# Tracking with Ruger (warning; kind of boring video)



## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

Here is a video of my dog Ruger tracking. It is not a really complex track. 3 legs, the first corner is only a slight angle change and the second corner is right turn. I make a couple of handling mistakes. At the first article, I checked him harder than I realized before I watched the video. At the second article, he walks it and I did not check him at all. He kind of paused at the article and I was trying to give him a chance to down on his own and he did not. At the last article (end of track) he downed on his own. At one point in the video, he looked back. This was in response to my son who stumbled some while videoing in the clumps of grass. I used food drops very randomly. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_F2BnkqV0Q


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Not bad. Cross grain in a mowed hay field can be difficult. Mostly just work on those articles. Lots of points. Remember to pick up your line before you tell your dog to track. Get him used to that. 

BTW, I rarely find tracking boring.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

Thanks for the critique. I will take your advice about picking up the line issue. Easy adjustment. We are working on the articles. He nailed the articles nicely this morning.


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## szariksdad (Jun 25, 2010)

Not bad at all, maybe keep a more even pressure on the leash not times where super loose and other times a little tight. For articles I have learned to leave it down in front of him and make that the dinner plate where he gets food from. Remember put as much value in the article as you want him to develop and he will never miss the article.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

szariksdad said:


> Not bad at all, maybe keep a more even pressure on the leash not times where super loose and other times a little tight. For articles I have learned to leave it down in front of him and make that the dinner plate where he gets food from. Remember put as much value in the article as you want him to develop and he will never miss the article.


I know I need to work on my own handling skills. He is hitting his articles about 70%. We will get there. Thanks for the input!


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## ChunksDad (Jan 6, 2014)

Not really boring to me... I am just learning about tracking and using food still. He has begun to search from step to step and get the treats but several time lately we have run into some ants.. The first time he toughed it out and ate the ants, after that he skips the treats.. I am really looking forward to his getting out of the food stage... Off to track tonite before training... Great film, I aspire to be where you are...
Thanks for the post..
Phil


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Line handling is not always easy to learn especially "by the rules" but you never want to lose points because of your mistakes.


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## szariksdad (Jun 25, 2010)

Chunks Dad, luckily we have no red ants here in CO but have other problems though. From people in Florida I have heard they do shorter tracks with only a few pieces of food for learning so they are not a problem but others here from Florida might say otherwise.

Rob one thing I would encourage while he is still learning is to reinforce the down at the article with a command right now so he remembers what he is supposed to be doing.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Hey Rob, did you do any work with the articles off the track?


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

Steve Strom said:


> Hey Rob, did you do any work with the articles off the track?


Steve, Yes. He is actually pretty good with articles but not 100% on the track. Getting there though. To train the articles I would lay them around the house and have him down at each article. I did this long before I started him on them at the track. When he was 100% on articles off the track I then started adding them to the track. He is doing pretty good. We will get there. I hate to make excuses because it just boils down to needing more training. Practice, Practice, Practice (for both of us).


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

When I introduced them on the actual track, it sounds like I do It similar to what the other poster mentioned. Its from Ivan, but I have some of those plastic soap containers like you use for camping, I start off with that at the end of some tracks, then I put the articles on those so the food is under the article.

He looks good, that cut, dry looking grass is probably difficult.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

Steve Strom said:


> When I introduced them on the actual track, it sounds like I do It similar to what the other poster mentioned. Its from Ivan, but I have some of those plastic soap containers like you use for camping, I start off with that at the end of some tracks, then I put the articles on those so the food is under the article.
> 
> He looks good, that cut, dry looking grass is probably difficult.


Yeah, I was kind of disappointed when I got to the field and saw that is was fresh cut. Sensory overload there but he did fine with the actual track. The articles were a little challenging for him for some reason. We will keep working at it. This is the field that the club uses. I have another field by my house that I practice at about every other day. It is much nicer and the articles are easier to find. This probably makes him a bit lazy. Thanks for the input!


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Thanks for the video. I enjoy watching them.


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## ChunksDad (Jan 6, 2014)

szariksdad.. Thanks for the input, I have a small pile of treats at the end of the 6-70 treat track. He has to platz when he gets to that point but it is usually during the devouring stage. I usually set up small pads along the way but haven't started to make him platz at those because there are just a few treats there.
We are about ready to start tracking on a grass field. If I can I will be getting to it on Saturday otherwise most tracking is done on soft sandy (Central Calif. dirt)
or hard pack before we go to training. (2-3x per week)
Any suggestions on how to get started on grass would be greatly appreciated, thanks.. 

Phil


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