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Tracking! Welcome
to this new column for Everything Golden! After
several years of writing the obedience column for EG, I convinced Julie that I
needed a switch to another subject and tracking is just one of the many loves I
have. so she graciously said, sure Cindy, go for it! What
is tracking? Tracking is a non-competitive
sport where you and the dog follow a prescribed path in a field and find a
glove (article). If you love the
outdoors and enjoy a peaceful sport this is the one for you.
Tracking is you and the dog as a team, and in this case, the dog is the
leader of the sport! Tracking is the one sport where there is absolutely positive reinforcement only.
Trust between you and your dog is essential!
A warning though – even though you only have to pass the tracking
test once to obtain the title, it does take time and dedication to training.
What do you need to start tracking?
Compared to other dog
sports, tracking is a very cheap endeavor. You
will need a non-restrictive harness. I
prefer the Premier nylon harnesses. They
are washable, and come in any color imaginable.
A good resource on the web to order your harness is http://www.pawmark.com
and with your harness you will also get a matching nylon collar.
You will want to order a size large for your Golden Retriever.
They are adjustable in four different places, and you fit them to your
dog. You will also need a tracking
line. The tracking line is a bit
trickier to figure out what one will work best for you.
You will want to avoid getting a cotton line, as when wet they get very
heavy. You will also want to avoid
getting a leather line, as it is high maintenance, needing oiling and cleaning
to stay in good shape. The length of
your line should be forty feet long. If
you have a soft dog, I would suggest a 3/8” flat nylon lead which can be
ordered at the same site as your harness. If
you have a strong or high drive dog, I would suggest getting 6-7 millimeter
accessory rope for rock climbing which can be ordered from http://www.rei.com
and making your own tracking line. Just
go to a hardware supply store and ask them to sell you a rope clamp and a snap.
Gloves are also a very good idea to purchase as any rope can burn your
hands. You also have several options
for gloves. You will want gloves
that have the fingers cut out of them, so you can feel the line, but avoid
having your hands get rope burns. Water-skiing
gloves, or work gloves purchased at a hardware store work very well for
tracking. Make sure that the gloves
have leather palms. You will also
want to purchase surveyor flags. Those
are the orange flags on wire that you see when they are marking electrical lines
in the ground. A pack of 100
surveyor flags are very inexpensive and can be found at that hardware store.
While you are there, purchase a pack of brown cotton gloves that you will
use for tracking articles. And, when
you loose one sock in the dryer, use the left over sock as a tracking article
too! Don’t forget to put a knot in
the middle so your dog does not eat the sock! Your last purchase will be some
graph paper, a pencil, and a clipboard so that you can make maps of your tracks.
A nifty bag to carry all of your equipment will be essential. Where can I go to track?
Finding land can be the most
difficult part of tracking, unless you are blessed with living in the country
and having lots of acreage. Resourcefulness
is the mother of invention though, and if you look hard there are lots of places
to go tracking with your dog. Look
in your town for industrial parks that have vacant land.
You will be looking for acreage that is not planted with crops, but
rather what we call “waste land” with nothing growing on it but weeds.
Ankle to knee high fields are ideal for tracking land.
Make sure to go to the land owner and get permission before you go on the
land. I always tell the owner that I
am training my dog to find lost people, which usually gets them interested and
permission is easily granted. Another
good resource is DNR land. If you
google DNR your search will bring up the Department of Natural Resources for any
state. The DNR land is available for
your use at any time. One caution to
remember is you do not want to be on
DNR land during hunting season. Also,
you must have your dog on leash at
all times when on public land. That
is a good habit though to get into as it is a rule of tracking tests as well.
Note: the DNR manages millions of acres of undeveloped land in each
state. You can also get a list of
state parks that normally have undeveloped areas suitable for tracking.
Make sure to stop at the ranger’s station and tell him what you are
training your dog to do. Now
that I have peaked your interest, and laid out your equipment and land needs, I
look forward to starting the tracking training articles in the future months. |
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