The tread "Differences in T&T etc" developped in a different way than I thought so rather than hang this at the end I thought I would start a new thread.
Verweisen, a German tracking term, I do not know if an english translation exists (Google does not produce anything) is about the most useful bit one should teach a scent dog.
I have never seen it from any other breed of dog but I stand corrected.
What is it?
Quite simply. The dog is taught that as soon as it smells a bit of bone, blood, guts, hair or whatever bit that comes from the deer you track it should stop so that the handler can look at it.
You can imagine the advantage. You have been following a long trail and you feel increasingly uncertain if the dog is still on the right one. All the normal signs look good but nevertheless.
And then, hey presto, the dogs stops, looks around for you and there it is. A drop of blood or whatever. You feel invigorated, your confidence transmits itself to the dog and the trail is bought to a succesful end.
How do you teach it? Simple.
Along a track in the wood you lay white stones or something easy to see, about 50 yards apart. On each of them you put some hair, or guts or whatever. You lay them out having your tracking shoes on, a bit of skin at the end. All bits of course from the same animal.
You return home and after a while you work the track with your young hound, on the lead as always!
Take care he cannot wind them. Then you start as per usual. When he arrives at the first bit. You stop him and make a great spiel of inspecting it, Of to the next, same again.
He soon learns that he is expected to show and stop when he finds something and lo you have a most useful aid to your tracking.
Now who uses this aid in the UK and does anybody know of non-scenthounds who have been trained in this? The Danes perhaps?
Verweisen, a German tracking term, I do not know if an english translation exists (Google does not produce anything) is about the most useful bit one should teach a scent dog.
I have never seen it from any other breed of dog but I stand corrected.
What is it?
Quite simply. The dog is taught that as soon as it smells a bit of bone, blood, guts, hair or whatever bit that comes from the deer you track it should stop so that the handler can look at it.
You can imagine the advantage. You have been following a long trail and you feel increasingly uncertain if the dog is still on the right one. All the normal signs look good but nevertheless.
And then, hey presto, the dogs stops, looks around for you and there it is. A drop of blood or whatever. You feel invigorated, your confidence transmits itself to the dog and the trail is bought to a succesful end.
How do you teach it? Simple.
Along a track in the wood you lay white stones or something easy to see, about 50 yards apart. On each of them you put some hair, or guts or whatever. You lay them out having your tracking shoes on, a bit of skin at the end. All bits of course from the same animal.
You return home and after a while you work the track with your young hound, on the lead as always!
Take care he cannot wind them. Then you start as per usual. When he arrives at the first bit. You stop him and make a great spiel of inspecting it, Of to the next, same again.
He soon learns that he is expected to show and stop when he finds something and lo you have a most useful aid to your tracking.
Now who uses this aid in the UK and does anybody know of non-scenthounds who have been trained in this? The Danes perhaps?