Author:
http://www.heatherleept.com/Nawty.html
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 09:56:50 02/19/03 Wed
Author Host/IP: host-216-78-9-180.lft.bellsouth.net/216.78.9.180
But, my tracking guru without a doubt is Phil Hoelcher and he is in Miami. It would be worth it to go down to train with him once a month, and he's not expensive. Phil had the two highest tracking scores in the AWMA Champ; 98 points with Vasko and 99 points with Sting (IPO 2). Both tracks were truly amazing to watch.
Phil turned Nawty's tracking around from hectic and unreliable to a super tracking machine in extremely tough conditions for the AWMA Champ. Nawty was tracking a 97 (an exceptional score considering the conditions and the usual tracking of the dog) when he stopped to sniff the last article and decided he would rather track the tracklayer off the track :-) He ended up with 91 points. And the work ethic was exceptional, for a change.
After assessing Nawty, Phil had me start completely over with his tracking last Thanksgiving. Nawty had been trained with entirely too much pressure (not by me) and was too hectic and not really tracking: missing corners and tracking way to fast to actually be working the track.
Phil had me start over with food in every step and tracks STOMPED in hard. We also did very short tracks with only one corner and ending on one article (maybe 50 paces total). I was to give Nawty a slight tug (not a correction) just before his nose hit each piece of food - to teach him that I knew where the track was (to build his confidence). At all other times the tracking line was relaxed. So it took me awhile to learn how to do all this at once :-)
Before starting each short track, Nawty was placed on a down stay until he relaxed and rolled over to one hip. And after each article, he remained in a down stay while I layed the next leg.
The real challenge was whether this would work and carry over on such different tracking terrain as it was for the trial in Florida - sandy ground, with extremely sparce and dead grass on top. An additional challenge was that since we had snow on the ground from Christmas til the trial, I would not be able to track him for those 6 week prior to trial time.
But, I followed Phils recommendations to the "T" and this dog tracked like he never has in his life with an intense deep nose, relaxed focus, and not pulling me down the track like he used to, missing corners, and frantic sniffing.
And I also got the focus I was looking for in Obedience by working with Tim Cruiser for a week. He's my obedience guru :-))
Hope that helps.
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
|
