Does anyone know of any schools or clubs that train in tracking. Even online info or lessons. It is my dogs favorite sport and I'm wanting to train them more formally. Alby is goal orientated and will sniff and find the hidden object straight away and bring it. Jacksy loves it so much that long after he's sniffed the object out and has it fixed in the corner of his eye, he will pretend he hasn't and continue to run around with his nose to the ground just to drag the game out.

There is this, I haven't watched it, but Steve White is very respected in reward training, he's something of a pioneer.
http://www.clickertraining.com/store/?item=trwistwh

He does this thing called scent in a bottle - if you google it you should find plenty of articles about it - which allows you to see that the dog is on the scent. I think that's a really smart idea.

I found this also, which is a Basenji doing it - not sure whether White's method is followed exactly, as I don't know the details of how he does it. (This owner makes the weirdest noises I've ever heard a trainer make - it's worth it just for that lol). At this stage, when the dog is going from treat to treat the scent line being visible to the owner (because it's wet) probably doesn't make that much difference to the older method of putting treats into where you stepped (although that might be more difficult when on a hard surface), but as the treats get spread out further or start to come from the hand, it will becomes more useful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5MKvm6kl7w

If you can start on a hard surface, that's better, because then you don't later have to teach the dog to not follow the surface disturbance odours (which is what dogs trained on grass usually start out thinking they ought to follow), but to follow the human scent.

Thanks as always Koolie Mum for you knowledge and experience.

I'd love to do tracking, but I never quite get around to it. Considering that Wal will probably never be able to do agility anymore, I should think about it more seriously.

Hi
Try ringing up your local canine association as they usually have tracking clubs. We have one is South Australia
cheers
Danni

I thought I sounded a bit different when praising my dogs, now I'm not so sure LOL. But her dogs know they've done well & that's all that counts. Maybe I could take Izzi to Monarto for some tracking, she's always got her nose on the ground, not interested in looking up at me like they're suppose to in obedience.

gee that's where we use to do tracking years ago. Use to have to get up at 4.30 am pick mum up and have to get there between 6 and 7 am to lay tracks or compete. Use to meet at the solos and the big gum tree. One trial I had problems with my car and had to leave it at the car park and was hoping I would get it home. I had someone handling my german shepherd x dobermann Sheba
for me as she didnt like the time frame of the track so decided that I would lay the track (it was for a known tracklayer) Told the guy make sure you have a lead on her at all times. Yeah Yeah Yeah!!! Next thing I got called out from my hidey hole to say that my dog ran away. I said where was she running and they said towards my car and I said that's ok she lay by my car except someone decided they will catch her so she took off down the old princess highway with a judge in pursuit with car. He cornered her by the road that went to the oval. He tried to catch her she took off back in the direction she came from and was just going down the side road where I had came from. I'm screaming and she finally heard me and came back. All that found out she ran 25 kms. I stayed by the car they came and collected me hours later and we passed with an excellent rating. The poor guy was so upset we were worried he was going to have a heart attack. That was one of my recollection of my tracking days. We also lost a track layer. She lost her map bent down to pick it up and couldnt find the flags. We thought she might have had an accident so we all took turns looking for her and my Sheba found her That was a laugh.
Gee that brought back memories
cheers
Danni
ps dont do it anymore hard to find places to train money and I'm to busy competing in obedience and agility

That's why I like the idea of doing variable surface from the beginning. Don't need undisturbed ground, so doesn't matter if you're not the first to use the area that day.