In Introduction to IPO Tracking, we taught the dogs how to follow the precise footsteps. Now, on to the fun part, following those footsteps to the articles! This course covers introducing articles to the track, by far the most important part of tracking for the dog. We also discuss in detail how to start skipping and taking away the food rewards in the track itself. This course is driven more by the gold spots as we work each team through a problem area each week. Terrain differences, weather, age, and common scent challenges are all covered in detail. Towards the end of the course, we also look at simple problem solving. Laying bait and articles intelligently on the track can help train your dog to solve those problems and emerge a more confident and independent tracker.
Participating teams should come out of this second IPO tracking course with enough knowledge and information to successfully earn up to an IPO 2 track. More “dirt time” will be needed than the 6 week course, though!
Here’s a video to see some of our class skills: