You spend many a weekend slowly creeping through fields hunting. It’s quiet, you’re out in nature and it makes for a nice break from a busy week at work. You wouldn’t swap it for the world! However, you wouldn’t mind some company in the form of a tenacious German Shepherd. So, you went out and bought Charlie, who is full of life and would make a great hunting companion. Alternatively, perhaps you want to train him to be a tracking police dog.
Whatever the reason, German Shepherds naturally possess many of the qualities needed to successfully track. The training itself is actually good for them too. It enforces your position as pack leader. It teaches them discipline, which can make teaching them to do any number of other behaviors easier too. But most importantly, this basic training could help improve your hunting results and give you an effective tracker.
Training Charlie to track will come with challenges. You will need to find the right incentive to keep him focused on a particular task. You will also need to train consistently, starting with small and easy scents trails, then working your way up to more challenging tracking. You will also need to get your dog used to training with distractions around and get them excited about the particular item you want them to find.
If your Shepherd is a puppy their brain should be like a sponge, making them easy to train. This means you could see results in just a few weeks. However, if you’re taking on an older German Shepherd who is stubborn and not a keen student anymore, then you may need several months. If you get this basic training right you could set your dog up to be able to track down everything from animals and drugs to cash and firearms.
Before you start training you will need to check you have several things. Treats and toys will play an important role. A friend will also be required for one of the methods.
You will need a generous amount of space to train in, where you both won’t be distracted by other people and pets. A house and yard will do to start with, but then you may want to head out into local fields or parks.
Once you have all that, just bring patience and an optimistic attitude, then work can begin!
I'm trying to train in a variety of disciplines to start preparing to jump into the working dog world. I have tried scent training before, but once it comes to hiding the dummy she loses all interest in the training and doesn't listen to the commands, but if she can see it she listens and is highly attentive to all verbal and silent commands. Is there some way I can work around this?
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I want to teach him to scent track.
Hi there! I am going to give you some very beginner tips on training this skill. Start Early in the Morning To teach scenting a track, you need some treats and a grassy area, such as a baseball field or park. Although hot dogs are not the most nutritious food, I find they work best, and you won’t over stuff your dog’s belly. Begin early; many people start by 6 a.m. before anyone has walked on the grass. Create a Treat Track Have your dog sit or lie down and stay. Take a couple of inch-long pieces of hot dog and use your shoe to mash them into the grass. Make sure to crush the grass under the hot dogs, which will release a grass scent. Then, with the hot dog residue on the bottom of your shoe, walk a straight line away from your dog. Every six or ten feet, drop a piece of hot dog. Stop after about 20 feet and drop one of your gloves or one of your dog’s toys; your dog needs to find something at the end of the track. Drop another piece of hot dog on top of the item. Command Your Dog to Find the Treats Go back to your dog and release him from his stay, encouraging him to smell the ground where the hot dogs were. Tell your dog “Find it!” and let him sniff. If he begins to follow the track, praise him quietly by saying, “Good dog!” and let him lead the way. Don’t be too enthusiastic or you may distract the dog from his sniffing. Also, don’t try to lead him; let your dog figure it out. At this point, your dog is following several scents: the trail of hot dogs, which helps motivate him, the crushed grass where you mashed the hot dogs and the crushed grass where you later stepped. Your dog is also following your individual scent, which he knows well because he smells your scent every day. But now your dog is learning to combine the scents, to follow them and to find the item at the end of the track. Start Increasing the Length of the Track When your dog successfully completes this trick, make another one by taking 10 steps to the side. If your dog is excited and having fun, you can do three or four short tracks per training session. As your dog improves over several sessions, make the track longer, add curves and corners, and drop several items along the way, but put the hot dog only on the one you want him to find. When making tracks longer or adding curves, use small pegs, stakes or flags to mark the track so you can tell if your dog is off track. Air scenting requires your dog to find someone by sniffing the scents wafting through the air instead of following a track. Most search-and-rescue dogs have both skills; they can follow a track, but if people walking over the track spoil it, they can also use their air-scenting skills. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for writing in.
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I was wondering if there is a age cut off for teaching dogs to track. Our German shepherd goes on the road with my husband,and he would have to be off the road,so he can dedicate the time for teaching her how to track.Sadly,he won't be getting off the road until she turns 3 years old.He thinks that might be a little too old to start teaching her how to track and that she will be too old for that at that age. Is the age thing true? Any advice is welcomed and appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Hello! You can start at any age. I had a customer who retired and started training his dog for tracking at the age of 9 and had great success! It's easier when they are younger of course, but definitely not something that has a limit. I can send you basic information on scent training. For advanced training, you will want to work with a trainer in person. Start Early in the Morning To teach scenting a track, you need some treats and a grassy area, such as a baseball field or park. Although hot dogs are not the most nutritious food, I find they work best, and you won’t over stuff your dog’s belly. Begin early; many people start by 6 a.m. before anyone has walked on the grass. Create a Treat Track Have your dog sit or lie down and stay. Take a couple of inch-long pieces of hot dog and use your shoe to mash them into the grass. Make sure to crush the grass under the hot dogs, which will release a grass scent. Then, with the hot dog residue on the bottom of your shoe, walk a straight line away from your dog. Every six or ten feet, drop a piece of hot dog. Stop after about 20 feet and drop one of your gloves or one of your dog’s toys; your dog needs to find something at the end of the track. Drop another piece of hot dog on top of the item. Command Your Dog to Find the Treats Go back to your dog and release him from his stay, encouraging him to smell the ground where the hot dogs were. Tell your dog “Find it!” and let him sniff. If he begins to follow the track, praise him quietly by saying, “Good dog!” and let him lead the way. Don’t be too enthusiastic or you may distract the dog from his sniffing. Also, don’t try to lead him; let your dog figure it out. At this point, your dog is following several scents: the trail of hot dogs, which helps motivate him, the crushed grass where you mashed the hot dogs and the crushed grass where you later stepped. Your dog is also following your individual scent, which he knows well because he smells your scent every day. But now your dog is learning to combine the scents, to follow them and to find the item at the end of the track. Start Increasing the Length of the Track When your dog successfully completes this trick, make another one by taking 10 steps to the side. If your dog is excited and having fun, you can do three or four short tracks per training session. As your dog improves over several sessions, make the track longer, add curves and corners, and drop several items along the way, but put the hot dog only on the one you want him to find. When making tracks longer or adding curves, use small pegs, stakes or flags to mark the track so you can tell if your dog is off track. Air scenting requires your dog to find someone by sniffing the scents wafting through the air instead of following a track. Most search-and-rescue dogs have both skills; they can follow a track, but if people walking over the track spoil it, they can also use their air-scenting skills. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for writing in.
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