COMPONENT TRAINING FOR TDX

Component Training for TDX

Component Training for TDX

Ed Presnall

Dogwise Publishing

A Division of Direct Book Service, Inc.

403 S. Mission Street, Wenatchee, Washington 98801

1-509-663-9115, 1-800-776-2665

©2011 Ed Presnall

Cover photo by Jeremy Kezer Photography

All others photos by Ed Presnall

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, digital or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

Limits of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty:

The author and publisher shall not be liable in the event of incidental or consequential damages in connection with, or arising out of, the furnishing, performance, or use of the instructions and suggestions contained in this book.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

ISBN: 978-1-61781-060-2

Printed in the U.S.A.

Component Training for TDX

Ed Presnall

Also by Ed Presnall:

Novice Nosework

Track Laying 101

Mastering Variable Surface Tracking: The Component Training Approach

Component Training, A Companion Guide for VST

The Clumber Spaniel Handbook

Component Training for Variable Surface Tracking

Things are only impossible until they’re not …

Jean-Luc Picard

Acknowledgements

For Debbie, Mary, Michele, and Gretchen

The ladies that work so hard to keep me on track.

And to all of the handlers and dogs who attended Component Training™ workshops and camps and made this book possible, a heartfelt thank you.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Author’s Note

Introduction

Why I Track

Great Reasons to Track

Different Sports for Different Folks

Who Can Compete?

Too Young or Too Old?

Its Tracking, Not Obedience

What are Components?

Why Component Training™ Works

Longer vs. Shorter

Complexity Over Distance

Making Sense of Sense

That Amazing Nose

Blended and Displaced Scent

Concentrating the Scent

Mistakes Aid Learning

Teaching the Handler

Handler Positioning

The Talking Dog – Body Language

Keep ‘em Guessing And Motivated

Keys to Success

Tracking Pace

Why Dogs Fail

What to Expect

Different Dogs, Different Styles

Games People Play

Training Tools and Techniques

Article Indication

Food on the Track

Lead Handling and Communication

Being an Active Part of the Team

Something’s Different

DATs What’s Happening

Talking to the Dog

Dogs Learn From Their Mistakes

A Shout for Help

Time Flies, Track Age Really Helps

Random Tracking For Motivation

Make the Most Out of Your Practice

Speed Kills

A Time to Compromise

Tracklaying Skills

Tracking is Hard Work

Regional Differences

Cover

Regional Cover

Seasons

Weather

Overview of the Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) Title

The Article Game™

Routines

The Components

TDX Component Types

Start Components

Transition Components

Obstacle Components

Are You Really Ready?

Test Day

That Passing Feeling

Drats, Try Again

Vendors and Information

Glossary

About the Author

Author’s Note

Thousands of handlers have attended workshops geared around Component Training™ and now with this book you can also view, read about and practice the various components that make up a typical Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) track. This book is written with the intent of helping you become a successful handler and accomplishing your goal of achieving a TDX title.

It is assumed that you and your dog have progressed through beginning tracking and are near the stage of certification or have already earned your TD title. If not, I recommend reading either or both my Novice Nosework and Track Laying 101 books. An understanding of basic tracking principals and the implementation of a training program is required to work through these components at the TDX level.

This book has been divided into three major sections. The first section consists of an introduction to tracking, who can participate, and why it is beneficial to both you and your dog. The second section introduces the theory behind Component Training™ and the tracking concepts and techniques you will need to become familiar with to compete at a high level. The third section provides details about using Component Training™ specifically at the TDX level. I believe both dogs and humans learn best by focusing on one component at a time, so I have written this book following that guideline with a large number of short and concise chapters.

To help you better visualize each component, I have used multiple photographs whenever available to graphically display the components. When implementing components, you will need to visualize these components being plotted in your geographical area and modify the components to fit your training area.

Introduction

Anyone who has watched late-night movies has seen the Hollywood depiction of an escaped convict being pursued by a dog with his gasping handler being dragged along behind. As the convict crosses fields, sloshes through swamps, hurdles fences and negotiates briars and woods, the tireless dog pursues. Eventually, Hollywood deems that the convict must jump into a creek and slog upstream in order to lose his pursuers, ignoring the fact that water and moisture collect scent molecules and actually make it easier for the dog to follow the trail.

Clicking the channel, we watch in amazement as a Police K-9 team searches for evidence after a bank robbery. Finding a dropped glove, the dog leads his handler on a search of the area, culminating in the capture of the criminal. On another station we see dogs working with the US Customs Service searching for illegal drugs as ships are offloaded on a city dock. Moments later, the scene changes to dogs sniffing cars as they cross the country’s border. Intrigued, we watch as the station displays information on a terrier that, with a snuffle, uses his nose to identify cancerous cells on patients in a doctor’s office.

Walking through an airport we might see a Beagle, working for the Department of Agriculture, jumping on and off the baggage carrousel checking luggage for illegally imported fruits and vegetables, while in another part of the airport a Labrador searches for explosives.

In September 2001, many of us were introduced to search teams who journeyed from their homes across the country to New York, Washington and the Pennsylvania countryside to search for survivors. Many of those teams were the same anonymous searchers who on a monthly basis are called to find lost children, geriatric patients who walk away from nursing homes, lost campers, hunters or picnickers. Over the years, we have become accustomed to seeing photos or video of local or national Police K9 teams "tracking" down criminals, searching for bombs or illegal drugs, and Search and Rescue dogs locating victims lost in the wilderness or searching rubble piles attempting to locate survivors. Each of these activities, whether simulated by Hollywood or performed live, alone or in front of a national audience, is an advanced form of tracking involving specific training methods and a bond between the dog and handler.

The American Kennel Club defines the purpose of a tracking test is "to demonstrate the dog’s ability to recognize and follow human scent, a skill that is useful in the service of mankind."

Tracking offered by licensing organizations such as the AKC and others requires our dogs to modify their natural hunting and tracking skills to comply with a man-made set of regulations. Your dog’s nose is capable of identifying the location of the articles on your TDX track while standing at the start; however, to pass the test, he must still negotiate the track as plotted by the judges.

The regulations further state, "tracking, by nature, is a vigorous, noncompetitive outdoor sport." If you are like most dog owners, any time you spend with your dog is enjoyable. Tracking is a sport that will allow you to spend time with your dog, work together to reach specific goals and operate as a working team. When you start training your dog in tracking, you can expect to walk hundreds of yards in the beginning and what may seem like miles as your training progresses. This amount of walking will help keep both you and your dog in shape and is an excellent conditioning program to begin with that older dog to keep him or her fit and trim.

"Tracking is a team sport in the truest sense. In true team effort, a handler working as a team with his or her dog exhibits a real understanding of the dog’s motivation and commitment to the task at hand. The handler is able to read his or her dog and communicate with it to accomplish their goal."

To many, this camaraderie with our dog is the most enjoyable part of tracking. Working with a dog to become a "team" and knowing when to follow or when to help because you trust the actions of your dog should be your goal. Teamwork will assure you reach your goal.

The fundamental features of a tracking test are the dog’s ability to follow a track laid by a person under a variety of conditions on moderate terrain and find articles dropped by that person. Tracking is a non-competitive outdoor sport where the dog and handler follow the specific scent trail made by a tracklayer. The dog detects and follows a unique combination of smells, a cornucopia of emissions, from people, plants, ground cover and the environment.

Included within this unique scent combination is the tracklayer’s body scent, traces of soap or other toiletries, the scent of their clothes and the smell of the vegetation crushed underfoot. Each person has a unique scent pattern that our dogs can easily follow.

"Tracking Tests should demonstrate willingness and enjoyment by the dog in his work." There are few things in life more enjoyable than watching a dog who truly loves his job. In tracking, we have the unique opportunity to both participate and see our dog’s enthusiasm while he overcomes the challenges along the scent trail. Once you have started this journey, your life and that of your dog will change forever. The mere sight of a harness makes my dogs whine, spin, wag their tail and bark in anticipation of the tracking game. Tracking is a game that should always end with the dog and the handler having fun.

Why I Track

Snapping on the harness, I attach the long lead and watch in amazement as my partner drops his muzzle to the ground and starts slowly moving along an unseen line. He is following a scent so faint that no human could recognize it, yet he leads on. With admiration of the ability of my working friend, I follow along behind. Ready to assist as a part of the team, sometimes questioning or offering a cooling drink, but always assuring my partner that he and only he knows the way.

Later, perhaps after only a few yards in the beginning, or hundreds of yards as we progress toward our goal, my dog indicates a special treasure he has found on the journey, an old glove, sock or a wallet. Congratulating my dog, I accept the treasure he has found. Unsnapping his harness and returning the line to his collar, we enjoy our walk through the field, back to our car and awaiting friends.

Before I leave, I sit and think about the track we just completed. If I am in a class or training with others, we all sit and discuss our tracks. The discussion, or at least my reflection on the track if I am training alone, is one of the most important parts of tracking. I can determine the part of the track that was hardest for the handler and which part was hardest for the dog. This knowledge allows me to plan our next outing and know exactly which components need additional work.

Watching another student work a dog allows me the opportunity to see that Component Training™ works and assist with problems as they occur.

Preparing another team to meet the challenge and reach for their goals or judging teams