# First Lesson in Tracking: What to Expect?



## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

We're going to our first lesson in tracking on Sunday. 
I'd like us both to be somewhat familiar with what we'll be doing on the first lesson... Can anyone offer any pointers on what we should work on or what Jax should already know?
The trainer gave me some homework and some habits to start/stay away from... 
All he really knows so far is come, sit, down and dead.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

I bet you guys will just do a scent pad. If it's a scent pad you really don't need to do anything other than walk Jax to the pad and then just stand back and watch. Jax will do that rest  Well, that and not don't feed Jax that morning.


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## Andy-jr. (Mar 1, 2010)

I agree, don't feed him that morning. You should ask your trainer if you should bring anything like hotdogs or any type of food for tracking. I would get a flag, when the dog sees the flag he will know it's time for tracking. When I started tracking my trainer told me to put food in every foot step. Keep telling him good boy and to track or what ever word you're going to use as a command. At the end of the track I always put more food at the end as a type of reward. Hope that helps some, good luck and have fun.


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## HMV (May 17, 2010)

Andy-jr. said:


> When I started tracking my trainer told me to put food in every foot step. Keep telling him good boy and to track or what ever word you're going to use as a command. At the end of the track I always put more food at the end as a type of reward. Hope that helps some, good luck and have fun.


Yeah, that's basically how everyone starts. The key is to keep a short but lose leash at first, lead the dogs nose with your finger and make sure he doesn't miss any of the food. When I do it after the larger amount of food at the end I sometimes place a ball about a couple of yards after it, sometimes I don't, just to give the dog an extra bonus and keep it unaware of if its finished or not.


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## Sarah'sSita (Oct 27, 2001)

I am not doing scent pads with my puppy. I have been doing circles. I put the tracking flag down and extra bait at the flag. I am not pointing, guiding or anything. There is food in every footstep and the circle is about 200 paces now. Pele has to find the track and work out all the scent. Circle seems to work and Pele gets the wind from all directions. There is no conflict from me. I just watch him Its not pretty but he is learning on his own to be efficient and methodical and he experiences loss of scent without much stress.. I do not add more bait at the end nor do I play at the end. This has created hectic fast tracking in my older dog. The track itself is the reward. He works the track hard. We quit when he is done and or the bait is gone. I have no idea what the final product will be as this is a newer technique I am using. Its hard for me not to guide, restrict and mess with him as he learns endurance in his concentration and solving the scenting challenges. This method has been popularized recently by Ivan Balabanov. We'll see!


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

We did circles too and then we connected the circles


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