That's my boy! :)

[elisabeth_00117]

I am so happy tonight!

Stark and I went tracking after our quick OB training session and before our ball throwing/puppy playdate and he did amazing!!!

I am so happy right now, it's crazy! What these pups/dogs can do amazes me on a daily basis.

We have only been at tracking for a few months or so and he is just doing so great.

I set up a pretty hard track tonight, just seeing what we could do, not expecting anything and he did amazing!

There were 3 turns, a lot of distractions (near a walking trail that kids use to get to the school which is behind our park), over short grass and a baseball diamond (just the corner) and I even hid the article at the end (under some leaves and grass). I set this up about 20 minutes before I arrived with Stark and I am still amazed that he did this! I marked out the track with rocks (like another member mentioned) so I knew where it was and wow.. he did great! It was about 260 yards, the largest we have done so far and he did so great. Amazing!

Sorry, I just had to share with someone. He is really doing well with this and you can tell he is enjoying it so much. When he found the article he was carrying it around, head held high, tail wagging, looking so happy and proud of himself! Way to go Stark!

Oh, and I do have a question:

How many of you allow your pup or dog to "play" with the found article afterwards? I usually let Stark carry it back to me then tell him Aus but tonight I let him "play" with it (carry it around, mouth it, throw it up in the air, roll on it), should I do this? I usually treat afterwards but tonight he didn't want the treat just the article. He gave it back when I asked but should I be doing this?

[Lauri & The Gang]

I would have him give it to your first, then walk away from the track a bit, tell him he's DONE and give it back to him and let him play. If you plan to trial with him he cannot play with the articles on the track - and there will be several.

[poohbearsdad]

Well, Chloe's last article is a "good cuz". She gets to play with this toy after the track is done as a reward for completion. Since she is a mixed breed, we won't be doing any canadian kennel club tracking titles any time soon.

My goal in teaching tracking to Chloe is to give her a job and do some stuff geared towards the SAR type training rather than doing anything else. I find that a toy like "good cuz" is a great motivator for her.

[Castlemaid]

Don't apologize!! Stark sounds amazing!!! And you must be one GREAT trainer to get all this potential out of him!

As for your question, I would say no, don't let him play with the articles. Whether you are doing CKC tracking, or Schutzhund Tracking, playing with the article is a no-no.

Not sure about CKC, since I haven't trained or participated in that venue, but in Schutzhund, your dog may indicate the article: by laying down in front of it (no touching, no playing), or your dog may bring the article back to you. In a track he may do one or the other, but not both (I THINK CKC has some similar rules, but check with a friendly CKC tracker in your area for clarification.)

So best to decide now at this stage which indication method you will use, and stay consistent to avoid confusing him. For a reward for finding the article, give Stark treats and lots of praise. If you want to end at the article, have a toy ON you, and pull it out to play with him. And putting a toy at the end of the track, as poohbearsdad mentioned, as a reward, is also okay.

Sounds like Stark came complete with some Super-Duper Tracking Gene! Good boy!

[elisabeth_00117]

Thanks guys!

I usually have him give me the article then praise and treat but tonight he had other plans and he was just so happy - you really had to see it.. haha.. I caved... lol.

The lady who I have been training with is great and honestly, I am not doing too much, Stark is a natural.. it's crazy. The first time we set out to track was with my instructor and she was like, "are you sure you haven't done this with him before?". He just 'knows' what to do and how to do it.

This pup is surprising me everyday with the things he can do. He is just so amazing, I am so lucky to have him.

Now, my 12 year old girl could care less. When I went home to visit my parents (and her) I tried to set up a track and see if she could do it, she laid down and started to roll around then fell asleep.. hahahahaha.. definitely not a tracker.. haha.. I love her anyways though, she is my couch potatoe, but I guess she has earned that title these past 12 years.

Thanks again guys and I will try to take a video of us (I go out alone most nights so it is difficult to do), he really is something to see. Yesterday we had 5 people stop and watch us do some OB in the park, I didn't even notice them until I was finished because Stark and I were so focused.. haha.. I was even using my silly, puppy voice, "Come here big bubba boy!".. hahaha.. Crazy puppy mom's!

[aubie]

Whoo hoo! Way to go Stark!!!

I think it's amazing to see them working their sniffers, a very beautiful thing!

[ShatteringGlass]

Yay!! Stark sounds like he is doing great!! My 5 month old Dal boy loves tracking too, and he seems like such a natural just like Stark!

I tried taking video of us tracking, too. When we were doing smaller tracks, it was managable, but now that we are on to much larger tracks, the only way I could get good video is if someone would come along and record for us (which is really hard, because my family is soooo not into all my "dog stuff"! lol)

[elisabeth_00117]

Haha... I hear you!

My younger sister and I live together (both University students) and she gets so annoyed with me.

She loves Stark and enjoys spending time with him but only fun, non-work stuff. I love it all and so does Stark.. haha.

She will come out sometimes but I have to catch her on a good day.. haha.

Shane is doing AMAZING!!! I love watching and reading stuff abouth him. Honestly, I see your videos and am amazed. His OB is great too! Stark is coming along but I still have issues with distractions such as squirrels.. haha.. I lost him last week on a track because of one.. He just plopped down and started barking and whinning at a squirrel like 100 feet away.

[ShatteringGlass]

Shane still gets distracted, we are working on that slowly, trying to keep them to a minimum and build them up gradually. But as he is starting to mature and get more serious about tracking and obedience, it is getting a little easier to keep him focused.

I remember when Shane was doing baby tracks, I think he was only 12 weeks old or so, and there were these swallows swooping down all over the field and Shane just lost his little spotted mind! He could not focus at all, it was just too much for him and I had to end the session. Also, he used to try and go after clumps of mowed grass all the time, he doesnt do that at all anymore. Goose poop is another distraction we are working thru still!

I live with my older sister and one of my older brothers. My sister can be really supportive and take some pics sometimes (she did today for me, I posted them in the pic forum). My brother on the other hand, you'd think I asked him to cut his arm off the way he moans and groans about it! I actually offered to pay him $10 to come out sometime when I go tracking to take pics, thats the only way he agreed to do it!

[elisabeth_00117]

Your pics were amazing, Shane is doing so great. I love looking at pictures of you and him. It really is something to see these critters doing such a great job.

As for the distractions, we are working on that too. I try to keep it to a min. but I am limited to where we can practice in my area.