>POLL<Trailing - who trains for it?

[Doc E]

I know that most folks who run in NAHRA (Intermediate and Senior) train their dogs for "following a scent trail".

I'm wondering if YOU train for TRAILING..................

1. YES
2. NO
3. What is trailing?

[Doc E]

My Vote is:

1.

[gspsonny03]

Doc E: I have never run my dog in any trials, but I would have to vote yes also. More by accident than by design. When I got my first dog, I didn't know much about training (still don't) but decided that I wanted to do it myself so I grabbed a bumper, put some bird scent on it and created a scent trail and I then hid the bumper at the end of the trail. Been doing it ever since on pups. It may not be right, but I get a kick out of watching them follow the trail and go on point when they get a big whiff of scent at the end.

[icequeen]

Yup.

In the process of training my little girl to blood trail bear. I'm hoping I can get her to trail bear, moose and deer. Not to run the animals though, for recovery only.

[Lilred]

I'm gonna say yes cause all i got is hounds but fer pointers. Even with the pointers, they are trained to scent trail as well as usin the wind.
With the hounds, it really aint about ME trainin them tho, vs them trainin theirselves..but i'll still say yes lol

[fabsroman]

Doc,

I trained the two goldens to trail, but I didn't have the ability to do it the right way (i.e., two people, two ropes, and the dummy in between) because I was doing it by myself. When I get to that with Nitro, I will have my dad help me this time. However, I am not there yet with him. Probably will train him with that after this upcoming season.

[icequeen]

Two people, two ropes and a dummy in the middle?

I've got a guy that trains trailers professionally helping me with Cat and he's never said anything about that?

[fabsroman]

Icequeen,

That is what I have read is the best way to do it to make sure that the dog isn't trailing your scent, but that of the game that you want it to trail. I guess the reasoning being that when you get in the field, you want to make sure that the dog trails game and doesn't sit there dumbfounded when it doesn't smell your scent. However, I only got this method from books and from watching DU tv. Haven't really spoken to a professional trainer about it.

[Lilred]

Another way I do my beagles ..and werks real good iffin yer by yerself...
is to first off, git ya pair knee-high of rubber boots, and I just spray em down w/ scent-away, includin the bottoms. If any of them dogs ever noticed my scent, they sure aint pay any bit of attention.
The other thing I do, esp w/ pups, is walk with em. Not only does that allow your scent to be there fer no other reason that yer there, but I can "hike" the dogs better that way, insteada hollerin clear across the state. I can watch what they do better that way too, and fix anythin that might be startin a new bad-habit.
Another REAL good plus about doin it this way..is that after the first few times of runnin a trail non-scented, then you start walkin near or with em, is that they learn not to start trailin just to be trailin. Fer instance, if my dogs are on a rabbit..I dern sure dont want em to start trailin a coon er a deer just because the scent trail is there. That also applies to yer trail. I lay them a seperate trail on purpose more times than not, just so i can watch/correct that trail-jumpin as we call it.

And if they do so happen to run that other trail I purposedly laid out fer em...OOPS...let em run...cause they headed fer a big ole U shaped pile of mousetraps
I reckon the most important thing to remember when doin it this way..is to be sure they're leadin, and not you...so all you have to do is stay to the side or behind em.

[AzHunter]

I've done the two people, a rope and game in the middle and it works pretty well. Another way I've done it is a good long stick and a rope and was able to lay the drag 5 or 6 feet away from my trail, and this also worked for me. The rubber boots is also a good idea for blood tracks, because to lay a good blood track you kinda have to be right on top of it.

[AK NIMROD]

well it will soon be yes.
i have ordered a book on it and will try to train my springer if that does not work then i will probably get a wired haired dauschund.
anyone have experience traaining adult dogs to trial.???