# Introducing Age to the Track



## gsdluvr (Jun 26, 2012)

Hi All!

Due to the fact that tracking spots are VERY limited, I have had to get in and out quickly...lol!

So, I realize in all this time, I've never aged a track more than 5 minutes!!

How do you like to introduce the age? TIA:smile2:


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Just let it age. add more time as you have success. Personally, probably due to genetics, age has never made a difference to my dog. I think he tracks better if it's aged.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

There is smell in the air that dissipates after about the first 30 mins, if I remember correctly what I have been told. And the older the track the less air scenting seems my dog does, but of course he is not doing IPO tracking although he is pretty accurate to the track.

I have added age just like every other change or challenge, gradually and reducing if necessary if the dog struggles. Mine has done 5 hr tracks and i think thats the oldest he has done. TDX is 3-5 hrs so i have veen trying to prep him for as old as it might be.

Due to heat I have been strongly considering laying a track late in the evening and running it first thing in the morning so he can get a good aged track when it is still cool enough to work. I have not done it yet.

We have been focusing on cross tracks and getting the age right so he learns to disti guish what it will be for the test. His first cross track threw him because my track was too old too soon to go along with the cross track and so i backed it up where mine was 3 hrs and he has done great, so I will now incrementally increase my track back to 5.

I've heard after 3 it isn't that different to the dog.

Mine seemed to do better on older tracks with taller cover, I think the taller grass maybe traps more scent. So I take into account the weather, the height of the grass or other cover, and how that effects difficulty, when I decide how long to age that day so it is in line with wgatbi think he will be successful with


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## gsdluvr (Jun 26, 2012)

Not sure what's going on with her, but I had a chance to age the track today. I waited 15 minutes. She was very sloppy. Don't know if it was the wind or what. I just kind of figured it was the time?

So maybe adding up to 10 minutes to start and increasing as she gets better?


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

gsdluvr said:


> Not sure what's going on with her, but I had a chance to age the track today. I waited 15 minutes. She was very sloppy. Don't know if it was the wind or what. I just kind of figured it was the time?
> 
> So maybe adding up to 10 minutes to start and increasing as she gets better?


I would consider other factors like grass height, temp, moisture, wind speed and direction, and see if something else made it much harder. i wouldnt expect 15 mins to made a big difference but if youve only ever done it one way then a change can throw them. If there was another big factor like wind I'd try the same age with no wind and see what happens. But yeah if the dog is struggling keep going backwards to the place where they did well and then move forward in smaller increments is usually my go-to

I tracked for my first two months or something and he was really doing it and doing his first turns and generally thought we were doing awesome, then they mowed the fields down and he was lost for one or two sessions. Then he bounced right back.


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## gsdluvr (Jun 26, 2012)

Yes. Kind of disappointing. i thought we were ready for our TR-1 pretty soon. I guess not.:frown2:


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

they have off days. If you are going to age it more, take a step back and put down more food. Change of conditions such as tire tracks? more food. When you up the game, you hve to put down more food to make them successful.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Something else to remember about having not let your tracks age, the routine of not waiting for her. Waiting now is going to throw her off a little.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I started putting the line under Seger's back leg today. He wouldn't start the track. That change made him question if he was correct in going forward. and then the first leg of the first track was crap because he was unsure at the start.


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## gsdluvr (Jun 26, 2012)

Steve Strom said:


> Something else to remember about having not let your tracks age, the routine of not waiting for her. Waiting now is going to throw her off a little.


YES!! It's weird! I was just now thinking that too! She is used to getting to work faster!! And i DID notice much more anxiety when we finally got to the start. Super impatient!

Usually, I take her out of the car and walk to the flag nicely..LOL!

Today, I took her out and walked around did some OB and sat down to wait. Far from our usual routine.


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## gsdluvr (Jun 26, 2012)

Jax08 said:


> they have off days. If you are going to age it more, take a step back and put down more food. Change of conditions such as tire tracks? more food. When you up the game, you hve to put down more food to make them successful.


Yes this too.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Start a routine. the same routine you will use on trial day. I lay my tracks, go let him out to pee and put him back. I then take my tracking line and hook it to the crate while he watches me stretch it out. I'll toss a few pieces of food in the crate. Go Wait. 

When I get him, it's the same thing. Collars on. Hook the line. Take my ball and do the same obedience routine. Then I have him under control and his brain is with me. Put the ball away and walk to the flag. I shake the imaginary judges hand and say, "Michelle and Seger reporting in for IPO tracking. My dog will indicate the article by pointing it out."

Every single thing you do tells them what the next step is.


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## gsdluvr (Jun 26, 2012)

Jax08 said:


> Start a routine. the same routine you will use on trial day. I lay my tracks, go let him out to pee and put him back. I then take my tracking line and hook it to the crate while he watches me stretch it out. I'll toss a few pieces of food in the crate. Go Wait.
> 
> When I get him, it's the same thing. Collars on. Hook the line. Take my ball and do the same obedience routine. Then I have him under control and his brain is with me. Put the ball away and walk to the flag. I shake the imaginary judges hand and say, "Michelle and Seger reporting in for IPO tracking. My dog will indicate the article by pointing it out."
> 
> Every single thing you do tells them what the next step is.


Yes. I definitely will. New schedule to get used to.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Let every track age at least 20mins and think about how a trial is run. Try laying a 15 step leg before your scent pad and calmly take her from the car to the beginning of that and down her on it. See if you can settle her down there before she begins the track. You can point to a footstep and calmly pay her for sniffing it. If you can settle her down there and cue her there that she's going to be tracking, that will help with waiting for the judge, and gaining some concentration away from cars, people, and other dogs. Don't track alone very often. Have someone walk the track with you and check in with them as many times as possible.

(Jax types faster then me, but we're making the same basic point)


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## Bentwings1 (May 29, 2017)

The cowboy girl,
Aging tracks. Our tracking was all done in the south. It was always hot and humid and more than a little rain. I often laid tracks on my way home from work then ran them just before dark. Sat. Tracks were laid early morning. Then about noon or so I lay another. Then go get the dog and run the first track. Then we did obedience and protection. Usually some time in the early evening we do the second long track. Sun it was the same but no obedience or protection. Instead we would do the AD bike ride in the early evening.

Eventually I would lay tracks on the way to work then run them after work. We did many overnight tracks too as you suggested. You just have to work up to then. Keep accurate records so you can judge the dog’s progress. The rule was don’t make too big of step until rock sure of your current level. Once the dog gets used to tracking anytime he gets more confident. Then you can make the track more difficult. IE bigger steps, mixed big steps then short steps, offset steps, terrain changes, weather. At first make the cross tracks say half hour or more different than the main track. Even make the main track a little easier with closer steps. Eventually try and put a crossing step directly between main steps then exactly on a main step. An angled cross track can be very difficult until the dog works it out himself. You need to set this up carefully so the dog notices but follows the main track. I rewarded this immediately even though it interrupted the track. Then set the dog on the correct track. From then on he would notice the angle track and maybe stop then self start and continue.

When cross tracks get closer than about 15 minutes the dog will probably have difficulty. He has to be pretty intense and very experienced to beat this problem. Even wolves in the wild get beaten here. We have seen it in the wild where the wolf took the cross track and went the wrong way to boot. Must have been a young one.LOL. Of course we don’t really know what they were thinking. Maybe they noticed that the other track had other deer scent that might be easier to catch. They must know something we don’t As there were fresh tracks not 100 feet from me and I never saw a deer all day.nor the wolf.

Good luck.

Byron


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## Bentwings1 (May 29, 2017)

I just backed up a bit and made the track easier but older. Steps closer together but older track. If you have not gone over five minutes you have some to go. I suppose you could take off at a run and space steps a lot further apart but I think you would get the dog to start wandering around. As I said above make the tracks easier, steps close together but age it longer. You can do straight line tracks for a long time before you introduce turns. You can lay side by side tracks say 20-30 feet apart and run them in succession. Just be aware of where the tracks are so you don’t get too close to them.


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