Page 26 - Demo

4. Repeat until all of the line has been wound up. Alternatively, line can be wound up on a simple device for storing electrical cords, or it can be threaded into a
medium-sized container like a small coffee can.
How to Hold the Tracking Line
Be sure the line is fully extended and tangle-free before attaching it to the harness. Snap the line onto the ring on the girth strap just behind the withers. The most ergonomically friendly way to hold the line is in a fist position with fingers facing downward and the back of the hand facing upward. When this grip is held loosely the line can be fed through the hand similar to the way thread runs through the eye of a needle. When the grip is tightened the line is stabilized in the handler’s hand. The wrist can be rotated so the heel of the hand faces downward to add pressure and further stabilize the lead when handling strong, hard-pulling dogs.
When I first learned to track I was taught to hold my hands as high as possible—up over my head—while my dog was tracking. This arm position was impossible for me because my dog was fast and pulled too hard. The handlers I knew who could hold their arms high were exhausted by the time they finished the track—they had to hold their arms up for a long time because their dogs tracked so slowly. I find it most comfortable to cock my elbow at an approximate right angle to position my hand comfortably in front of me. When I run the dog I use my elbow like a spring, flexing and extending to soften the little jerks that the dog might otherwise mis- interpret as a correction.
Hold onto the tracking line at one point along its length and let the remaining line drag behind. The remaining line will point to where you’ve been, so if you get disoriented, simply look behind you. Do not coil the line and attempt to hang onto it in your free hand—it is guaranteed to tangle and be of no use when you need the extra length. There are times when you’ll need to use both hands to handle the dog, so let the excess line drag behind.
24 The Australian Shepherd Journal November/December 2009
Line Handling Basics
The tracking line is a communication link to our tracking dog. For that reason we endeavor to keep all the slack out of the line so our dog is aware of us—and so that we can read subtle changes in line tension to gather information about the track: direction changes, article drops, and cross tracks to name a few. We need to develop good hands so we not just see but also feel the dog’s thoughts and reactions.
It is easy to maintain line tension with confident, hard-pulling dogs. Slow, soft, tentative and/or unsure dogs require a bit more fortitude. You might have to start with very little line tension and gradually work up to a bit more as the dog gains confidence and exper- tise. By all means resist the temptation to work them on a slack line. Whether the dog is fast or slow, let it pull against you and set the pace—as long as you can walk comfortably behind it. Do not run behind your dog—ever! Keeping constant pressure on the line avoids unnecessary jerks the dog might interpret as a correc- tion. Some jerks are inevitable, so when your dog gets an accidental jerk, immediately reassure it—and redirect it to continue tracking.
When we begin training a green dog it is typical prac- tice to work up close to the dog and gradually allow the dog to work farther and farther away as it begins to understand the exercise and gain self-confidence. The handler sweet spot is at, or just past, 20 feet from the dog—it’s a legal distance, and assuming a 40-foot line, we have another 20 feet of line to work with if needed.
At the start of the track remain in place and allow the dog to track away from you. Feed the line through your hand until the 20-foot marker reaches your hand, then simply step in behind. At turns you must also wait until the dog has chosen a direction and is 20 feet away before following. Conceivably you could do an entire track like this with the dog leading and you following at 20 feet. However it is much more likely that the dog itself will loosen the line for any number of reasons: It might overshoot a turn and come back toward you as it self-corrects. It might go off track to investigate a scent pool and then search for the track. It might circle you while it works a turn. Tracking handlers use a maneuver
This handler demonstrates how to hold and handle the line to maintain communication with her dog.