Tracking is fun, isn't it? I had Spencer in a tracking seminar when Scout was about Watson's age. The instructor asked me why I had not entered her. I told her that I assumed she was too young to get anything out of it. The instructor responded, "Have you ever seen a 6 year old with a video game?" She said the little ones just soak it up.
Watson's instructor made a point of saying the younger the dog the easier it is to instill the desire to track. Luckily, Watson is VERY food motivated.
I live within an easy walking distance of a lovely, HUGE park. Ian,and Nelson are going to be my track layers (for now). I'm going to try to get out 2x a week, and I'm also taking monthly lessons from Kyla. Kyla's also a certified TD judge, so she'll be able to certify him when the time comes.
Sadly, the tracking season in CA ends in April/May because our grass dries out, and the dogs run the risk of getting foxtails. Maybe there some TD tests near Portland in the fall...it'll give me another excuse to go back. ;-)
Find a mega-church like the one to which I dragged you -- Watson should learn that he can follow scent on any surface, and that way you can keep on trackin'
No cheating Watson! This is for your nose, not your eyes :-)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like he's pretty fascinated!
Tracking is fun, isn't it? I had Spencer in a tracking seminar when Scout was about Watson's age. The instructor asked me why I had not entered her. I told her that I assumed she was too young to get anything out of it. The instructor responded, "Have you ever seen a 6 year old with a video game?" She said the little ones just soak it up.
ReplyDeleteJanet,
ReplyDeleteWatson's instructor made a point of saying the younger the dog the easier it is to instill the desire to track. Luckily, Watson is VERY food motivated.
Did you ever get a TD on Spencer?
That's a wonderful photo -- if you can make the time to get him out once a week, he'll have his TD within a year.
ReplyDeletePenni,
ReplyDeleteI live within an easy walking distance of a lovely, HUGE park. Ian,and Nelson are going to be my track layers (for now). I'm going to try to get out 2x a week, and I'm also taking monthly lessons from Kyla. Kyla's also a certified TD judge, so she'll be able to certify him when the time comes.
Sadly, the tracking season in CA ends in April/May because our grass dries out, and the dogs run the risk of getting foxtails. Maybe there some TD tests near Portland in the fall...it'll give me another excuse to go back. ;-)
Ooops, meant to say, the tracking TEST season ends in April/May.
ReplyDeleteFind a mega-church like the one to which I dragged you -- Watson should learn that he can follow scent on any surface, and that way you can keep on trackin'
ReplyDelete