| Dave Port and Hunther vom Haus Tyson, at their successful Schutzhund 1 trial. |
The Way Of The Dog
White Star Tracking Log
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| Copyright 2007 The Way Of The Dog. All content and images are the property of the webmaster, unless otherwise noted. |
| The Way Of The Dog 1684 Decoto Rd. #207 Union City, CA 94587 (510) 279-3257 David@innu-no-michi.com |
The Tracking Log
The tracking log will become an essential part of your training program. You will have a record of where
you've been, where you're going, and where you want to be. Training problems and solutions can be
documented, as well as conditions that affect your dog's performance (wind, temperature, cross tracks,
etc.)
The biggest problem with data entry is that it can be tedious and time-consuming! I have developed my
own short-hand for data entry that I find quick and easy. I offer it here for those students who have not
yet begun their log book entries, or who may be looking for an easier alternative.I draw this (not to
scale) picture on a log book page (click on the drawing):
When I review the log book, I can see that this track has three Legs of 100 paces each, that there are
two Turns, and two Articles. Article number 1 was Wood, 50 paces from the first turn, and Article
number 2 was Carpet at the End of the track. The heading contains my information on date and time,
location and surface (Cherry St. is a local plowed dirt field), weather, track age (the Date/Time heading
is the time the track was laid; then it was aged for 20 minutes) Food (Variable Reinforcement 10, with
food every 9 to 11 steps), and the Lead length (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or the full length of the line). At the
bottom of the page I would write notes on the dog's performance after the track had been completed. A
typical critique looks like this:
have written "circled T-1" for the previous two or three pages, I would know that it was time to address
the problem. This system takes about two to three minutes to use, but provides a wealth of information.
If you already have a system that works for you, keep using it; if you don't, this one is easy and quick to
use, so you will be more likely to continue to use it.
An example of a Schutzhund III track Map (click on the drawing):
The tracking log will become an essential part of your training program. You will have a record of where
you've been, where you're going, and where you want to be. Training problems and solutions can be
documented, as well as conditions that affect your dog's performance (wind, temperature, cross tracks,
etc.)
The biggest problem with data entry is that it can be tedious and time-consuming! I have developed my
own short-hand for data entry that I find quick and easy. I offer it here for those students who have not
yet begun their log book entries, or who may be looking for an easier alternative.I draw this (not to
scale) picture on a log book page (click on the drawing):
When I review the log book, I can see that this track has three Legs of 100 paces each, that there are
two Turns, and two Articles. Article number 1 was Wood, 50 paces from the first turn, and Article
number 2 was Carpet at the End of the track. The heading contains my information on date and time,
location and surface (Cherry St. is a local plowed dirt field), weather, track age (the Date/Time heading
is the time the track was laid; then it was aged for 20 minutes) Food (Variable Reinforcement 10, with
food every 9 to 11 steps), and the Lead length (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or the full length of the line). At the
bottom of the page I would write notes on the dog's performance after the track had been completed. A
typical critique looks like this:
- "Deep nose on scent pad; L1 OK; circled to left @ T-1; L2 OK; fast straight down @ A1; steady
speed on restart; T-2 OK; L3 OK; fast, slightly crooked down @ A2. Overall Very Good, poss. 90-
92 pts.
have written "circled T-1" for the previous two or three pages, I would know that it was time to address
the problem. This system takes about two to three minutes to use, but provides a wealth of information.
If you already have a system that works for you, keep using it; if you don't, this one is easy and quick to
use, so you will be more likely to continue to use it.
An example of a Schutzhund III track Map (click on the drawing):
| All photos of Dave and Britta are courtesy of Grace Chen, unless noted. |
