How to Train a Border Collie to Be a Track Dog

Border collies are ranked by various experts including obedience judges as the most intelligent breed, followed by the poodle and then the German shepherd. Consequently, teaching a border collie to track ground-based scents is less difficult than with many other breeds.

Instructions

Choose an open space with few distractions, such as a park or a stretch of woodland early in the morning. Take your border collie to the area and walk around it a few times so that both you and the dog are familiar with the area. Make sure you have the dog's favorite toys and treats with you for motivation and reward.

Take one of your border collie's favorite treats and crush it into the grass, releasing the scent of the grass and letting it mix with the smell of the food. Repeat this every few steps for about 30 paces, then place a piece of the food on the grass at the end of the trail.

Make the dog sit at the start of the trail and let it smell a piece of the treat in your hand. Move your hand along the grass to the next spot where it is crushed into the grass. Do this again at the next one or two spots, and as the dog begins to follow the scent, give it the command to "find."

Leave your border collie alone for a few minutes to get the scent of the rest of the trail. As he starts to find the spots you have prepared, continue to give him the "find "command so he begins to associate the word with the activity.

Allow the dog to find the treat at the end of the trail fairly easily, and reward him with praise and a quick game of fetch or a tussle with a toy.

Prepare another trail some distance away, so the border collie doesn't get confused. Do this a few times until he begins to understand the game, and gradually increase the distances between the prepared spots. After the first couple of times, you can start to alternate the treat at the end of the trail for a toy rubbed with the scent of the treat.

Practice this as often as possible, doing short track sessions three or four times during each practice. Gradually introduce objects at the end of the trail.

Join a dog club that holds tracking trials and let your border collie observe other dogs at work. Dogs learn from each other and this will help him understand the process. Enroll your dog in classes so that you can learn how to do advanced tracking and put the learning into practice.

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