# Tracking Trial Training



## ChunksDad (Jan 6, 2014)

Having just read a thread with tracking issues in it I am curious about how a dog adjusts to the difference in tracks between an IPO1 and IPO2. It will no longer be my scent (Other than the articles) that my dog will be tracking on. How have your dogs adjusted to this and should I be using some one else to lay my tracks out before my December trial to get him ready?

Thanks for your input..

Phil


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## lsatov (Mar 29, 2011)

Hi Phil
Good question, I will give you the response I got when I asked the same question to my trainer. His answer was based on how my dog was trained for IPO tracking, the dog is not tracking your scent the dog has been taught to track change in vegetation whether that is sod, hay dirt etc..

In IPO2 trial you will not be using your articles. The track layer will be given the articles to use chosen by the judge. They will be new articles, and all the IPO2 dogs will use the same material of articles. 

I had no problem going from IPO1 to 2 in fact it was easier. I just had to follow the dog and not try to remember where I put the corners.

Good luck in December


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## LuvWorkingGSDs (Aug 24, 2008)

I agree with the previous post. It isn't the change in human scent that you need to worry about since your dog isn't tracking you so much as the ground disturbance. The biggest change tends to come with difference in track laying patterns....how heavy you are, how you stomp the ground, consistency in footsteps etc... You should practice with other track layers, just not for the reason initially mentioned.

Below is an excerpt from one of Armin Winkler's articles on tracking (with bold placed for emphasis by me): Only the NOSE really KNOWS Part 1

"Konrad Most conducted experiments in the early part of the last century, and documented the fact that the dog does in fact follow the scent of the disturbed environment more competently and more accurately than any potentially deposited human scent left behind by the track layer. The famous "tracking wheel" experiment he documented in 1917 made that point very clearly. No matter what the surface is,* it is the impact the tracklayer had on that surface that makes up the largest part of the scent for the dog*. The residual odors that are deposited on or near the track by the tracklayer add an individualized signature to the track that expert trackers can in fact identify. But for the purposes of teaching fundamentals we have to leave that part in the background and concentrate on the part of the track that makes up the majority of the scent and is also bound to the actual tracking surface. That is the scent created by the damage done to the surface."


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

You might want to have someone lay you a track. Doesn't have to be a blind track since this is training, but some dogs are funny about strange articles. Will give you a chance to help and reward if necessary.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I agree with Lisa...we have been prepping to trial the last week and the trainer/helper who is hosting the trial told everyone that having someone lay your track is only good if you know exactly where it goes. Strange articles, limited bait and someone else laying it(as well as letting the line out/trial picture) is enough to deal with if you don't know the track, it is not fair to the dog. 
I've been trying to do more 'trial picture' for the 3, aged longer, deeper cover as what we'll be trialing in, scent pad w/ no food and only a few food drops with articles that I never use.
Today was a humbling track for me.
I hope we can have better ones before we trial on Saturday...not to mention the environment changes.


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## ChunksDad (Jan 6, 2014)

Thanks to all for your input, I will try to take in all you have mentioned above. 
Onyx Girl, good luck in your trial as well.. Fortunately I have a month to prepare so if I do it correctly hopefully we will be ready...
Thanks again...

Phil


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

We ran a 2 track (we just competed in tracking) this spring. We gave the track layer our articles the night before. She would have used our articles on our track but inadvertently put mine on someone else's track and hers on ours. BTE2 was good with it. There were items near the track that weren't articles - she checked them and said "nope" then went back to tracking and found the articles like a champ. Her indication was to stand rather than lay down but I took it. (an indication is an indication & the handler was actually on top of it for once!)

I quit tracking for a week before a trial - ie I don't go to training the week before hand and I do nothing the week of the trial and only if we are having a problem the week before that. So you have a month. Don't over do it. Maybe have someone lay a couple of tracks for you with your articles but don't kill it.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

middleofnowhere said:


> We ran a 2 track (we just competed in tracking) this spring. We gave the track layer our articles the night before. She would have used our articles on our track but inadvertently put mine on someone else's track and hers on ours. BTE2 was good with it. There were items near the track that weren't articles - she checked them and said "nope" then went back to tracking and found the articles like a champ. Her indication was to stand rather than lay down but I took it. (an indication is an indication & the handler was actually on top of it for once!)


What kind of trial was that? The only level in USCA in which you are allowed to use your own tracking articles is IPO1/TR1.


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## ChunksDad (Jan 6, 2014)

Hi Middle.. Wise advice, I gave Chunk a 2 month break so that we could forget about tracking for a while. He came back thoroughly enjoying it and only having minor corrections to be made. We plan on not working out after his Monday or Tuesday work out in prep for his Saturday trial. I find that he is much more eager in protection if he has a couple of days rest.
Was your trial a WDA IPO trial or a USCA IPO trial? I too have never heard about the track layer using personal articles.. Just curious, nothing more..
Thanks again to all for your input.

Phil


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

DVG trial @ club level


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