TR310: Intro to VST: Hard Surface Tracking

So let's get started!!

Tracking Areas

The most important requirement for being successful at this level of training is the handler's determination, tenacity, and flexibility. Too often in previous classes, people have tried to "make do" with finding the necessary areas and meeting the training requirements. While sometimes we can be flexible, at this level of training flexibility in the environmental requirements is less of an option. If you can't train properly, with the right equipment and areas, then you are better off training less frequently.

We are first going to start by transitioning from grassy areas onto nonvegetated areas. We will get to true hard surfaces but first, we want to start with something easier and then work onto true hard surfaces. The details of actually laying the track are described below but we will be placing 30 "targets" spaced about two steps apart at first. This essentially equals about 5' between targets. So the area needed for the track itself is only about 150+' long. However, remember what I said about the dog trying to drift towards the grass. We want our area to be large enough so that the dog cannot avoid the new surface and seek out more familiar surfaces. So leave yourself plenty of buffer on either side of the track for now. Do not lay tracks close to grassy areas.

For Week One's homework look for areas to place tracks in that are not exceptionally vegetated. I used a plowed dirt field and an area with gravel. You could also use an area with very short grass. An area with pine needles. An area with wood chips (think big playgrounds). Use some creativity but keep in mind our goal. It is not just to check that surface off our list. We are changing the dog's outlook - some dogs adjust and adapt more quickly than others.

Time of Day

Another thing to pay attention to is the time of day that you are tracking. This is particularly important if you are tracking in hotter parts of the country. Not only does it need to be cool enough for the dog to safely track but we want to make sure the track stays relatively fresh and viable. For many of us, this means laying tracks in the morning. Even if temps cool down in the evening most hard surfaces areas retain heat well into the night. Laying tracks on these warm surfaces inhibits the viability of the scent. That is not to say there is no scent but there will likely be less of it and it will be more diffuse and spread around. For less experienced dogs we want to offer them a stronger, more obvious scent. If you are in a cooler location and the ground isn't extremely warm then you have a bigger window of time to work.

Setting Up Tracks

For these first tracks, we want to set up the targeted tracking just as we did in the foundation classes. The targets that we used were foam squares cut into smaller squares a little bit smaller than a playing card (you can purchase the foam sheets at Michaels or other hobby type stores). The target is placed at a designated spacing with some food on it. Instead of the green targets, we used for prior classes though it will be useful to use targets that more closely match the surface color. For my plowed dirt tracks and the gravel tracks, I used tan foam squares.

If you can't find or don't have targets of another color don't worry too much about it. Once we get onto hard surface work we will just be putting the food directly on the ground. On hard surfaces, the targets are too noticeable, regardless of the color. We will only be using targets for a brief period so don't worry if you are unable to find something. You can use green squares or come up with another type of substitute. Before I found the green foam sheets I saved butter dishes so that I could cut up the lids for targets. I even bought the butter variety that came in brown containers so I would have brown lids instead of white ones!

How We Will Put Food on the Targets or on the Ground

Initially, with surfaces such as dirt or short grass, etc we will put food on the targets. However, once we start working hard surfaces, or surfaces where we cannot hide the targets, we will be putting food directly on the track. There are a variety of ways to do this, depending on the surface and depending on the food type you are using. Remember we want to try to prevent the dog from being able to see the food and/or the targets.

Option One The Pastry Bag

Over the years I have experimented with a variety of ways to use food on hard surfaces. What I have found has worked the best for me is, believe it or not, a pastry bag full of baby food. Again from Michaels craft supply store! I purchased disposable pastry bags and a tip that looked likely for dispensing baby food. I then upgraded to an actual plastic pastry dispenser.

A couple of things I have learned about using baby food:
#1. beef baby food has the best consistency and I find the smell the least likely to make me gag
#2. keep the food and the bag cold, I refrigerate the food and take a cooler with me and toss the bag into the cooler between tracks
#3. there is no way to not look like a wacko dabbing spots of baby food on the ground across a parking lot in your socks....(more on the socks below)

Pastry Bag! I can't tell you how excited I was to see how well this worked! (That might also be a sad commentary on my life as a dog training nerd but we won't go there...)

This delivery system works well for baiting targets:

It also works well for placing food on the track on the ground:

Even better than the pastry bag - Michaels also sells a syringe-like cake decorator. This is less messy and also holds a lot of baby food. I just wish they sold a holster to go with it.

Option 2 Natural Balance "Crayons"

Another option to baiting tracks on hard surfaces us to use natural balance or similar type dog food rolls. You can also use hotdogs although it is a little messy. This what I did before my life-changing discovery of the pastry bag. Small refrigerated rolls work best. Make sure to apply enough so that the dog gets the reward. Steel got very good at waiting at the spots for me to add more and then continuing; this made it nice because I could just apply a small amount.

Applying "crayon" to the ground:

And a few more things about laying tracks!

When we add variables to the track such as different surfaces, aging, obstacles/passing objects, etc, all these variables act upon the scent that the dog is following. Quite often the scent is no longer in the exact place that we walked. The adage about "trusting your dog" has to be true. 

Here is a small example of Indy working a 9o degree turn in a parking lot. She is not extremely experienced but she self corrects and negotiates the turn and chooses the correct direction on her own. However, this track was laid on a warm afternoon and aged almost two hours. It would not be reasonable to expect her to stay exactly on the track nor reasonable to expect her to not to have to work the scent puzzle out.

Of course, to trust the dog we need a trustworthy dog. We need to be sure that we have created an understanding and tenacity in the dog that following the scent, no matter how diffuse and spread out, will result in success and reinforcement. If early on in our training we do not keep the track scent and the reinforcement close together then the connection is less obvious. So just like when we started tracking 101; when we introduce the dog to hard surfaces we want to do the same thing. Keep the track scent as close as possible to the reinforcement.

How do we do that?

First, we do not age the track very much. Aged about 15 minutes or so if possible. If pests such as ants are a problem then, for now, you will have to use a fresh track.

Second, we try to keep the amount of scent on the track as high as possible. This is where we separate the tracking nuts from normal people. I won't say that you HAVE to do this but it is what I do. I lay these early tracks on pavement or concrete in my socks. See the note above about looking like a crazy person....

This Week's Homework

We are going to start on slightly less hard surfaces first this week. Look for very short grass, plowed dirt, gravel, mulch, pine needles etc. Use some creativity - we are looking for areas that help transition the dog from grass over to surfaces such as concrete or asphalt.

Two-step spacing with either food or targets with food, placed in a straight line on these rough surfaces. Either place the food on the ground or onto targets that are the same color as the surface.

Here is an example of a track laid on gravel. I placed tan-colored targets two steps apart across the gravel. Remember to keep the line short and don't allow the dog much area to cast or hunt for the track. Our first goal is to just get them eating in a straight line.

Here is an example of Indy tracking in gravel

And her buddy Amber running the same track:

Also, I worked both dogs in a plowed dirt field.

So find your areas, assemble your equipment, and lay a few tracks on semi-hard surfaces at two-step spacing. Try to find several different surfaces throughout the week. Use targets, or if you do not have those or they don't work, place food directly on the ground. Start simple and we will see how things go. Remember our goal is to develop reward history on non-vegetated surfaces.

Also, start assembling the necessary equipment that will be needed later for tracking on hard surfaces. Get your pastry bags and implements ready!