# Tracking



## Vickie Lanig (Jan 30, 2008)

Has anyone ever done serpentine tracks. I was told that this would help my dog slow down on the track but I have never tracked this way. 

How do you do corners if you lay a serpentine? 
With a serpentine track do you walk down the middle or do you continue to follow the dog as it follows the weaving track?


----------



## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

A couple tips from Joanne Plumb...
· Don’t introduce corner until you dog is tracking at least 90’ well. Then go 80 paces, corner, turn, 10 paces, end.
· Use big arcs/serpentines so dog can go off track 6’ and not get to part of arc/serpentine.


----------



## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Serpentines are great to slow dogs down as well as to be sure the dog is actually tracking your steps. I never want the dog to go off the track regardless of whether it's serpentine or straight, so I don't know about dogs going off the track 6' - not the way I have been taught. You follow the dog just as you would a straight track. The serpentines aren't supposed to be little, but big wide and sweeping, so you couldn't really go down the middle anyway even if you wanted to. I'm only talking about schutzhund tracking, so if you mean something different, sorry just disregard!


----------



## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

You know, you don't always have to have corners when you track. Just lay some big old serpentines. If you want to have a corner, just lay some big ole serpentine arcs then go straight, corner, straight then start in with the serpentines again - all on one track.


----------



## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

The Joanne Flemming Plumb tracking DVDs mentioned by Dary E are fantastic! 
Serpentine tracks are pretty much used by most sport trackers.


----------



## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

susan tuck said:


> You know, you don't always have to have corners when you track. Just lay some big old serpentines. If you want to have a corner, just lay some big ole serpentine arcs then go straight, corner, straight then start in with the serpentines again - all on one track.


 
Good point Susan! to many sport trackers lay out the same old straight, 2-4 corner track at every training session. Most of ours are as you commented on.


----------



## Lynsey Fuegner (Apr 11, 2007)

not only do the serpentines teach the dog to really stick to footstep to footstep but they really helped a retrain dog that I have when we were getting her out of her horrible habit of lying. The serpentines were challenging enough to keep her interested and really wanting to track. The Joanne Flemming Plumb videos are priceless! They helped me tremendously...and if I remember correctly she also uses serpentines when she begins to wean food off of the track, by first removing food from the apex of the serpentine thus allowing the dog to work through the issue of no food but crushed vegetation smell and get rewarded when the calmly find the next footstep.


----------



## Vickie Lanig (Jan 30, 2008)

Ok, guys! Great advise. I guess I should clarify a couple of things for you here. This dog was trained by Joanne Plumb and Lisa Little. He is a SchH3 dog with a 94pt FH. I was told to do serpentine tracks with him to slow him down on the track but didn't know if I follow him on the serpentine or if I walk straight down the middle while he weaves his way back and forth and I didn't know if you can lay a corner with a serpentine or not! 

I don't need any beginning dog advise as this dog is not a beginner and I am not really either, I just have never done serpentine tracking before.

Thanks


----------



## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Vickie Lanig said:


> Ok, guys! Great advise. I guess I should clarify a couple of things for you here. This dog was trained by Joanne Plumb and Lisa Little. He is a SchH3 dog with a 94pt FH. I was told to do serpentine tracks with him to slow him down on the track but didn't know if I follow him on the serpentine or if I walk straight down the middle while he weaves his way back and forth and I didn't know if you can lay a corner with a serpentine or not!
> 
> I don't need any beginning dog advise as this dog is not a beginner and I am not really either, I just have never done serpentine tracking before.
> 
> Thanks


 
I guess the easiest answer to that is how fast the dog goes. If he stay pretty fast you may have to go down th emiddle of the serpentine to keep up.
Another method to slow a dog down is to age the track longer. Make him work harder. 
With a 94pt FH I think I'd just get in better shape to run behind the dog. :wink:


----------



## Vickie Lanig (Jan 30, 2008)

Well, I do need to get into better shape but if I let my dog run he runs right past articles and corners....grrrr!! Broke his tracking leash at Nationals last year!


----------



## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

Now, what did I do with that cream cheese and peanutbutter ball recipe? ;-)


----------



## Lynsey Fuegner (Apr 11, 2007)

IMHO, I don't think it ever hurts, with an experienced dog, to step back to basics and relay a foundation. I know with my older female she did essentially a 99 pt track (89 because we misse that last article) for her Sch1. Feeling overconfident in her abilities  , when training for my Sch2 I gave her more trial type tracks and less of the fun, basic, training ones. She hit her articles great, but did much worse in her overall performance and we were given a 84 (which I think was better than she deserved that day). We're now going back to basics, making it fun, and once againa relaying her foundation and then setting her up for much more challenging tracks in preparation for her Sch3. In that way, when dealing with a specific issue, even though the dog is experienced, I don't think it ever hurts tostep back and reteach...After all (and I quote one of the best when I say this) if the dog knew what it was we wanted him to do, and what he would get if he did it, why on earth wouldn't he do it?


----------



## Vickie Lanig (Jan 30, 2008)

Lynsey,

Since my dog was trained by someone else going back to HIS foundation is not always possible especially when I don't know how Joanne and Lisa train. If I try and guess then I could cause un-necessary issues to a dog who is an excellent tracking dog! He has outstanding desire and LOVES to track, he just LOVES to track FAST! 

I just was asking about the serpentine tracking because I have never done one before! Lisa Little and Joanne told me to do serpentines with him and our club is a pretty much "on your own" club when it comes to obedience and tracking.


----------



## Lynsey Fuegner (Apr 11, 2007)

no prob Vickie, I understand...just dropping my opinion


----------

