ID-tracking

Can there be more fascinating than watch dogs do tracking job? Tail waiving and all the focus on the ground. Just something that our dogs where built to do. Pixie and Louise have both made forest and field tracking. It was very interesting to learn about ID-tracking. Major difference is that dog must follow a specific scent. Scent discrimination is also used for example finding bombs and solving crimes.

So we went to get some basic skills from Saara. Pixie started task by learning how smell from a glass jar. Idea is to give scent example for dog to smell from glass jar and she must find the pair from jar line. First the dog has to learn a mechanical skills of smelling from glass jar and then to work on scent jar line. Basic skills are teach with empty jars just learn environment.

Then we introduced neutral smell (steril cloth piece) to Pixie and she had to mark it from the one jar. Idea was teach her work with jars that had something in them. Next phase was to put neutral scet jar on the line with empty jar, so Pixie had to first time find the pair. First rewards where given to her from the good smell of the right one. From this on I just have make task harder and introduce more scents on the line.

It was just brilliant to see how much Pixie's brain just burned from the work. It was really fun to do. Now I just keep making it harder and use scented samples. So don't worry if collect cloth pieces to glass jar from you... I'm teaching Pixie find especial you if needed :D I hope to make this scent discrimination work during winter so that I can teach to tracking part in the spring. So cool to learn something new!! I think both my dogs will just love this job! :D :D

Marianne, Louise and Pixie