Teaching Variable SurfaceTracking: Step One: Laying a track with food and scent for the tracking dog to follow

Teaching Variable SurfaceTracking: 

Step One: 

Laying a track for the tracking dog to follow

Using Food to Teach Tracking: Step Two - Spacing Out Food on the Track

How to decide what track to pick.

    a. 90 degree turns

    b. Crossing streets 

    c. No distractions like other people or other animals to start

    d. Neighborhoods, closed business parks to start

    e. Start with short distances and then add distance as the dog becomes more advanced. Start with about 50 feet, letting the dog become successful and then add distance. 

Using Food to Teach Tracking: Step Three - Moving from Food on Ground to Food in Pocket

Putting down kibble

        a. Pick another animal to walk along with you or carry in carrier like a cat or small animal like rabbit. 

        b. Put down pile of kibble at start, starting close and gradually increasing distance

        c. Start with 6 inches and then work up to a foot and then add feet to get further and further away. 

Using Food to Teach Tracking: Step Four - Moving from Food in Pocket to Food in Treat Bag

The animal used for the scent.

    a. The animal can be walking or in a carrier

    b. Walks along with you. Doesn't have to do anything special like peeing or pooping. 

4. Ending a track

    a. For a beginner dog, don't cross tracks on your way back to put the scent dog away. Later on once the tracking dog becomes more advanced and can do cross tracks. 

5. Getting scent from the other animal

    a. Take a couple of sheets of paper towels and rub those all over the animal. Do this for a couple of minutes. 

    b. Take those sheets and put them into a plastic zip lock bag.