Drags and Tracking

[Oakley]

Can drags create bad habits for a young dog regarding leaving too much scent? ie running too fast, not using their brain, etc. My pup has a good will to track and we're at the point where we're training for blind retrieves and I would like to potentially train for drags as well. I just don't want to develop bad habits for actual tracking before we start to work on live rabbit/pheasant tracks.

[Georgia Boy]

Drags and actual tracking are two very different things unless you are aging the drags several hours.

[Kyle]

It depends on the dog. The most common problem is learning to run the drag real rough and then eventually break into search. If the dog starts running them fifteen yards down wind of the drag start aging them. Running them fifteen yards down wind is a tracking preferance rather than an indication of nose.

I only put one turn in my trainning drags rather than two like the test drags. If the dog over runs the turn on a one turn drag they can not complete the drag without coming back to the track. If the dog over runs the first turn on a two turn drag and searches forward it will reconnect with the track and be rewarded for charging forward off the drag trail.
Kyle

[DrahtsundBraats]

I only put one turn in my trainning drags rather than two like the test drags. If the dog over runs the turn on a one turn drag they can not complete the drag without coming back to the track. If the dog over runs the first turn on a two turn drag and searches forward it will reconnect with the track and be rewarded for charging forward off the drag trail.

Thanks...never thought of that...yet is obvious when you think about it...excellent tip.