[Dailydrool] Getting started with tracking -- suggestions?

[Mary Wilson]

Hello everyone,

My DH and I would like to start "training" Paddi B Basset to track. (The quotation marks are there because she's already an expert at tracking family members on the beach or out to their gardens or to neighbourhood garage sales -- seems a little presumptuous of me to say I'm going to train her!)

We've been looking online and have seen articles by Craig Green. He suggests training with a lead, a glove, etc... when we were thinking of doing this on our own we were thinking of dragging a piece of weiner or something equally delightful across the back yard, which is a little more informal! I've also seen (online -- not the book itself) a book called "Fun nosework for dogs" by Roy Hunter..

I'm guessing that in the Drool family there are lots of people who have experience with tracking. How would you suggest we begin? Ms. Basset loves playing games. She has never been much for toys, but she loves playing with us on the beach, cheerfully returning to a whistle signal and that kind of thing... so I think she'll really enjoy tracking.  

Thank you as always! Today Paddi B enjoyed a great whistle game on the beach so she is flinging lots of drool for all in need.
Mary
and Paddi B Basset
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