I am pretty careful with tracking because I believe that we don’t ever know 100% what is going on in the dog. So a lot of evaluation is necessary to see if a dog is ready for influences that can reduce drive. I spend a lot of time studying the dogs to get a good …
Taken for granted in almost all WUSV-member GSD clubs worldwide, and with similar tests in other breeds, the courage test that makes up about a third of the activities at the annual BSZS (Bundessieger Zuchtschau, or German Sieger Show) is treated differently according to country. Some countries’ national breed club require the test at every …
In a small wood belt to the south, bordering a dry creek, a flock of songbirds sing in praise of the coming sunset. Orange and blue are the primary colors, with long, wispy clouds that draw the eye and the heart towards the heavens. Between the trees and the tilled field, just to the north, …
… Previous Restraint, tapping, sniffing, platz, reward. Be sure to maintain the restraint part of the set up. Handlers sometimes get a little rushed and let go of it too fast. Hold the dog back a bit and control the situation. You can do the same thing alone, without an assistant. But you have to …
… Previous Part 1&2 of this article was a discussion of the fundamental concepts of tracking and teaching tracking. I’d like to focus part 3 on a crucial part of Schutzhund (or VPG) tracking, articles. I believe that this is also one of the fundamentals. After all, the description of the task in the trial …
… Previous I call this my colored dot concept. Let me be clear here, this is totally made up and only an aid to help people understand things a little better. As you all know (if you don’t you should) dogs are macrosomatic animals. Loosely translated that word means, large nasal cavity. All animals that …
Tracking -books, -videos, -articles, and -seminars have one thing in common. They are written, produced or taught by people. That factor also presents the biggest flaw in tracking: The human perspective on the subject. As people, I believe we have to accept our position in tracking. We are to a large degree spectators to this …
Excerpt from “Analysis of Lost Person Behavior” People who are lost may experience differing types of reactions. They may panic, become depressed or suffer from “woods shock.” Panic usually implies tearing around or thrashing through the brush, but in its earlier stages it is less frantic. Most lost people go …
Why are some people good handlers? This question is asked all the time. Some people are more coordinated than others, some do many tasks at once, some people can see mistakes or problems and correct them at any given notice or through training, and some people retain more knowledge. All of these things and more …
You take your dog out of the car, attach his harness and approach the track. The dog takes the scent from the bandanna left at the start and, nose down, begins tracking along the edge of the parking lot. After 50 yards, he turns, enters the parking lot and passes several parked cars. He makes …