How to keep a dog on one track and not to follow every other one out there

[Heym SR20]

Welcome some advice on how to keep a dog on the track of a wounded deer, without necessarily wanting to follow up every single other wild animal track that she comes across.

She is pretty good at following a blood trail or finding a dead animal. My real challenge when out stalking is that she wants to go on every deer scent she smells. I am somewhat limited in the number of blood trails I can lay as living in the middle of a city it takes me a good 40 minutes if not a hour to get to open country. I do a limited number of trails in some of the quieter city parks - where there are deer and foxes present.

 

[.25-06]

I would up the number of training tracks, reward for finishing. Sounds like the dog needs to mature a little, so possibly step back the training a few stages and continue.

 

[countrryboy]

I'm not expert on the tracking side of things (or any side of things really )

When u send it off at the start of a track do u have a specific command?
I've read on here/books many of the tracking boys will ake a big deal of putting the harness on so the dog goes into tracking mode, and is more of an on switch
If ur not putting a harness collar on the dog could be using something else as its 'tracking mode switch' and in a 'tracking mode' as soon as it sees ur rifle, gets out cat in a wood etc, so always wanting to follow every track.

They're will be someone better to advise u soon I'm sure, but if the above problem was with a gundog u'd put dummies out (start of trails) but give the dog a leave command and walk past them, then take him t the actual track make a big fuss/praise putting a collar/harness on and telling him to track

I know some of the top gundog trainers talk about using the lead as an off switch, so when dog is walking quietly at heel it doesn't need to think of anything else so can unwind and chill before going into working/FT mode.
Sligtly different for urself as u want it to wind deer while walking at heel too

To me reading it ur dog needs a clearer on/off switch for tracking, I'm sure some of the uksha/ukdtr boys could advise better and wether the leave command is a good idea.

 

[Jagare]

The mistake people make is they want a stalking companion and tracking dog. A tracking dog should be trained to track and not see a live deer till its trained. Those that can't resist the urge to take their dog out stalking with them as soon as possible end up with a stalking companion.
The OP Highlights a problem that many have and that is the time, distance element when training a tracking dog.

 

[mereside]

I have to agree with jagare, to an extent but real tracks are Nessessary training as well.
people think the two go hand in hand and they don't.
if you are training to track but use the dog for stalking how do you initiate real Gun steadiness and many other aspects of tracking that are separate to stalking but first let's take a step back.
your dog is showing you something far more important what are you doing when the dog wants to go on this other track? Because this has an impact further down the line tracking, let's have some more info, Atb wayne
ps what do you do when you lay a track but it signals another track not one you layed

 

[mereside]

How do you get the dog to stay on the right track or if the dog Leaves the track how is the dog brought back with minimal interaction, have you done tracks were real distraction is crossing and how far on in training are you, can you read the dog and have it follow a blind track somebody else has layed without your knowledge of we're it goes, Atb wayne

 

[Heym SR20]

Thanks Gents.

I use a very specific command for finding dead deer - I use Chichewa word "wapi nyama" ie find deer - and "hamba gashle" for steady. Very different to any other commands and just them on tracks for blood and dead deer.

When she finds a track when put and about or stalking she gets a toot on a whistle, a steady or if she is on the lead a quick check on the lead. I have deliberately let her have had her head - I want her to smell and find things - now putting the breaks on. She is 2 1/4 and still puppy playful but over the last few definately getting much steadier. She does get excited, but again getting much steadier. I have seen too many peg dogs that sit beautifully and walk to heel, but have no drive or desire to go and find something.

Fundamentally she is and will be an all rounder - a stalking dog, wildfowling and rough shooting. She is good at finding things - uses a mix of air and ground sents.

 

[CarlW]

I think all of the above posters have given good advice. Essentially, the problem is due to the blurring (by you, and therefore by the dog) of two distinct activities: 1. Tracking wounded deer; 2. Obedience while accompanying you on a stalk. The blurring exists because you, understandably, haven't wanted to squash the dog's drives and also, quite likely, because she sensed your delight at whatever she seemed to track as a younger pup.

Personally, I would go right back to the beginning and rebuild the basics. As suggested by others, use an equipment cue for all tracking (I use a separate thick collar with a cowbell and a chemlight attached). Go back to laying blood tracks and stop using her to track deer for the time being. Make it very clear in her mind that she is a 'blood-tracker'; not an 'anything tracker'. Once she is hitting the blood 100% of the time, introduce some distracting cross-tracks (walk another dog across the track at some point, etc.) and keep building until 'blood-tracker' is firmly imprinted in her mind. Only then, reintroduce her to live tracks.

Separately, is the issue of obedience. Different equipment, different cues, different attitude from you. Don't be 'pleased' when she picks up a scent; be insistent upon good obedience. Almost act like she is not a deer-tracking dog at all. Her job is wounded deer; healthy deer are off the menu (and she will understand this as they smell very differently to a dog). Be kind but be firm and insistent: she will get the point very quickly.

On a separate note, personally, I avoid taking a blood-tracking dog with me on a stalk. They stay in the truck until I need them. This is because any dual-purpose dog requires compromise. One sees it in police, security and military dogs too: general-purpose police dogs are quite good at arresting bad guys and quite good at doing public relations by visiting schools with their handler. However, if you need a dog that will run through a burning building, under gunfire, and engage with a lunatic swinging a sword, you need a different dog: a non-compliance dog that is kept in the van and 'doesn't do playgrounds'. Both are valuable dogs but in different ways. To some extent, you have a choice: 90% good at two things (which is good enough for most) or 100% good at one thing.

V best,

Carl

 

[Irish Bob]

My dog tracks blood that's it. I think it is just in some breeds, no training needed.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

To some extent, you have a choice: 90% good at two things (which is good enough for most) or 100% good at one thing.

V best,

Carl

I think that is very sound advice.

 

[willowbank]

My dog tracks blood that's it. I think it is just in some breeds, no training needed.

what breed of dog do you have?

WB

23/09 And then there was silence......

 

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

Hey Heym, I know what you are talking about. I had this problem when training my dog. Basically you mean when your dog is off the lead she doesn't ruin your stalk by running off two minutes into hunting. Your dog can find your wounded deer no problem when the time comes but it is the 'Heel means fecking heel' that you probably need up the point the shot is taken.

Try this, even in the thickest of wood, it works without a tangle. Buy a longline, cheap as chips, the black nylon type is great. Trim to 8 ft. Stalk and let your dog trail this. When it goes on scent while stalking and tried to walk off lift the lead and give the dog a tug it won't forget as to say 'I am Alpha, now heel!'. Drop the lead and let the dog follow. During this training don't ever ever ever let the dog get beyond lead length from you. If it gets away with a long line attached it could spell trouble. After several stalks shorten the line by a foot. Every other stalk shorten the line. Soon you just clip a lanyard to your dog and it follows as though on a long line. Now whatever you do don't unclip the long line and say 'go on!' The dog will think 'oh so when not on a long line i am free', this goes with normal walks. Even on normal walks it is 'heel when I say fecking heel'. Controlled Alpha all the time. No aggression required just a clear and concise command. The dog will soon understand that when taken to the mark the deer was shot and given a clear command 'track/find it/hunt' the scent is so fresh it will track your deer. If blood is present or the deer pushing heavy on one foot due to injury and you can track visually, then you know things are going good as you will see visible marks i.e. heavy footprints, blood, hair, stomach contents and wound couches.

 

[Heym SR20]

Thanks Gentlemen,

Over the last few months she has actually settled down nicely and when stalking is keeping nicely to heel when on a lead. We have had a number of words, but we have had good results. Fundamentally she is, like the rest of her litter, pretty headstrong and intelligent, plus prone to sulking if given too much of of a telling off. I have a very specific command for finding dead deer - "wapi Nyama" which doesn't sound like any other commands, nor is used by anybody else. I have only use this when there is a blood trail and a shot beast at the end of it.

Those from the African Bush will understand what it means, those who are not won't.

 

[Rob Dhu]

Thanks Gentlemen,

Over the last few months she has actually settled down nicely and when stalking is keeping nicely to heel when on a lead. We have had a number of words, but we have had good results. Fundamentally she is, like the rest of her litter, pretty headstrong and intelligent, plus prone to sulking if given too much of of a telling off. I have a very specific command for finding dead deer - "wapi Nyama" which doesn't sound like any other commands, nor is used by anybody else. I have only use this when there is a blood trail and a shot beast at the end of it.

Those from the African Bush will understand what it means, those who are not won't.

Indeed. a bit of swahili

 

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

Out of interest Heym, what is the breed of the wee bitch? Bavarian by any chance?