# I didn't teach him but how did he learn to track



## sarpoodle

All dogs have scenting skills to some degree or another, and poodles seem to have really good ground scent ability (when my new girl Saydee hits a ground scent while we're walking, she'll pull like a sled dog and track it). When you said you "hid" the ball, do you mean that you walked to a spot to hide it, or threw it without Fallen seeing you? If you walked it to the hiding spot, he was likely tracking your ground scent left behind. Also, it sounds like your boy has good hunt drive (that's what made him want to find the ball in the first place). You should keep playing this game with him, and let him build that skill up. If he's that into it, he'll get a lot of pleasure out of the problem solving behind it.

You can also try throwing his ball into some brush while he's watching, then let him go after it. If he finds it, trying turning him around (so he can't see where it lands) and throw the ball into brush or out of sight; then tell him to find it. The ultimate test is to throw it some where, but not let him go after it. Then leave the area, wait a few minutes, bring him back, and ask him to find it. If he can do that, you likely have a good candidate for tracking. What I've just described is actually one of the evaluation tests for older dogs to in part determine if they're possibly well suited for disaster search and rescue (at least I've seen this described in some books I've read).

If you enjoy this sort of activity, you might want to look into tracking groups in your area. 

Greg


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## Fluffyspoos

To better Vegas's tracking, I put bird scent on the tennis ball (you can buy it at sporting goods stores) and I'll cover his eyes when I throw it, throwing it low to allow the scent to 'wash' off.


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## petitpie

Would putting "bird scent" on an object confuse a dog by changing the scent of the object that you want the dog to track? Really interesting stuff here........


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## Fluffyspoos

I have one tennis ball specifically for bird scent (quail only) and it's important not to mix bird scent up on the items being tracked. The species doesn't really matter, it's teaching the dog to follow _A_ scent. I don't hunt quail, but it's what was available for me. I've practiced also with full goose, duck, and dove wings.


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## petitpie

Fluffyspoos, thanks for that post;

I have no experience with tracking or hunting, but my husband had a Labrador Retreiver/hunting dog that he said taught herself to retreive. And that she was better at it than any other "trained" dog he knew. He said that he did work with her but stopped when it was apparent with hunting that she beat every other dog to the bird. So she didn't need the training, because she already knew what her job was.

I also think that poodles are so smart they can learn anything and do it well! :act-up:


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## itzfoxfire58

sarpoodle said:


> All dogs have scenting skills to some degree or another, and poodles seem to have really good ground scent ability (when my new girl Saydee hits a ground scent while we're walking, she'll pull like a sled dog and track it). When you said you "hid" the ball, do you mean that you walked to a spot to hide it, or threw it without Fallen seeing you? If you walked it to the hiding spot, he was likely tracking your ground scent left behind. Also, it sounds like your boy has good hunt drive (that's what made him want to find the ball in the first place). You should keep playing this game with him, and let him build that skill up. If he's that into it, he'll get a lot of pleasure out of the problem solving behind it.
> 
> You can also try throwing his ball into some brush while he's watching, then let him go after it. If he finds it, trying turning him around (so he can't see where it lands) and throw the ball into brush or out of sight; then tell him to find it. The ultimate test is to throw it some where, but not let him go after it. Then leave the area, wait a few minutes, bring him back, and ask him to find it. If he can do that, you likely have a good candidate for tracking. What I've just described is actually one of the evaluation tests for older dogs to in part determine if they're possibly well suited for disaster search and rescue (at least I've seen this described in some books I've read).
> 
> If you enjoy this sort of activity, you might want to look into tracking groups in your area.
> 
> Greg


Hi Greg, I hid the ball while he was off sniffing something out he was about 20 feet away, then I walked about 30 feet away from the ball, called him to me and told him to find the ball. At home he has a toy raccoon, he loves this toy and when I put it up, its never in the same place, could be on top of one of the bar stools or on top of the piano, after he gets let it he goes to sniffing until he finds it. Fallen is just 13 months. I met a Breeder earlier this month and she invited to a Dog Show were she was showing her Poodles and she lives really close to me, maybe I will give her a call and find out if she knows a group that does tracking.


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## itzfoxfire58

petitpie said:


> Fluffyspoos, thanks for that post;
> 
> I have no experience with tracking or hunting, but my husband had a Labrador Retreiver/hunting dog that he said taught herself to retreive. And that she was better at it than any other "trained" dog he knew. He said that he did work with her but stopped when it was apparent with hunting that she beat every other dog to the bird. So she didn't need the training, because she already knew what her job was.
> 
> I also think that poodles are so smart they can learn anything and do it well! :act-up:


I'm finding that out first hand. LOL


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## itzfoxfire58

Fluffyspoos said:


> To better Vegas's tracking, I put bird scent on the tennis ball (you can buy it at sporting goods stores) and I'll cover his eyes when I throw it, throwing it low to allow the scent to 'wash' off.


Hmmm that is interesting, I think buying the scent would be better for me then getting a wing (that grosses me out). Thanks good ideal.


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## outwest

Impressive Fallen! The only 'tracking' Bonnie does is bark under the couch. I pull a ball out. She plays with it for a while then barks under the couch again even though there is no longer anything there. She thinks the couch is a magical ball producer.


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## sarpoodle

itzfoxfire58 said:


> Hi Greg, I hid the ball while he was off sniffing something out he was about 20 feet away, then I walked about 30 feet away from the ball, called him to me and told him to find the ball. At home he has a toy raccoon, he loves this toy and when I put it up, its never in the same place, could be on top of one of the bar stools or on top of the piano, after he gets let it he goes to sniffing until he finds it. Fallen is just 13 months. I met a Breeder earlier this month and she invited to a Dog Show were she was showing her Poodles and she lives really close to me, maybe I will give her a call and find out if she knows a group that does tracking.


Check out the following links:

Versatility In Poodles - Tracking Poodles
American Kennel Club - AKC Tracking

The AKC link may lead you to a local group that can help.

Greg


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## BorderKelpie

Tracking has become one of my favorite things to do with my dogs. I do Shutzhund with my GSD. I started taking my toy poodle with us to training every week. Just for grins and giggles, I laid her a scent pad. She took to it like she came out of the womb tracking. I don't do AKC tracking, but Paige and I have permission from my training club to trial for a BH and tracking titles. 

Here are some links to some articles that you may find helpful. 
Leerburg | Dog Training Articles
and to some great training DVDs:
Leerburg | Dog Training DVDs

Tracking is a great way to spend quality time with your dog and there are so many different styles that it should be easy for you to find what you and Fallen really enjoy. 
The best part is, you can start training in your own backyard and you don't need special (read, expensive) equipment to do any of it. (I also LOVE the way it wears out my dogs. Using their brains and noses gives them a great mental workout) lol

Have a great time training!


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## JE-UK

Mine LOVES to use his nose. We play "find it" in the house, usually with a smelly bandana my other half uses, and Vasco is 100%, even when I hide it on another floor or deep in the sofa. It is one of his favourite games.

He also loves it when I throw the ball far off in the tall grass (or hayfield before they cut the hay) and he has to really hunt for it. 

If Fallen likes it, there are lots of nose games. I'm trying to organise a nose work training day, as I'd love to try it!


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## itzfoxfire58

outwest said:


> Impressive Fallen! The only 'tracking' Bonnie does is bark under the couch. I pull a ball out. She plays with it for a while then barks under the couch again even though there is no longer anything there. She thinks the couch is a magical ball producer.


That is so funny, I can just picture her looking under that couch just waiting for that ball to come out from under there LOL


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## itzfoxfire58

JE-UK said:


> Mine LOVES to use his nose. We play "find it" in the house, usually with a smelly bandana my other half uses, and Vasco is 100%, even when I hide it on another floor or deep in the sofa. It is one of his favourite games.
> 
> He also loves it when I throw the ball far off in the tall grass (or hayfield before they cut the hay) and he has to really hunt for it.
> 
> If Fallen likes it, there are lots of nose games. I'm trying to organise a nose work training day, as I'd love to try it!


I think I am going to try some of the things you mentioned and I will see how it goes.


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## itzfoxfire58

BorderKelpie said:


> Tracking has become one of my favorite things to do with my dogs. I do Shutzhund with my GSD. I started taking my toy poodle with us to training every week. Just for grins and giggles, I laid her a scent pad. She took to it like she came out of the womb tracking. I don't do AKC tracking, but Paige and I have permission from my training club to trial for a BH and tracking titles.
> 
> Here are some links to some articles that you may find helpful.
> Leerburg | Dog Training Articles
> and to some great training DVDs:
> Leerburg | Dog Training DVDs
> 
> Tracking is a great way to spend quality time with your dog and there are so many different styles that it should be easy for you to find what you and Fallen really enjoy.
> The best part is, you can start training in your own backyard and you don't need special (read, expensive) equipment to do any of it. (I also LOVE the way it wears out my dogs. Using their brains and noses gives them a great mental workout) lol
> 
> Have a great time training!


Just got back from Louisiana will check out your links. Thanks for the info


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## afkar

Two of my three (the other will start late in the new season possibly as she is only young) have tracking titles & we have a number of poodles here with tracking titles & have started Tracking Search Dog. Tia has her Tracking Dog title while Joey has his TDX( Tracking Dog Excellent). Tia will go for her TDX title in her first test of the new season & Joey will be trying for his T Ch. Both of them will then start Tracking Search Dog competition. THere are a lot of poodles tracking in Australia & they are very sucessful as they have excellent noses & brains to boot!
Joey started his competition tracking at 6 months & a week while Tia didn't start until she was 5yo. THey learned quickly & absolutely LOVE it..


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## Arcticfox

outwest said:


> Impressive Fallen! The only 'tracking' Bonnie does is bark under the couch. I pull a ball out. She plays with it for a while then barks under the couch again even though there is no longer anything there. She thinks the couch is a magical ball producer.


Lol! It would be funny if there actually were a few balls hidden back there that you couldn't see. Bonnie would be a pretty good tracker after all


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## bigpoodleperson

I love tracking!! I did it with my boy. We didnt start until he was about 5-6 years old I think. He Loved it, and was really good at it. He got his TDX title, and we were working on his CT/VST when he died. It is a ton of fun, and I will absolutely do it with my next dog! 

Afkar, what is the Tracking Search Dog Competition? Is it an Aust. thing?


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## afkar

TSD is fairly new here in Australia. It was started so we could give dogs that had achieved their Tracking Championship a new challenge & to try & increase the number of dogs that are capable of doing "real life" searches since it is far too common that people get lost in the bush here. It is more challenging than "normal" tracking involving more challenging objects to be identified & indicated by the dogs & things like urban searches & a night search as part of the test levels through to a TSD Ch. My dogs love tracking & I am planning starting my youngster soon too. At the moment only the older two are being tracked competitively as that makes me busy enough on competition days since they are both doing their final T CH test levels.


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