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to CyberHound Last time, I began a discussion of problem solving. Which I would like to expand this time. As I mentioned before, the most important thing is to notice when your dog has a problem that is not just due to the particular circumstances of the day (weather, unusual people or animal activity, etc.). Once you've decided there is a problem to solve, you need to consider various alternatives that might work. If you can't think of anything, it might be a good idea to lay off tracking for a while.
Let's suppose your dog is having trouble overshooting turns. That is, he goes way beyond the turn before indicating a loss of track, and then has trouble finding the track again because he is so far away from it. If this happens occasionally, and he usually does not do it, it might not be a problem severe enough to warrant corrective action. However, if he is consistently doing this, it is something that you had better resolve before it gets any worse.
The first thing to make sure of is that you know exactly where the turn is. Then, you can teach the dog to cast for the track after he has lost it, by physically guiding him with tension on the lead. A previous article included a technique for developing this skill without jerking the dog. As the dog feels the increased tension in the lead, he will start to cast. This reinforces behavior to stop and look for the track when it is lost. If the dog doesn't get it, simply call him back to you and point to where the turn is. When he starts to go the right way, tell him "GOOOOOOD DOG!!" NEVER MAKE AN UNPLEASANT ISSUE OF MISSING A CORNER. With practice and patience, this problem can be quickly taken care of.
Another common problem for Bassets is not indicating articles. My best TDX dog was a bitch who loved tracking, but not articles. In fact, we both walked right over one of the articles in our first TDX test together. Then I found that if I would stop and roll her over on her back, rubbing her belly with lots of GOOOOOOD GIRLs, she started to indicate them by stopping and wagging her tail. That is about as good as it gets with a Basset. Don't try to make them sit or lay down, unless they love to do that naturally.
One scenting obstacle in TDX that can be particularly difficult is a turn at the top of a hill. A similar problem is a track that is along the side of a hill, with a turn towards the uphill side. The dog's tendency will be to track downhill, and may get too far from the track before the problem is recognized when it is difficult to get back. Also, on a TDX track that has a leg running along the side of hill there can be the possibility of crosstracks going downhill. This is probably one of the most difficult crosstracks that a dog can deal with. These problems can be overcome by setting up training situations for the dog to work them out. Just like the turn, you may have to guide the dog back onto the right track at times. As long as this is done gently and patiently, it should not cause a problem with motivation; especially if you don't set up such a difficult situation too often.
Articles may be buried or hidden, which happened on one of the TDX tracks my wife ran. The last article was hidden behind a bush under exposed roots. If the dog hadn't been trained to expect hidden and buried articles, he probably would have passed the article by. However, even though he had to look for it, he knew it was there somewhere, because he had been trained to look for it after scenting it. He dug it out and passed his TDX.
There is probably nothing more frustrating to an exhibitor from out of town than to find out that where his dog will be tested is nothing like the area used for training at home. This could mean different climate, vegetation, arroyos, berms, hills, trees, streams, railroad tracks, or horse paths with horses on them the day of the track (all perfectly acceptable obstacles). These are just a few of the surprises that could be in store for you and your dog. It's a good idea to call the test secretary before you enter a test and find out what the conditions will be, so you can train for them as best you can at home. You may have to drive somewhere else on a weekend to find conditions more like the test you will enter. For example, here in the Denver area, we have a dry arroyo where we train for similar conditions in Albuquerque. To get an even better training situation, we may drive to Pueblo (two hours south) to train in an area more like the fields in Albuquerque. This is extra effort, but it can pay off, especially in TDX where you need all the help you can get. If the tracking site, climate, altitude, and other conditions are so different from your own, then you might consider a test in another place with conditions more similar to those where you train.
We are currently training a young bitch in beginning tracking. During a particularly dry part of the winter, we began tracking and she really enjoyed it. However, she always seemed to be sneezing, like she had allergies. We figured out that the dry, dusty grass was the problem, and it had the potential to make tracking a chore rather than a pleasure. So, we just stopped tracking her until a few weeks later when we had moisture. By carefully choosing the environment in which this beginning tracking dog was exposed, we avoided any hint of frustration or a problem with motivation. This is a good example of preventing a problem before it starts. Once the grass in the field began to turn green, and the moisture had washed the dust away, she began to really have fun. She had no problem laying off for a few weeks; she just picked up right where she left off.
It's possible that your dog will encounter extremely heavy vegetation on a training track that he cannot physically get through (especially short-legged dogs). If this or a situation of almost impossible difficulty occurs in training, then the best thing to do is try not to repeat the unpleasant experience. Sometimes, in a field you have been using for years, an extremely wet year might cause the vegetation to be considerably more dense than it usually is. When and if you encounter such a problem, just make a note of where the problem is, and avoid that area until perhaps a later year in which the vegetation is not so bad.
Some fields can be wonderful tracking areas at times, but eventually grow up with weeds or heavy vegetation that make it extremely difficult for dogs to track. Just be on the lookout for these situations, and try to avoid them if you can. There's no sense in creating a new problem where one did not exist by not paying attention to conditions that you dog finds extremely difficult or impossible.
You shouldn't necessarily avoid areas where tracking can be difficult, especially if it is necessary to train for conditions expected in an upcoming test. However, you should constantly endeavor to compensate the dog's hard work with more pleasant experiences and be on the lookout for situations which might lead to problems later on.