]

Yes, but it also depends on what sort of tracking you're interested in: SchH style, AKC style, trailing, etc.. And also what you're goals are. If your goals are to get titles, finding classes or someone to mentor under are very good ideas. If you've not done tracking before, doing it completely on your own would be very difficult to get to the point of being able to earn tracking titles. But if your goal is more to have fun, and the dog developing the skills to really be trial ready and get a title with a decent score isn't important, than it doesn't really matter.

[umzilla]

Yes, it can be done if you are willing to take the time to read, ask questions, study videos of others tracking and review videos of your own dog.....It would also be extremely beneficial to have a person you can track with on occasion - another set of eyes and ideas can be invaluable.

I lay 99.9% of my own training tracks and never attended a "class" per se, but certainly got plenty of feedback when I was starting out.

[lhczth]

I agree with umzilla. I had someone show me the basics, but 99% of my tracking knowledge is self taught. You do need to go watch tracking tests so you can have a picture in your mind of what you are trying to achieve.

[tylerg_95]

thank you for the comments. i would just like to do it for fun and am not that intersted in getting any titles. do you know of any websites of videos that would explain how to get into tracking?

[sleachy]

I started out reading The Audible Nose by Judi Adler .
When I reached a certain point and needed someone else to help me (lay blind tracks, etc), I found a trainer to do one-on-one with.

[ShatteringGlass]

Im currently training my puppy to track all by my lonesome! lol I've watched a lot of videos of dogs tracking, read a lot of articles and some books, and I can also get some general advice from my boss at my part time job (boarding kennel) he breeds GSDs and trains in Schutzhund. Even though I am doing AKC tracking, he gives me some advice on things that can be useful in AKC style. I had a friend a couple years ago with a GSD who was training him for Schutzhund, and we would train together with her GSD and my older Dalmatian, but we had a falling out and now Im just training by myself.

[agilegsds]

I have a trainer that I started with and we got together every few weeks or so. And then I did a lot of work on my own with occasional lessons and email questions for my trainer. A good book for beginners is Tracking From the Beginning: http://leerburg.com/924.htm Unfortunately, I loaned my copy to someone and then never saw her again!

It does help to have a tracking buddy, especially to lay tracks. It seems that whenever I lay a track on my own, it's never long enough. And I don't realize it until my dog is done running it.

[LHunter82FXRS]

Originally Posted By: tylerg_95 do you know of any websites of videos that would explain how to get into tracking?

You can check on youtube. There won't necessarily be videos that will explain how to get into tracking, but there won't be a shortage of tracking videos. I have watched dozens of them, just to see what others are doing.