Tracking with dogs

[Spaniel man]

I wonder if anyone else has had any experience of tracking with dogs?
I have two spaniels, one male and one female. The female is a bit of a hunter, great on the gun, flushing and retreiving, very quick, but a 'sight' dog rather than a 'nose' dog. The male is different, I take him out when I am tracking.He is a 'nose' dog. He is also more controlable when around wildlife, i.e. doesn't go charging off after anything that moves!
I find the extra set of eyes and ears a great benefit when on the trail of something.
When tracking slowly he will stay behind me, but occaisionally when I have lost the signs, I can 'cast' him ahead to pick up the scent. He zig zags about 5-10m ahead with his nose to the ground, when he smells something his head lifts and he changes direction. 9 times out of 10, when i check the area where he has done this, I can pick up the lost track, and he falls in behind me again. I frequently track deer, fox, and especially otter and mink along the River Otter, and have got really close to all of them, despite having a dog with me. I'd love to hear from anyone who has similar experience with their dog/dogs. Having said all that, I think that if I was to be tracking tennis balls, his behavior might be a bit different!!

 

[Rhoda]

Wow, sounds like a great dog and gives me hope! I have been thinking about getting a dog lately but have been worried that I would have trouble when out tracking keeping the dog under control and stopping it from treading all over the tracks and/or chasing away the wildlife. I guess in depends on the dog and the owner but it sounds like you have a fantastic animal there. I was tempted by your puppy already, now I am seriously considering it!

 

[sam_acw]

Is it trained or instinctive?

 

[BigShot]

Further to Sam's question...

If it is trained - how? I'd love a dog that was so well behaved and useful.
That said, I'd just love a dog! Haha.

 

[Spaniel man]

To answer that question, He is partly trained, partly instinctive. Many times I have been out walking him, and got sidetracked by some interesting tracks. As i have slowed down to start reading the sign, he picked up on that and started walking close to me and paying more attention to my actions. I thought it would be a good idea to build on that behaviour, and trained him to use his nose to help me track. It wasn't really hard, he's a clever dog and picked up on what I wanted him to do in only a few 'walks'.

 

[SMARTY]

That sounds like a great dog you have there. In the army we used dogs to help us when tracking. We did find that a dog can get tired quite quickly. Also they have no tactical awareness either!!!! It was covered in detail on the tracking instructors course (jungle tracking) Mountain rescue, police forces and other organisations use dogs of course. The dog sound like a real asset for your tracking. Do reward it or does it do it with out reward?

 

[Spaniel man]

To cover the last comment, some dogs do get tired quickly, but spaniels seem to have bottomless pits of energy and enthusiasm! My dogs will keep going long after I've had enough! As for tactical awareness, a good dog will read behaviour from its handler and if he is acting quietly and cautiously, he should do the same, if well trained. Also I haven't stumbled into many armed deer ambushes recently!

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Tiredness

My parents lab could do many munros with a bite of banana, grantie ones inflamed his pads though. SARDA use collies as aparently Labs would stop at a cornice rather than jump off and keep following the scent like a collie.

I would love to have the instinctive Pyrenean Mtn Dog.
http://scottishcaneoing.blogspot.com/2008/08/after-driving-up-mont-ventoux-mont.html

Nick

 

[woof]

Interesting topic, regarding the fitness level, walking the munros is one thing but tracking is different, just try breathing deeply through your nose for a couple of minutes, and see how tired you feel !.

Seems that you have a good dog there, do you know of a bitch with similar abilities ?, the litter would be interesting.

 

[Buckshot]

I'm sure most of the shooting breeds would be able to be trained to track.
Spaniels would be best for it as they're more of a hunting dog, Labs are more of a retriever - although both breeds will cross over of course.
I think the key to any training is to build on the natural instinct of the dog, and make it fun.

My dogs know the difference between me doing my rounds, a pheasant shoot day and when I'm deer stalking. As you say they pick up on the owner and act accordingly.

Rhoda, a dog will be as unruley (or not) as the owner allows.

Have fun tracking with him.

Mark

The other thing is a dog gives you someone(thing) to share the joys of being outside with...

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Interesting topic, regarding the fitness level, walking the munros is one thing but tracking is different, just try breathing deeply through your nose for a couple of minutes, and see how tired you feel !.

Seems that you have a good dog there, do you know of a bitch with similar abilities ?, the litter would be interesting.

Dogs are scenting and sniffing all the time. Wether sitting in the garden watching you wash the car or out on the hill. It's natural for them. You can't compare human breathing to dogs, totally different anatomy.

Nick

 

[amott69]

Hi all thought i would add my penny's worth i also track with my dog and to be honest i probably would not get to track that much if it was not for her as she's the best excuse for getting out every night and doing what i love. I've got a yellow lab and she's all nose. To start with she was a pain in the **** chasing everything i tracked and running through every track i found but as she's matured she's become briliant she will stay behind me now when she know's i'm looking at sign and if i let her she will scout ahead and pick up the trail ahead of me, then if she see's me sit down she will come back and sit with me and stay with me until i let her go again. She will sit happily with me watching deer or just lay down when i do my sit spots.But a word of caution dogs need to be trained and it takes time, enjoy the time with your dog and she/he will reward you.Rhoda i was at spaniel mans house the weekend that puppy is going to be a great dog, if my other half loved dogs as much as me that little boy would be living in oxford now.

 

[Spaniel man]

Spot on mate, you hit the nail on the head! Training, training, and more training! It does take time, but be patient and start as early as possible. I started training my first dog (the male) from about 12 weeks. It helps to have a good dog in the first place, this comes down to breed selection and breeding stock. It helps to spend a little time with BOTH the parents to see if they behave how you want them to. If you find the right puppy, then start training as soon as you can as this strengthens the bond between you and the dog. This is important in developing the connection, that will allow you to pick up on the subtleties of their behaviour, and the dog to pick up on your own actions. Once you are at that point, you'll have a great companion and an asset to whatever it is you do when 'out and about'. Not to mention a damm good excuse to be out in the woods!
Sorry you couldn't have him mate, couldn't think of a better home for him.

 

[Rhoda]

Rhoda i was at spaniel mans house the weekend that puppy is going to be a great dog, if my other half loved dogs as much as me that little boy would be living in oxford now.

Hoping to have a look at him next week, have convinced my other half (didn't take long once he saw the pics!!)

 

[woof]

Hi, i do understand that there is a difference between the anatomy of dogs and humans, but was trying to get across(not succesfully) that a dog once deployed in a search capacity will suffer nasal fatigue requiring the dog to be stood down, for a period.

Sensing and smelling in the garden is the same as you or i reading a newspaper, as compared to reading a long and complex piece of say, legal paper work which you would require a break from.

The point of my original thread was that fitness does'nt affect how long you can study, or in a dogs case sniff for.

Thanks for listning, and i hope i've got my point across.

 

[Andyre]

that a dog once deployed in a search capacity will suffer nasal fatigue requiring the dog to be stood down, for a period..

You are right with the comment of nasal fatigue, a friend of mine works two search dogs
( they are used for very detailed searching) and can only work them for about 20-30 mins before resting them and using the other dog. It is also why dogs snort when they are sniffing scent as it clears the nose and stops "sensory overload"

 

[amott69]

Having served in a search team in NI in the 80's i do have a bit of experience with search dogs. 4 UDR would work one lab for anything up to 4-5 hours, but dogs are very much the same as us they can be tracked out in 10 minute or just not want to do it at all.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Hi, i do understand that there is a difference between the anatomy of dogs and humans, but was trying to get across(not succesfully) that a dog once deployed in a search capacity will suffer nasal fatigue requiring the dog to be stood down, for a period.

Sensing and smelling in the garden is the same as you or i reading a newspaper, as compared to reading a long and complex piece of say, legal paper work which you would require a break from.

The point of my original thread was that fitness does'nt affect how long you can study, or in a dogs case sniff for.

Thanks for listning, and i hope i've got my point across.

You are right, a drug dog, King Charles I think, sniffed me and some Goths at Glasgow Central a few weeks ago, it then disappeared for 5 imns then cmae back and then disappeared again. I spoke to the handler, a transport officer, who explained you have to give the dog break. So yes not 100% all the time.

Nick

 

[sam_acw]

I'm looking at getting a dachshund for this type of thing - they're easily the most popular type of dogs here and still pretty well used as a working breed for trailing. I could be tempted by a terrier but they don't really seem to have a working terrier tradition over here.

 

[BorderReiver]

I'm sure most of the shooting breeds would be able to be trained to track.
Spaniels would be best for it as they're more of a hunting dog, Labs are more of a retriever - although both breeds will cross over of course.
I think the key to any training is to build on the natural instinct of the dog, and make it fun.

My dogs know the difference between me doing my rounds, a pheasant shoot day and when I'm deer stalking. As you say they pick up on the owner and act accordingly.

Rhoda, a dog will be as unruley (or not) as the owner allows.
Have fun tracking with him.

Mark

The other thing is a dog gives you someone(thing) to share the joys of being outside with...

Unless it's an entire, adolescent male.