September 2, 2008

Kyla:
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I meant to look some things up for you, but decided I'd better get an email off real quick before you have to unplug your computer for the move.

Me:
Hello. It was good to see you recently at the County-Wide AKC trial. I wish I had the opportunity to stay longer and chat with everybody more.

Kyla:
It was great to see you! Unfortunately we're all so busy at that venue it doensn't provide many opportunities for visiting.

Me:
I have a tracking question for you. I have a two year old herding breed mix, and I have been working with somebody here in the Bay Area for a couple of months that has a business that tracks lost pets through the use of tracking/trailing dogs. She has been teaching me how to train Dino to teach him tracking. However, I am moving up to nearby Redding in a couple of weeks, and I won't be able to work with her anymore. I want to continue Dino's tracking training and eventually work him toward the level of training like the AKC tracking because I intend to start my own business in the Nor Cal area of tracking lost pets once Dino is fully trained. I can get tracking titles on him through the Mixed Breed Club, and I would like to do that eventually, also.

Kyla:
Well, I love tracking and am happy you have found someone to get you started. Too bad you'll be uprooted from that, hopefully it's a move you want to make and are looking forward to it. I would encourage you to think about what is the most exciting potential for you in tracking. If you intend to open your own business to track lost pets, I would completely focus on the kinds of tracking skills that are going to be useful to you in that regard. Yes, tracking is tracking...but there are different skills required for the different venues, and I think you would ultimately be working at cross purposes to try to be training for AKC/mixed breed tracking titles AND tracking lost pets. This is just my opinon. You know I like to do a lot of different things with my dog, but I think you'll make better progress if you focus on ONE thing first. Once you've established yourself as a great pet tracker, you can use your teamwork to modify your approach to fit in with the requirements for "testing" venues.I realize that a title may lend some credibility to your tracking dog business, so there's a double edged sword for that reason. Still, I think that your main business will come after you've had some success in actually tracking lost pets. Your fees will be able to increase after you have a solid reputation in that regard. I'm sure you've probably done searching on line to see what resources might be available to you with regard to the specifics of teaching a dog to track other pets.I do not have any experience in tracking lost pets, so can't really offer you much advice in that regard. I've been asked several times to track missing pets, but have declined, since I've not specifically trained my dog to do that. In fact, I've always discouraged my dogs from following animal tracks - asking them to stick to the human scent I've asked them to track from the start. I've heard many stories of people with dogs less trained than my own having "no problem" following the trail of a lost pet even days after it was missing. There is a part of me that wonders if their dog was taking them on a merry goose chase - no one can confirm or deny that the missing pet actually walked that route, just that it was later seen in the area. It's not that I don't believe it CAN happen, I just have my doubts that dogs will just automatically understand what is being asked of them - especially in an urban setting.So if you want your dog to really be good at finding lost pets, I would find someone who can advise you in the training methods that have been successful for them - or find a training partner who wants to experiment with you. How do you lay training tracks? At what point do you have the dog switch from following tracks that you've laid (so you know where they are and can insist on good tracking behavior), to following some type of animal? If, for example, you want to have the dog track a cat, how do you find a cat you can walk on a leash to create a "tracks" and how can you make sure that the proximity of your track doesn't influence the dog's behavior? Do you train the dog to the point of being able to work "blind" tracks laid by a human (tracks not known to the handler) before asking them to then work the scent of other animals?See? I have lots of questions. Other questions for me - how do you deal with the "track" when the tracking dog wants to search for lost pet on private property where you don't have/can't get permission to enter? I see the need to train for "track interruption"How will you handle the search if you have no known starting point (or point last seen)Tracking tests, by comparison, are fairly straightforward. There is a known starting point with a scent article. The tracklayer walks in fairly straight lines. You know you have to have at least one left and one right turn, you know the yardage, etc. On the other hand, you have to follow where the dog wants to go, and can't make the decision to research the area unless the dog instigates the search. For example, if the dog searches in an area, then goes beyond and gets "stuck" (runs out of scent), you can't go back to the spot where your dog showed some interest and then ask the dog to try again from that point. That would be "guiding" in a test. That would be good thoughful handling if you're working a track for a lost pet.It seems to me that the pet tracking work would be most similar to search and rescue work. The style doesn't matter (can switch from tracking, to trailing (following further off the actual footfalls, where scent may have gathered against buildings or bushes) , or airscenting - as long as the pet gets found, the owners won't care if your dog was really "tracking" every step of the way. There are a lot of different ways that SAR groups work/train and my understanding is that they can be quite political just as any human organization can be. I don't know that they would be very welcoming to someone who wanted to train a dog to track lost pets, but you may be able to hook up with a SAR group in Shasta County and observe a training session or two, or make connections that way, with people who may have a side interest in tracking pets. Beware of the "instant expert" syndrome though. We've had several SAR handlers enter TDX tests, thinking it was going to be a piece of cake for their dogs. But it was obvious they a) hadn't read the rules (had food and toys on their person for starters), b) hadn't trained for this venue and c) they made excuses why their dogs had trouble. They complained that the start article left "too much scent" which confused their dogs, who were more used to working older tracks. Again, hadn't read the rules, assumed that since their dog had one set of skills that they could switch to the other without any cross over training. It was sad, and they took spots in a test away from others who had trained for that venue.I suppose that's one reason why I would encourage you to focus on what you want the most and to "go for it" then when you have time to "play" - explore the other venues that are open to you based on those skills. I've known some handlers in AKC tracking who have said they want to do tracking for lost pets once their dogs earn all their AKC titles (don't know any who have actually done it yet). You could approach it from either direction, but I would pick one or the other to start.

Me:
My questions are: What resources (books, tapes, etc.) would you recommend I use to continue Dino's tracking training since I will be living in a very remote area, and I will be doing most of the training on my own.

Kyla:
Hmmm....well, that might depend on what direction you decide to take. If you were planning to do the pet tracking work first I would get as much material on that specific application as I could (search on line) I don't have any specific information on that. I would probably look into various Search and Rescue (SAR) materials as well, and see if I could find any methods that would look like they could be applied to pet tracking also. As far as "titling" venues - I suppose I would start with Sil Sander's Enthusiastic Tracking book. REMIND ME and I will send you a document that's part of my tracking seminar with book reviews I have of his book and two others. The other books are Tracking from the Ground Up by Sandy Ganz, and Tracking Dog: Theory and Methods by Glen Johnson. The review will explain what I like and don't like about each book, but they're all worth reading. The only books really available for urban tracking (for titling venues) are by Ed Presnall. Variable Surface Tracking . I have mixed feelings about his books. I was excited to get them, but they didn't help me that much.I saw on the AKC website that there are some clubs in the Sacramento area that offer tracking tests.

Me:
Is there anybody in that area that you could recommend I contact that I might be able to work with from a distance and maybe occasionally meet with?

Kyla:
Yes, there are several clubs in Sacramento that offer tests. I know of one person who offers private lessons, but from what I've heard recently, I can't really say that I would recommend her. There's GOT to be some experienced trackers closer to Redding. I'll ask around and let you know if I find someone.

Me:
This is the first time I have been in the tracking area, and Dino's enthusiasm is very high, so far. We have been doing short tracks with food. I realize this may take some time to get him trained to the professional level. We have not done any competitive obedience training, but he has passed his CGC and temperament test, and I have been taking clicker obedience classes with a trainer in this area. I have also shown him in mixed breed conformation.

Kyla:
Tracking is something that dogs usually love. I LOVE tracking puppies who don't have any other training - it's so fun to watch them use their natural abilities as you guide them to the style of tracking you want.

Me:
I appreciate your time. I look forward to your response. Let me know if there is any additional information that you need. Thank you.

Kyla:
I feel like I've given you a quite muddled response. I hope that something I've said makes sense. I love 'talking" tracking - so feel free to respond and ask questions or make comments, etc etc. I just feel bad that I don't really have the training knowledge you'll be needing for the application to tracking lost pets. Hopefully you'll be able to hook up with a mentor in that field and have fun doing it!