Tracking and water - myth?

[BlackPuppy]

Okay, remember watching movies where somebody was trying to escape the tracking dogs and they'd wade upstream in a creek or river to throw the dogs off the scent?

Well, I just assumed that's true because my girl can't track worth a darn if there are puddles. And where I track the puddles are big!

So, what can I really expect when there are puddles? Or what should I require when tracking in very wet conditions? Somebody just told me that my dog should learn to track through water!

[Kayos and Havoc]

Some water will freshen the scent. A heavy dew holds the scent in the moisture. Water will hold scent, cadaver dogs can find a body under water.

Puddles tend to have the scent adhere to the edges so you may see your girl work the edge of the puddle.

[Amaruq]

If that is true then I guess Phoenix and Chimo are K9 Mythbusters. In the past I have run BOTH of them on tracks where there were 30 paces or more up "creek". They both cast a little bit from bank to bank but they also both fully submerged their noses under water at the point where the track went in and they both selected the correct direction and both of them hit the footprint in the mud coming out of the water. They were both pretty experienced in tracking before I worked them UP the creek.

If she is food motivated I would drop a couple hot dogs in the water in each footstep so she will learn to work THROUGH the water.

[Malinoid]

Carole,

If you're Tracking in the AKC style, or Trailing (SAR or LE) then puddles, even pretty big ones won't be too much of an obstacle for a dog that has some basic tracking training/experience.

For Schutzhund style tracking, big puddles can create some problems in how precise the dog follows the track, but if trained properly & depending on where the dog is in training, the dog should still be able to find the scent & follow the track. That being said, I wouldn't 'teach' tracking to a new dog in areas that have lots of standing water.

John Haudenshield

[BlackPuppy]

Originally Posted By: Amaruqthey also both fully submerged their noses under water at the point where the track went in and they both selected the correct direction and both of them hit the footprint in the mud coming out of the water.

Wow, that's impressive. I'm just starting tracking again after about a year off. But I just remember her looking at me as if to say, "Are you crazy, it's raining and there's nothing here but water!"

Sounds like we need some more training. We're going to tracking "school" tomorrow, for 5 days of tracking training with an AKC tracking judge. I'm really looking forward to it.

I guess I'll stop believing everything I see in the movies.

[Kayos and Havoc]

Oh cool that should be a lot of fun for you! Who is the judge???

[Amaruq]

That WOULD be fun!

[umzilla]

Always with pictures....

Here are a few ways I train for water. I do make a point to track in the rain. I have a waterproof tracking line, which makes it more pleasant -- I'm not a big fan of being out in the rain to begin with, and having a soaked line makes it worse. Also, depending on the type track I'm doing, I might choose to put rewards inside little containers dropped on the track, rather than leaving bait out soaking up the rain.

Sometimes if I know it's going to rain, I'll lay a dry track, and then run it after it has started to rain. Other times I will lay and run the track in the rain. Other times I'll lay the track in the rain and wait until it stops to run it.

Sometimes after a hard rain, the next day I'll search out some standing water and cross thru those areas. This is Fritz in the photos.





This drainage ditch had a concrete bottom and the water was moving ever so slightly.



Endless variety out there.

Christine