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For a couple of weeks now I have started introducing my 10 month V to tracking. From the day I got her she has always been sniffing everything like mad which was really annoying when she was younger, especially when walking her on a lead. When we did puppy training she really stood out from the other breeds as she was always nose down smelling the other dogs scent on the ground in a world of her own. I know that they are a scent hound but I often wondered if she was unusually interested in scents?
Anyway now after a lot of obedience training I have started to add tracking to her arsenal. Wow, after only a few half hour sessions (with some help from my police dog handler buddy) she is off. Their sense of smell is incredible. I have been using a bit of deer skin to lay a track. I make her Stay out of sight while I lay it. Then I put her on a 18ft lead and make her Seek. She is so mad keen to follow that scent trail that she just about chokes herself out to get to the end of it. I am going to have to get a tracking harness this week so she doesn't put her neck out when attached to her normal collar!
Took me a couple of sessions to get her to follow the track with just her nose. The first couple of times she would run around and use her nose/eyes about 50/50 and keep losing it. Once she got the hang of following her nose she's onto it everytime. Next it's onto a blood trail and then a trail using just scent made up from the scent gland in the deers tail.
Anyone else tried this? I would say out of all the activities I have done with her, this is the one that lights her up the most.
Anyway now after a lot of obedience training I have started to add tracking to her arsenal. Wow, after only a few half hour sessions (with some help from my police dog handler buddy) she is off. Their sense of smell is incredible. I have been using a bit of deer skin to lay a track. I make her Stay out of sight while I lay it. Then I put her on a 18ft lead and make her Seek. She is so mad keen to follow that scent trail that she just about chokes herself out to get to the end of it. I am going to have to get a tracking harness this week so she doesn't put her neck out when attached to her normal collar!
Took me a couple of sessions to get her to follow the track with just her nose. The first couple of times she would run around and use her nose/eyes about 50/50 and keep losing it. Once she got the hang of following her nose she's onto it everytime. Next it's onto a blood trail and then a trail using just scent made up from the scent gland in the deers tail.
Anyone else tried this? I would say out of all the activities I have done with her, this is the one that lights her up the most.