Random thoughts…

1. The game is tracking, not glove finding. Yes, they have to find the glove, and indicate it. But first, they have to FOLLOW THE TRACK to get there. Simply finding the glove out in the field will NOT result in a TD. So please, put your effort into keeping your dog’s nose down, and learning his behavior when he is following the track.

2. If you’re not in the TDX group, do you really want to be telling your dog to track? I’m going to say you do not. Why? If you tell your dog to track, and he goes off and pees, the word will either develop no meaning, or it might become a cue to pee. Neither of those is desired. They don’t come with English pre-installed….so using words with them isn’t terribly helpful at this point in their training. Let the flag, and the food at the flag, be the cues to start tracking. We will install a verbal cue….but not for awhile yet. If you ARE in the TDX group, and you DO verbally cue your dog….I’d like to see a distinct change in behavior that indicates he heard you, and the cue had meaning.

3. Please don’t chatter at your dog. Silence is the single best sound when tracking. There will be times when either I tell your dog they are brilliant, or I will tell you to do that…..if so, it’s a single, enthusiastic “good dog” and then back to silence.

4. Just to humor me…..please keep your tracks to what I suggested for your homework. I’m thrilled you think your dog is doing great, and is ready to advance….but what the heck? You paid for a class with me, so for fun, let’s stick to my plan for now. You’ll have plenty of time this summer to make up your own plan.

5. Kudos to Beth for hanging out and watching the advanced dogs track. If you are leaving after we are finished with you dog, you are missing the real learning. I strongly advise you to put your dog away, and come watch the other dogs track. Everyone is ALWAYS welcome to follow along, right with me, and I’ll be teaching the entire time the team is working. I promise, you will learn MORE from your classmates dogs than you will from your own. No, you don’t have to stay until we are done, but do stay and watch the next 2-4 dogs (With me). I could rant on this …but I won’t. This time.