# Where do you guys train tracking?



## gabyeddo (Aug 14, 2013)

I've tried to find lands to do tracking because my gardener told me not to do it at my lawn any more. He said it's too much traffic for grass. He told me to leave it alone at least one month. I drove past the empty land today and stopped to ask the landlord for permission to use his land for tracking in the morning, but still it's the dirt type of land. I still need to practice my dog on the grass too.
And here I want to ask you guy where do you practice tracking and how do you find land?


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

There are fields with search boxes the police use to do their k9 training that we occationaly use to teach dogs search and escort. I dont know where they are by you but they probably exist.


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## HarleyTheGSD (Feb 13, 2012)

There is a fairly large park right next door to me. I just set up a track whenever I have the time. It's usually empty.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I go to industrial parks, pastures(with owner permission) schools that allow dogs. I have a couple places that allow me to track, and try to stay away from public parks. I tracked at one that was really quiet during the morning week hours...until an elderly man came and started driving golf balls all over my track as it aged. I intruded on his area, he was a regular. I had to ask him permission to run my track after he walked all over it.
I try to stick with private land and go on as many surfaces as possible. Never know what we'll trial on. 
This is my "private" tracking grounds...the owner mows it in patches so I have different lengths to track on. I'm really fortunate that I have this to use.
Reward after tracking, is hunting for the ball I threw!









Many farmers with pasture grass won't allow you on their land...if they do, they don't want metal tracking flags used. If clubs get permission to use such property using wooden stakes or dowels for the markers is best. Metal can be dangerous if left in the field(harvesting) the cattle would be harmed if they ingest those flag fragments.


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## deacon (Sep 5, 2011)

I am retired military and live less than 5 minutes from the base. In addition I have an excellent repore with the K-9 section, they train with us weekly and allow us to use their facilities as well. I have all the grass, dirt and hard surfaces I need for my PSD teams to train on.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

Parks and other farm land that we have to hunt down and get permission to use.


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

You need a map of public walks Bike Trails, Walking Trails & Trail Maps | TrailLink you can drive to, or use public transport. You need a couple of friends to walk ahead of you to lay the track, or simply to walk so your dog can find them (it is better to start with someone your dog knows well). Or you can simply come to walk with your dog twice during the weekend, lay the track yourself. It is nice to have a manicured lawn, your dog needs it for different business.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I use sports fields at local parks but it's a pain, often they are in use or people stomp all over my tracks. Depending on the sports season, the ground might be clumps of clay and torn up grass (from cleats). My dog gets LOTS of turns in order to fit tracks in smaller spaces. I've scouted some farm land about 20-25 minutes away that would be nice but haven't yet been able to track down the owners and get permission. City tracking sucks unless you are doing little scent pads with a puppy!


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## ayoitzrimz (Apr 14, 2010)

I go early early, EARLY morning and use the cleanest area I can find in a local park. 

The downside is somebody probably played soccer/baseball/football there yesterday. The upside is I NEVER had to teach crosstracks lol 

At one point, we lived close to Fort Wadsworth which was just great! Lots of grass, and only one ball field. The rest was unused, until we found it! I think we had the best tracking there, and don't think we would have done so well on the 2 and 3 tracking without it

Basically I'll go at 5am, lay my track, go home, wait about an hour, get the dog, and run the track. Only a handful of times did I come back to a ruined track at that hour.

P.S. we used to live in NYC, now Denver. There are LOTS of nice places to track here hehe but totally different terrain.


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## ayoitzrimz (Apr 14, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> I go to industrial parks, pastures(with owner permission) schools that allow dogs. I have a couple places that allow me to track, and try to stay away from public parks. I tracked at one that was really quiet during the morning week hours...until an elderly man came and started driving golf balls all over my track as it aged. I intruded on his area, he was a regular. I had to ask him permission to run my track after he walked all over it.
> I try to stick with private land and go on as many surfaces as possible. Never know what we'll trial on.
> This is my "private" tracking grounds...the owner mows it in patches so I have different lengths to track on. I'm really fortunate that I have this to use.
> Reward after tracking, is hunting for the ball I threw!
> ...


I can't tell you how jealous I am  That used to be the vegetation we tracked on but it was never nearly this nice. Now we have lots of dirt to track on but no grass!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

ayoitzrimz said:


> I go early early, EARLY morning and use the cleanest area I can find in a local park.
> 
> The downside is somebody probably played soccer/baseball/football there yesterday. The upside is I NEVER had to teach crosstracks lol
> 
> ...



You're good! I'm so not an early bird! Also most of the places I use are closed dusk-dawn so if it's too early (depends on time of year) I can't get in or will be sent away  I've got one field where I work that's a decent size and isn't used a whole lot but it's tricky fitting in tracks when they often linger for 2 weeks!


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Park, schools, my own land.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

ayoitzrimz said:


> I can't tell you how jealous I am  That used to be the vegetation we tracked on but it was never nearly this nice. Now we have lots of dirt to track on but no grass!


the conditions in that photo was the best it ever was...dries up in a couple days with no rain. I love late spring conditions. I haven't been able to track since early in December, we've had deep snowcover ever since.


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## ayoitzrimz (Apr 14, 2010)

Liesje said:


> You're good! I'm so not an early bird! Also most of the places I use are closed dusk-dawn so if it's too early (depends on time of year) I can't get in or will be sent away  I've got one field where I work that's a decent size and isn't used a whole lot but it's tricky fitting in tracks when they often linger for 2 weeks!


haha yea I've always been the lark in my family. With that said, kudos to you for finding a way to get tracking done your way. It's really hard in a city. I always believe in listening to your body. Some people work best early in the morning others late in night. Working against your body is an uphill battle. I know I work best between 6 and 10am and I know I'm not nearly as sharp later in the day so I try to get as much coding (I'm a developer) done early in the morning and do the "administrative" (aka mindless boring stuff) after 3pm.

I know a lady that tracks on the median of the highway! Her husband drops her off and circles around while she lays the track. then they go get coffee and come back, drop off the handler and dog, and then the husband circles around while they track. You do what you have to to reach your goals I suppose


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