Tracking Dog Excellent - Passed!

Magnum, who just turned 2 years old two weeks ago passed his Tracking Dog Excellent Test held by the Cleveland All Breed Club on May 12^th, Mother’s Day.  The test was held at the Charlemont Reservation a part of the Lorain County Metropark.  This was our 2nd try for the Tracking Dog Excellent test.  In 2010 (most recent year for stats) 137 dogs earned the Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) Title.

The weather was perfect for the test and the site was lovely.  Magnum did the 850-yard test in 20 minutes.  At the start flag, he just led out in the correct direction and didn't explore any other path.  We struggled most with our first turn. He had indicated a turn, but I thought he hadn't pulled very hard.  I thought it might be a cross track.  We continued on for 30 to 50 feet and it was clear we had missed our turn.  The challenge at that point was to get him to go back since the handler isn't permitted to lead the dog.  Magnum circled around several times, which allowed me to move back, and then he found the turn and took off.  The rest of his turns, even those he explored all directions, were very decisive.  Most of the track was in very high grass and he tried to eat quite a bit of the grass along the way.  One time he laid down on what might have been the track, which is his way of saying this is absolutely the way the track goes, cross my heart.  Except I have learned it usually means it's an animal track.  So I looked at him and said, "Is this really the track?"  He then got up and went to the correct track and took off.  

Magnum was great in the woods, which had been our downfall at the Dayton Dog Training test.   After the DDTC test, we really spent a lot of time in the woods tracking.  I learned a lot and saw how Magnum handled the woods.  It paid off.  He tends to go into the woods on the track, then check out all directions before returning to the track and will repeat this process every so often.  I have to go slowly until he commits to the track.  This track went through 2 different woods.

Magnum did stop several times and look at the crowd following us and I had to tell him to track.  Once getting the track command, he got back to tracking.  One of the judges, Ken Barna, told me it's really hard to train your dog for a crowd following him.  Magnum did great at finding 2 articles on the track and downed at both.  He found the last article, a glove, and I held it up and looked back at the judges because I couldn't believe we had really completed the track and they all started clapping.  I am so pleased to have him pass the test.  We have trained so hard - usually 4 or 5 days a week.  So we are taking time off before we start on Variable Surface - concrete, asphalt, gravel and around buildings

 The big difference for me at this test was that I felt really confident in my dog.  I told him he could do it and I would help as best I could.  My mantra to him was "You are an awesome tracking dog!" and it worked for us.

Alan was able to video the entire test.  He was permitted to follow the judges.  I watched it and realized at the first turn, Magnum pulled really hard, I just must have been too nervous.  The lesson – just follow your dog!

April - Tracking Dog Excellent Test

Tracking Dog Excellent Test – Failed.  Those of us who enter the test with our dogs have a one in five chance of passing.  Magnum and I failed our first test at the Dayton Dog Club test in April.  All dogs entered in the tests that day failed – four Tracking Dog tests failed and three of us in Tracking Dog Excellent failed.

I did not start the day with confidence in myself or in my dog, which is not good.  Magnum had a good start and confidently made several turns and headed into the woods.  I was shocked how we entered the woods.  I had to bend way down and almost crawl into the woods.  Once in the woods, Magnum seemed to be everywhere and I thought he was hopelessly lost.  He tried to turn me right into a bush that led further into the woods.  I thought we should go left heading out of the woods.  Now I can’t tell you why I would think I knew where the track went since my nose was not on the ground and even if it was I still wouldn’t have known.  A dog’s nose is 100,000 times better than a human nose.  So, Magnum wanted to meander and I wouldn’t.  He got all tangled up and I had to abandon the lead and put a different lead on him.  We left the woods about 20 yards from the actual track.  We eventually got whistled, which means it is over. 

I walked back to the judges and the tracklayer.  The tracklayer walked us through the rest of the track.  Magnum had been meandering correctly in the woods, he had been on the track.  The place where he wanted to turn into a bush was the track.  I had to walk with the bush between my legs.  Seems hard to believe.   It was a lesson for me.  I hadn’t really understood about meandering in the woods.

I talked with both judges and they encouraged me to enter another test as soon as possible because they thought Magnum was ready.

I’ve entered three more tests.  The first two were in Michigan and I didn’t make it into them, but was on their wait list.  There were no passes at either test.  I was the first selected for the Tracking Dog Excellent test in Cleveland and will be tested this Sunday – Mother’s Day.   This time I will just follow my dog and support him as best I can.  If we are going to screw up, it might as well be his error rather than mine.  I am feeling much more confident in Magnum and in my ability to read him.  Keep positive thoughts for us in your mind.