# Finding tracking fields - SoCal



## nathalie1977 (Sep 4, 2006)

I live in suburban Orange County and the only option I have for dirt tracking (which is most of the tracking done in SoCal) is to pay $15 to go a dog activity park... which I can't do 4-5 times a week.

I have been doing a lot of grass tracking but now the grass is short and dry because it's summer, so I'm trying to go to dirt now.

I know some of you live near rural areas and you're lucky enough to have a ton of fields available... but if you're in the city or the suburbs, how do you find places to track? Driving around Southern California seems like an impossible task.


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## jesusica (Jan 13, 2006)

Use google maps satellite view to scope out potential places, then do a drive by.

Not likely to be the case by you on this large a scale but one of my favorite tracking places nearby (a mere 2 mile drive) is a church. They have a large amount of property for being in the city, enough to hold a decent sized trial and we can track at that same location every day of the week but never cross tracks. I go to parks that aren't too popular as well. I am actually very spoiled for a city dweller when it comes to tracking. I have many options within 5 miles of me.


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## jesusica (Jan 13, 2006)

And there's nothing wrong with dead grass. That's what 95% of our tracking is on because hey, it's Texas and it's effing hot with no rain.  We get about 4 weeks of perfect tracking per year and then everything is dead because it's too cold or dead because it's hot.


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## Vandal (Dec 22, 2000)

Industrial Parks sometimes have large grass areas that are maintained. Also, there are all those small neighborhood parks they have inserted into the middle of alot of the newer housing developments here in So CA... ...or you can do what I did and buy a disc attachment for your tractor and disc the back yard.







My yard is maybe a little bigger than yours but if you're really desperate.....


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Dirt, I'm not sure. Our TD suggested finding office/business/industrial "parks" for large grassy spaces. Luckily I have enough choice on our property and area schools and churches.


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## jesusica (Jan 13, 2006)

Slightly off topic, anyone else find themselves judging the niceness of a new city you visit by the amount of tracking you see as you drive through?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: jesusicaSlightly off topic, anyone else find themselves judging the niceness of a new city you visit by the amount of tracking you see as you drive through?


Haha, no but I did tell DH if he got multiple job offers my pick would be based on SchH clubs and trials. But I suppose that was before we started heavily tracking...


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## nathalie1977 (Sep 4, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: jesusicaSlightly off topic, anyone else find themselves judging the niceness of a new city you visit by the amount of tracking you see as you drive through?


YES! I love Ventura! Went there for my trial and my goodness, soooooooooooo many fields!


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## nathalie1977 (Sep 4, 2006)

Yeah, we usually resort to the grassy areas in the industrial fields... just few are big enough to lay tracks with corners and such







I think I'll try the Google Maps suggestion.


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## bergwanderkennels (Mar 26, 2009)

Thanks for this topic! I will keep everything in mind myself if and when we return back to the states. 
I feel so bad as when we were in the states last I was so use to tracking on dirt that the group I was with did there's mostly on grass that I did complain a little too much! then we moved back to germany and where we live now and the first club I joined (Boxer club) did tracking every week on grass! Wow did I not feel stupid but I have learned(Thanks Mr Flinks) how to lay a good track on grass.! 

I do my tracking mostly on glider plane fields during the summer then in fall and spring we move to plowed fields. . (O.k but then again this is after all Germany. )


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## Technostorm (May 24, 2009)

There is a huge grassy park with not so many people during the weekdays and some parts are well lit at night. Its call the Whittier Narrows or Lake Lake just off the 605+60. Its about 40min drive from OC but the park is huge and there are short manicured grasses and long unaltered grasses as well. There's also a shooting range closeby where you can literally walk your dog to to get them accustomed to gunfire. Then, there is a dirt field where the radio flyers goes to play. There are gas stations located near each exit. 

There are also a few lakes and during the afternoon to night, it can get breezy as well so perfect for comlicated tracking works. You DO want to a can of MACE just in case you stay late at night as its sometime a hangout for local gangs but they normally just hang in the parking lots. Gangs mainly being bullies are scared of K-9s.. So you can easily train for "Gib Laut!" and "Vorous!" LOL..


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## nathalie1977 (Sep 4, 2006)

I think I'll go while it's still light out LOL but I will definitely check it out. Thanks!!!


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## GSD4LIFE21 (Mar 8, 2007)

Where in so cal are you looking at? I am in Lancaster and there are some nice grassy parks in our city. One in particular that our club trains at is Tera Bonita park, huge grassy feilds, several of them as its a decent sized park. The grass is really nicely kept too.


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## nathalie1977 (Sep 4, 2006)

I live in North OC, Anaheim/Fullerton area.

I lucked out in finding 3 dirt fields near office buildings. Went yesterday and luckily they were turned and everything. Downside is by 8 AM the crows were out in full force sampling from the tracks LOL.


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## bergwanderkennels (Mar 26, 2009)

We have the same problem here in Germany with the crows.One answer was to instead of baiting normal to use small containers filled with food as a reward or as Bernhard Flinks said just use your dogs normal ration of dry food.


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