I’m learning about tracking in the summer these days! Bailie and I were tracking several times a week until May 19 when our six week break started. We are now back tracking and enjoying it. Tracking in the summer is rather challenging for several reasons.
Our biggest issue is Mom’s fear of reptiles. She promised we would get back to tracking in June, but she couldn’t make herself go into the tall grass. Finally on June 30, she did it. To conquer her fear, she pretty much wears a body condom on her lower body and never looks down in the field. Above is me on my first leg, the circle is the flag for my first turn.
Another issue we are battling is the heat. We have to track early mornings before it gets too warm out, but we don’t have time for that in our routine. It is actually really hot down at ground level in the tall grass. Above is me working the first turn.
Mom has to lay our tracks when we get to the fields, which means we need to wait in the car. This is another problem in warm weather. We can’t be locked in a hot car, and Mom doesn’t like leaving us unattended with everything open for fresh air. Above I’m tracking through the clover part of the field.
It sure can get deep and thick out there in the summer! We have decided to track one, maybe two times a week for the rest of the summer. We can do some work on short grass which helps with the time factor as we don’t have to drive so far.
On the bright side, the six week break turned out to be a good thing. Bailie and I were both right on our game and had so much fun our first time out again. I need to work extra hard this month so I can hopefully get certified in August and try to get my TD title in the fall. The above photo is my alert signal. The track was 400 yards long with 4 turns. I’m supposed to lie down, but right now I’m liking alerting with the same signal I use in nose work.
Mom wanted some video, so she took a short one of part of my track. I’m easy to video because I’m very slow and methodical and like to turn around to make sure Mom is still following. Bailie as you can see is still a wild stallion even though Mom has slowed her down! Her part of the video may make you sea sick! It is impossible to get still photos while tracking with Bailie, with me it is easy. A 400 yard track takes Bailie under five minutes usually and me at least fifteen. Different styles, same result. Mom says it keeps things interesting.
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my mom nodded with her head like one of that plastic nodding-dogs as she read about that reptiles…. and I agree, the heat can be a serious issue too. But I’m sure the TD title in August is your’s Emma, it’s a pleasure to watch you at work :o)
She learned that with her body totally covered and not looking down at where she is walking, she can do it. We will see how it all goes down with getting test spots and actually testing. First up is my nose work trial next weekend.
You guys are so dedicated. We could all learn from you!
Mom doesn’t quit, so we are all in it for the long run and she is determined to have us get some titles as she says we deserve it.
You certainly do have really different styles – it’s like the difference when Jack & Maggie play find the food. Jack is very methodical and Maggie scampers all over!
Mom says everyone has their way of doing things that works for them. As long as we both find the end article I guess it doesn’t matter. Bailie tends to miss stuff, though as she is always in a rush and getting sidetracked, same with her and nose work.
We just returned from our morning walk and it is already hot! We don’t walk in the tall grass because it makes Bentley’s belly itch. Mom does not do snakes either!
Well, we would never walk there either, but to get our TD titles we need to track in fields, so we do our practice there. It is fun actually and it proves we do use our nose, not our eyes to find things.
Boy that is some tall grass. I’m glad you did so go after your break, nice job.
It is really tall, and I’m not keen on plowing through it. I try to go around if I can, Bailie just attacks it and barrels through. I’m more of a lady I guess.
Body condom! hehe! You’re so funny, Emma! I’d like to see that! That sure is some tall grass and you both are doing great!
It’s tall rain boots with long rain pants that fit over the boots and snap tight around the ankle area. She feels safe and the weeds don’t go much past her waist so it is good. Whatever it takes for her to calm the fear.
we are laughing about your mom in the Body Condom…
BUTT seriously… we do understand that summer in the outdoors does come with some MAJOR Issues… most important is the HEAT… and we can all relate to THAT and the danger it brings…
We are PROUD of your dedication.
It is tough, but we will persevere! Early mornings, nice and easy is the way to go. Mom feels safe from anything creepy, which means our biggest obstacle is conquered.
How do you deal with the ticks on you and the dogs? I hate those little buggers.
I have on my rain boots and rain pants which are slippery from the waist to ankles where they snap tight, so they don’t really go on me. The girls have their frontline, and when we get out of the weeds, I check them over for any hitchhikers. We have gone out three times now in the deep stuff and I have only found one which was crawling over Bailie’s back. I was expecting it to be more of a problem than it really is so far.
it would be scary to track in the long grass – but what about tracking at a park, hiding the scent under a park bench or something
We do nose work outdoors which means putting hides somewhere outside like in a park bench or picnic table, but tracking is different. There are different typed of tracking, but for your basic TD title you need to track through field grass. It is hardest for Mom, but we have no trouble getting through the tall grass and sticking on the track to find the end article. If we can get our TD titles we can move on to urban tracking where you can track across school yards and places like that. Now that Mom has overcome her fears a bit, she finds it fascinating how we move through the grass not able to see where we are going. We truly do use our nose to follow the scent on the track.
Speaking of reptiles, Emma looks like a prowling crocodile when you can only spot the top of her head poking out. Great work!
I do kind of look like that don’t I? Scary way to think of myself!
Wow! What an adventure. The nose really leads the way! You girls are great. Mom is impressed with your mom. Have a great day Emma! your doodle friend Dash
There is no way to see our way in the tall stuff, even Mom gets turned around, so we really are using our noses.
WOW! I’m impressed. Love watching you in action too!
Mom was real impressed with both of us. It is a lot of fun if it doesn’t get too warm.
This is such a great idea. It’ll be interesting to see if I could do this with our dogs. When we only had 3, I used to hide treats around the living room and let them search them out. They loved it.
Tracking is a real process. You have to start slow with treats, treats and articles, introduce turns, the actual class to learn it takes about 2 1/2 months plus 3-4 days a week of homework. But, once you have the basics, then it starts to get fun. Nose work is another sport we do which is fun but we suggest taking some classes for that too so the humans can learn how the dog really works. We do both competitively and love it. I have a nose work trial next weekend.
Who hasn’t been in a body condom? LOL
You guys are so dedicated, it’s inspiring!
Mom sweats like a pig in there, but it gets her over her fear which is the point π
I would worry more about ticks in that tall grass than reptiles, but then I don’t have mom’s childhood experiences. Good thorough job Emma.
Surprisingly, after three tracking sessions we only found one tick and he was hoofing it over Bailie’s back until he was discovered at which point, he was killed. We expected many more ticks.
That’s awesome!
Thanks!
Many things in the summer are difficult, I have to say! Mostly because of the heat!
sumskersandearlskers13.blogspot.com
I think maybe we should start a class called underwater tracking. That would be perfect for summer months!
That takes some pretty great talent!!! Well done!
α¦ husky hugz α¦ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
We both practiced a lot until our kind of unplanned break, so we should be doing alright. It is much harder for humans than for us dogs.
Oh, those reptiles sure could scare a person! Great work!
Especially my mom, she can’t handle them at all.
Wow, Emma! You and Bailie are really good trackers! What is the difference between tracking and nose work? Do you take tracking classes, too???
It takes a lot of hard work to be a GBGV, doesn’t it?
They are both scent sports, we take classes for both, but tracking is mainly practice once you learn how to do it. Nose work is finding a specific odor, birch, anise, or clove in one of four elements, exteriors, interiors, vehicles, or containers. There is a time limit, the odor is placed on Q-Tips in a special container. Tracking is using articles to identify the scent of the track layer. We follow the track from the start article to the end article. Right now our tracks can be 500-600 yards with around four turns. Different tracking tests are different lengths and on different surfaces since odor tracks differently depending on the surface, wind, temperature, and weather. Nose work would be ideal for you as there isn’t a lot of walking involved, but it totally wears you out mentally. You can do it pretty much anywhere and at any age. It helps you and your human learn to work together as a team too.
Bruin is already a committed tracking dog. I have no idea what scent he is following, but when he finds it, or maybe just knows where it is, he freezes perfectly still and stares at it. It’s easy to recognize because it is the only time he is ever still.
We have nose work classes here, but only at one center. They want dogs to have three classes before they can start, but I’m going to try to get Bruin in a little earlier. I’ve found with my other dogs that they learn things better when they’re doing things they like, and nobody likes obedience classes… He’d also love agility, but they won’t even consider having a class for that for puppies… Silly new rules – don’t they know that there’s so much more to agility than jumping?
Dogs use their noses to track things all the time, but the purpose of nose work or tracking classes is to teach a dog to search for certain things. It is really fun and interesting.
I had to google what kinds of reptiles you have there…lol. I guess we have similar ones here in Michigan but during all of my hours in the field, I admit to rarely seeing any…lol. They are probably around and I never see them.
I would think going slower would make tracking easier. I know with fast dogs and hunt testing, sometimes they go so fast and do not breath and they can miss marks in cover and go right over them. We have had to work on that with Freighter.
Bailie does overshoot most turns by several yards, comes to a halt, does an air sniff, pulls a u turn and gets back on track, but sometimes she just misses it and decides to track something else. Mom has slowed her down by about 30%. She was having to run behind her, but no more, now a fast walk, but we have to be careful Bailie doesn’t get bored and distracted if made to go too slow. We have garter snakes and salamanders here, harmless, but Mom flips out. If we see one while on a walk, we will not walk there again until it is cold out. She gets all panicked.
I also admire how dedicated you all are, Emma, and that your Mom put aside her fears so she could continue to work with you. I certainly don’t blame her for being cautious about going out in the tall grass! I hope it all pays off for you in August.
If Bailie doesn’t get her title this fall, Mom will flip out I think! Mom so enjoys the amazement of watching us work and being so in our element, she doesn’t mind trying to forget her fears for a bit.
Mom is ROTFLOL about the body condom and your fear of snakes. Hers is way worse as I would never even get to go there in the first place. You are lucky you have a mom that is so active for you, while we are slacking on the couch. Love Dolly
We enjoy tracking so much, and Mom is so amazed at how we can find a stupid piece of cloth in the middle of a tall grass field, she can’t say no to us. Nose work is much easier on all of us, but we are determined to get some tracking titles here…we are scent hounds and Mom feels she should support our nasal desires π
Tracking sounds like fun! That “body condom” thing was pretty funny.
We are thankful there is usually no one around when we track as Mom looks like a fool in her get up, but if it gets her out in the field, we support it!
My Mommie grew up in Maine, she says she was always soaking wet whether she was in the water or not, and she used to wear hip waders, which were boots that went all the way up to her butt. You might want some of these, and you can get some at LLBean, and probably some other cool stuff, like a boiled wool coat. Also, at the hardware store, they have raincoat overalls!!!
Mommie isn’t afraid of snakes, but ticks are really terror-fying where I live. Mommie brings the flea comb when we go for walks, which is probably why I run so fast away from her…
BRUIN
We thought the ticks would be real bad, but so far we have only found one who was crawling over Bailie’s back.
Your Mom is so dedicated to keeping you both healthy and fun loving! Despite of her reptilian fears, she loves you enough to venture out. Good Mom, love the two style of tracking.
It took a lot to overcome the reptile issue, but right now she feels safe and seeing us track reminded her of our love for it, so we continue on.
I totally understand your fear of tall grass/reptiles/insects…I am seriously grossed out & scared of spiders. My mom is scared of large dogs and horses, but doesn’t have any problem with spiders ~ she does not get who I’m able to work with Great Danes, Mastiffs, and Bloodhounds, but will freak out over a spider…
Awesome video footage! Bailie really is on the wilder side π
Bailie is off the scale wild, and Mom has slowed her down a lot. She overshoots turns all the time because she is simply too fast.
She sounds like she would do great in lure coursing!!
She probably would, but we are at our sports limit with each of us doing nose work and tracking right now. We would rather do a couple sports well than lots of them with mediocre performances. We also don’t really want to increase Bailie’s prey drive as she is already out of hand trying to chase critters when she sees them. Maybe one day she will give it a try.
Oh, I totally get it! You can only do so much in 24 hours π
I wouldn’t be too happy about snakes but I think the ones here are non-poisonous. Bailie is a little tornado!
Bailie goes through life as a whirlwind, but she keeps things interesting! The snakes are harmless here, but Mom is terrified of any snakes.
Chuleta doesn’t track. We tried, many years, ago, and she was AWFUL, lol. I am always impressed by dogs who can do this. And I am sorry that you need armor to protect yourself! If only they made a reptile repellent or something!
It isn’t for every dog or every human. Being a scent hound, it is kind of my thing and I love it too.
Looks like you’ve had some good adventures with tracking! I always feel creepy crawly after getting out of tall grass, so Barley and I usually avoid it.
It is not a place Mom ever wants to be, but we need to track there, so until we get TD titles, tall grass it is.
Totally great write up – I almost choked on my water I was sipping when I read dat UR momma wears a body condom (picture, picture!). You look like you are having a ball and getting in some great exercise, and wonderful time together – thanks for sharing!
Trust me, she looks like a fool with her hair up, rain boots and shiny rain pants tightly fastened around her ankles, plus they are all baggy, but if it gets her it the tall grass we are fine with it and we don’t see many people anyway.
Wowsers!! You look like a big game tracker, wading through all the big, tall grasses!
Smileys!
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
All the work to find an old smelly sock or glove, but we do really enjoy it.
My mom doesn’t like the tall weeds either! The body condom thing is awesome! Mommy laughed when she read that! Keep up the good work Emma! You and Bailie are awesome!
Mom has to try to focus on tracking and not where she is!
I love the video comparison! We have a dog in the club I am in who is SUPER fast, but because of that she often blows her corners. It’s just so cool to see all that drive!
Also great job braving the tall grass!
Bailie almost always misses corners, comes to a screeching halt, air scents and hits the track again. We have slowed her down a lot. At first Mom had to run behind her, but she is still really fast. Bailie is the same way with nose work. I am the thorough, reliable one who is methodical and takes my time! The tall grass is tough, but right now we have found our rhythm working in it. Thanks for stopping by!
What a fun post! Emma and Bailey really are so different in their tracking speed. I can’t stand walking in tall grass, it just feels like one big tick-fest!
Believe me, Mom does not like it either, but she is doing it for us because we love to track and we both need to get our TD titles. Once we get those, we can move on to other tracking without tall grass.
Awesome tracking fun your dogs are having and I bet they don’t even know they’re being trained. That video with Bailey is a trip, oh my! I really hope to do some things like this with my dog one day.
If mom can overcome her fear of reptiles it is great! We just love it as using our noses is what we are born to do and we get “paid” well when we find the article. Bailie is always nuts, I am real serious and methodical. We are the same way in nose work! You should take an intro to or beginning tracking class to get started and from there you can go on your own.
Those are some challenges but great job getting some practice in.
The heat is a real killer. Just spent the day sitting in the car at my nose work trial, not easy!