Miriam Wade said:
Oh crap! I just saw the posts re: dogs needing help w/ the trail & I don't mean to sound cavalier. I just do think it should be a "basic instinct" type test. It's "all about the dog". The handler just sets 'em on the feather pile & hangs on for the ride!
M
Ha ha, Miriam...I think you were referring to MY post!!

Several people at a NAHRA test had told me that trailing shouldn't be a problem...just a dog putting its nose to the ground...yada, yada, yada.
So, the first time we set one up, I figured...NO PROBLEM!! Yeah, right. The doofuses looked at me like, "What the heck??" It was only after 2 solid weeks of doing 5-6 or more trails per day that they finally caught on. They started out following the scent for a little bit, then losing it and then just running all over he!!. A couple of times we walked the trail with them, pointing to the ground where the scent was every few feet if they seemed to lose focus. A few times they even started running around the field, winded the pile and went to it....NOT along the trail. But oh well...at least they got the bird. And it seemed to click.
But like my buddy Keith says, "Who knows how dogs use their noses on following a trail??" Then he 'splained the difference between trailing and tracking.
We haven't done any for a week or so, so it will be interesting to see how much they retained the next time we drag one. (They do much better when we use ducksicles, rather than a scent-drenched rag or bumper).
Hopefully we'll be ready for NAHRA intermediate in the fall...
--Nicki