In this episode, Jerry Bradshaw discusses:
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Hard surface training for the most successful tracking.
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Creating an independent problem solver in your dog.
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Common issues in tracking.
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Drills and approaches to shore up your tracking foundation and the problems you are facing.
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Why laying a good track is a critical skill.
Key Takeaways:
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Returning to foundational drills is not a bad thing – it is returning to basics to keep your tracking training progressing forward.
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One of the first things to train in tracking is pace—this will be different from dog to dog, but our job in training is to create a nice, even pace given the dogs temperament, characteristics, etc.
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Get rid of the large rewards at the end of the track – value the track itself. You need a variable reward system on the track.
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Don’t get lazy when laying your tracks. If you’re always doing large articles, the dog will start to look for those instead of the potentially higher-value, small articles.
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Your dog is not too slow. Deliberate is a good pace.
“This is going to be the life cycle of your tracking – tighten them up, they’re going to get looser. Tighten them up again, they’re going to get looser. You have to have these go-to’s to always reel that dog back in and make him tighter.” — Jerry Bradshaw
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Train hard, train smart, be safe.
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You’re the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
