Basic imprinting and training There are many, highly successful, imprinting and training methods. I tend to use a method based on what I learned many years ago from our European friends. I start a puppy from a very young age with morning and evening feeds from a “scent pad” around a tracking pole. I do this until the puppy understands this is a place where he gets fed. I then slowly bring in the idea of footprint tracking through a very well defined track using extremely frequent food drops. At the end of the track I have a further “scent pad” baited with food (the balance of the meal). Lengths of track, and food frequency, are thereafter dictated by the progress and attitude of the dog. One thing I have changed over the years is that I now like to have more pressure from the dog into the line than in the past- this helps me to influence the dog in a trial situation and also, in the early training, to use the leash to “guide” the dog from footprint t o footprint. (Thinking of the line as a solid rod helps with the concept).
What I am aiming for is a confident, intensive, committed and methodical approach to the work. It is important to state that it is unlikely that this will be the outcome unless the handler is skilled and familiar with the role he must play in the learning process; all dogs can, and will, follow scent; I believe, however, that to work in the manner we require is somewhat alien to the dogs nature, and, therefore, has to be trained. I will consider handler input in later in the article.
Introducing Turns I believe that changes in direction should initially not be an “intrusive” event for the young dog, but something that he does as a matter of course; if the turn is introduced in a manner consistent with a human changing direction in a normal way+, rather than a 90 degree turn on the spot (I have seen some people almost make another scent pad doing this) the dog should not really notice. Of course, it will be necessary to introduce the dog to the behaviour of different tracklayers as you progress, and also begin the process of problem solving when things go amiss. This is very important, and is becoming a fine art amongst top competitors; some of the tracking performances I witnessed at the four WUSV’s I attended have been awesome in this respect. Basically, a common problem seen with dogs from novice handlers is that they are too “free” during the tracking phase, particularly when they have deviated from the track. By this I mean that they are happy to search about in a non concentrated and undisciplined way, reverting to typical canine behaviour akin to being out for a walk under little control. Such behaviour has its roots in poor basic training. This is very costly in terms of points (and peace of mind/stress levels!). |
Article location again, there are many different ways of doing this; I have always used a simple one; when the dog is confident in his work, I introduce an article and command the dog to down (he must be aware of the meaning of this command). I learn the dog to be stable and calm in this position. I always use food to reward, either in the immediate following footstep or, on occasion, from the handler. I have heard many people criticise this method, but it has always worked for me. I do not use excessive pressure to reinforce the command in the beginning, and, if the dog anticipates the article by downing early in the learning phase, do not correct him, merely encourage him to his “place” lying with the  article between his paws- I feel that the dog should see this position as a place of high security. It is an interesting perspective of some that the dog should be motivated during the track not by the likelihood of finding food, but by location of the article, which is security, and also offers the association of food reward. Teaching article location and indication is not really tracking, and therefore can also be taught quite easily away from the track.
Proofing; Let us be clear; tracking in the schutzhund context, as my friend the late, lamented Paul Gavin once observed to me, is nothing more than obedience on a 10 metre line. 15 years ago, he was ridiculed for promoting this perspective by the mainly working trials aficionados that at the time were at the pinnacle of the sport in the UK. But he was right, as the success of myself and others in the last few years has evidenced. Ninety nine per cent of the time, more so at qualification trial level, we are not challenging our dog’s ability during the track- we are requiring that he conduct himself in the desired manner we have taught him. It is not difficult for him, just a choice he has to make. The difficult part is getting the dog to understand that he has no other viable option than to comply, and then to work with determination, confidence and consistency. He must perceive that the track is a place of security and potential reward, and that to deviate from the track is to become less secure. This is proofing, which is the most difficult part of the process, and worthy of a great deal of consideration; for it is where the real experience, skill and ability of the handler/trainer kicks in, and all dogs are different. I recently attended a seminar in the UK by the great American trainer Wallace Payne, who offered some very stimulating and thought provoking ideas on this subject. I would recommend that any reader of this article, if offered the chance to attend one of Wallace’s’ seminars, take the opportunity to do so.
There is no doubt that stress is a factor in this process, but it need not be extreme, or beyond the capacity of most participants in the sport. For me, it starts with gentle guidance and correction at a very early age; the puppy is not allowed to career off down the track at his own pace, he must work to my rules. I also like my dog to understand that to deviate from the track is to feel some stress, and that the way out of the stress is to get back on the track. If this basic understanding is imparted successfully at an early stage, careful, measured problem solving is simply a matter of experience and time. It need not be an intrusive, harsh or negative experience; indeed I consider that such training methods are counter productive, for, in all phases of the sport, our dogs should work securely and see a way out of the stress they occasionally encounter. One very common fault of handlers and trainers in the UK in my opinion is that they “protect” their dogs too much in training. By this I mean that training does not reflect situations encountered in trials. In a trial there is no food on the track; the handler is on the end of a 10 metre line where it is difficult to encourage or support the dog; the trial may be in a strange area, and require waiting/ walking, and involve an impartiality test etc. If you don’t ever do this in training, why on earth are people surprised when the dog acts as though it has never tracked before in its life? Also, if the handler feels stress themselves as a consequence of such perceived (by them!) difficulties, that stress will be picked up by the dog, with often dire outcomes in terms of performance- such a situation cannot promote security in your canine friend! A less common fault I have noticed is the use of pressure by individuals who have no understanding, or awareness, of the necessity that the dog perceives a way out of pressure/stress situations through desired behaviour. This can lead to such nonsensical comments as “the dog is disobeying me” etc. The outcome is generally an animal that will not track, or evidences severe pressure during work. More and more, such work is penalised by knowledgeable Judges; Gunther Diegal has said that a dog must track with enthusiasm and willingness, and it appears to me that most Judges have taken heed of this doctrine. |
Maintainance By this term I mean keeping a dog at the level of performance whi ch you desire- and sometimes this can be more difficult than getting there! It is very, very easy to get into a pattern of “training” where you are simly satisfying your own anxieties and not meeting the training needs of your dog. This is a very common problem with inexperienced handlers- the words “I’ve got to go tracking” I hear so many times- if you then ask, what are you trying to achieve or improve, you will often be met with a blank stare! Quality, not quantity, is the key word here. All dogs have different needs, so it is not possible to generalise on this; however, have a plan, stick to it, monitor and assess your progress and don’t shy away from asking experienced, competent peers what they see! Also, recognise your own anxieties and shortcomings, and never, ever train to benefit an audience……..
Handler Input Of all the phases, tracking seems to be the one (at least at club level here in the UK) where handler mistakes contribute to poor trial performance and failure. As noted above, this can be as a consequence of stress and anxiety from both the handler and dog; appropriate, relevant training can reduce the damage caused by this almost inevitable situation, as can trial preparation, KNOWING THE RULES, and the expectations of the Judge/Trial etiquette.
Handler influence and guidance for the dog in the training phases is also vital; this is often evidenced when an experienced tracking trainer takes the line from a novice, and the picture presented by the dog is suddenly transformed. Effective line handling and imposition of both negative and positive influence is essential in Schutzhund tracking. What I would suggest to novices in the sport is to take every opportunity to observe effective training, don’t be shy in asking questions and leave your ego at home. |
