Question about speed, ect.

[im4dogz]

How fast should a dog go? I know not very fast, because when my trainer catches me 'jogging' to catch up with him she says "Slow down, this isn't Search and Rescue!" So how fast should he be going? He doesn't run, per say, he doesn't trot either, more like a quick pace. The only time he 'runs' is when he sees the article/an article and he'll run up to get it.

Which brings me to my next question. In an AKC Tracking Test, do dogs get faulted for seeing an article from about 10-15 yards away and taking his nose off the ground to head up to indicate it?

Which leads me to yet another question (LOL), how much does the TD test ask for? Could a really (REALLY) novice dog pass it? How much handler instruction will they allow? How long/difficult are the tracks for TDs?

We have the ONLY Tracking tests around here coming in Jan-March and we've missed so much practice, I'm not sure we'll make it.

[lhczth]

I try to set my dog's pace, but some dogs track fast and others slowly. If he is missing corners and articles then he is tracking too fast. If you are having to jog then he is too fast.

I do not believe that airscenting an article will hurt your dog in an AKC track. Your dog must be certified by a tracking judge before being allowed to run a TD. It is basically an unofficial TD test to make sure your dog is ready to run a TD. Yes, a novice dog could pass, but it would depend on the dog and the handler's experience. I haven't run a AKC track in awhile, but they use to be about 500 yards long with a minimum of 2 corners, 1 article and 1/2 hour old. They can have more corners and be older (can't remember the limit).

[DogBeater]

Me personally, i wouldn't want my dog tracking fast. To much of a risk of passing up a corner and article. And i definitely wouldn't want the dog rushing to the article because that means the dog is using his eyes and not his nose. Just things to think about.

[Kayos and Havoc]

I do AKC tracking and yes a dog will pass if they air scent the article or eye ball it from 10 or 15 yards. BUT the regulations say the article should not be visible to the dog or handler from that distance. If you have short cover the article should be a color that is very inconspicuous.

Speed--personal or dog preference. Lisa is right, if the dog is blowing by turns or articles he is too fast. I prefer my dogs to be slower as they are more methodical and careful. I train with a lot of articles as this slows the dog with out any kind of correction. In fact the articles become an opportunity for the dog to get a reward and gives you a chance to work on article indication and restarts. Some folks use food to slow the dog down. I prefer not to but honestly Havoc is fast also and I am going to space some food drops between articles to try to slow him some.

Kayos ran her TD in 11 minutes- that is considered slow. Her TDX took 44 minutes - really slow. But as the judge said slow and steady wins the race. I would rather her be steady and slow than over shoot turns and have to work our way back on a blind track.

In comparison- Havoc has not run a full length TD level track yet, he is just 6 months old, but his average speed is about 3 minutes on 250 yards right now. That is too fast for me, I would like to see another minute or two f I can get it. I may not be able to and may have to live with a speed demon but I am going to work on it.

I also feel if you are jogging you have a harder time with your footing and that is unsafe for you. I would try to slow this dog a bit by using articles and food drops.

The number of turns on an AKC TD is 3 to 5, age is 30 minutes to 2 hours, 1 article at the start and one at the end.

[chruby]

Maya tends to try and be very fast but I have slowed her down a lot. Learned the hard way when it was super windy and she was going too fast she followed the blown scent and made a wrong turn. Second attempt she passed as I slowed her down a lot. Also when you get into TDX which is more difficult and more articles on the track I wouldn't think you would want the dog too fast as of course more chance to blow articles and get confused with the crosstracks that are laid.

[Kayos and Havoc]

Reading your post again, I did not answer all your questions.

Some dogs can start tracking and be ready to certify in a few months, some take a year or 2. Each dog is different. If you think you may be ready for the test you need to find an AKC judge to certify you. If you pass the certification chances are very good you will pass the test.

Kayos took 15 months to earn her TD after I started tracking with her. But she was spayed, got sick, and we moved, so we probalby only trained 11 months. She was also VERY ready. I was certain of her preparation. She just earned her TDX last spring-- 2 1/2 years after her TD. Her TDX was earned on her second attempt which is good odds actually. Most dogs test 4 or 5 times before they pass the TDX. I lost at least a year training time with her as I was deployed. I guess my point is I want my dogs really ready. The entry is costly, the test is stressful and the better prepared the better chance of passing and the less stress you pass to the dog.

Handler aid is not really allowed. If you "guide" your dog you will fail. The dog has to track. Honestly on a blind track you really do not know where the track is. If you see a foot print or it so moist you can see the track - cool that is comforting to the handler but that is all! Don't guide the dog by leaning or pulling the line, the dog has to track. Guess what? you may see footprints and they may not be your track layer's either. There were cross tracks all over Kayos' TDX from 4 wheelers, hikers and a horse but the only one that mattered was the correct one. Don't second guess your dog, if you don't trust your dog to track you are not ready to test.

If you are hesitant about your ability to pass you may not be ready.

Just a few stats for you - not to scare you but so you realize how much work is involved.

The AKC TD has a 50% pass rate. The AKC TDX has a 19% pass rate. The AKC VST has a 9% pass rate those figures are from a tracking judge that just came out add did a seminar for us.

[chruby]

[quote
<span style="color: #000099">Most dogs test 4 or 5 times before they pass the TDX. I lost at least a year training time with her as I was deployed. I guess my point is I want my dogs really ready. The entry is costly, the test is stressful and the better prepared the better chance of passing and the less stress you pass to the dog.

The AKC TD has a 50% pass rate. The AKC TDX has a 19% pass rate. The AKC VST has a 9% pass rate those figures are from a tracking judge that just came out add did a seminar for us. [/quote]</span>

Yes, so true..TDX seems so much harder. Of the last two trials I was at and a total of 8 TDX trialed, only one passed and I happened to walk that track behind her. It was awesome to watch.

So Kathy, do you think it's fair to say that in a TD a dog can pass with some air scenting but for TDX the dog had better not do much of that or chances are the dog will not pass?

[Kayos and Havoc]

I don't really know the answer to that one. I do know if the dog is air scenting too much they can be pulled off the track and miss an article which will cause a failure. I think dogs can take in scent from the ground and the air and still pass. I can watch Kayos keep her nose to the track for 10 or 15 steps, raise it up a bit for 2 or 3 and put it back down. Is she air scenting or taking a break? I see it more in wet conditions on fresher tracks.

AKC does not really define how the dog should track as it is non competetitive. I just think a dog that tends to air scent a lot will miss turns and articles and the more complex the track the harder it is for the handler to do read scent loss indication and work the team back to a turn with any degree of accuracy.

When Kayos made her first certification attempt she was 13 months old and we failed it due to high wind and handler inexperience. She overshot the second turn as the wind really blew scent and I did not have the know how to methodically work her back to it. We had just moved here in the fall and we had never tracked in such wind. I made it a point to track in the wind from there out. The winds get very bad here in the spring and everytime it blew I took off work to run a track. We got very good at corners, working blown scent and working back to turns. Her next attempt 2 months later was fabulous in wind and driving rain. Her actual TD test conditions were beautiful, still with a bit of fog. I could see the track and I was fascinated to see her nose every single footprint. A week later we tested again just because the test did not fill and it was good experience. Much harder track and my work in wind and working back to turns and insistence on track discipline paid off. She passed again slow and steady!

[lhczth]

Thanks Kathy. The rules have changed since the last time I ran a TD. When did they add the article at the start on a TD? I should get out there and enter some tracking tests again.

[Kayos and Havoc]

Oh forgot.....

I have watched 19 TDX's and have seen one pass (Kayos and I). On the other hand Spokane Dog Training Club had a TDX last month. All but one dog passed. But those are the first passes they had in years. So who knows how the conditions work for the dog?