On a deer track, scenarios will be presented, sometimes bringing surprise to everyone. A well-rounded, cultured pup will not let the switch be flipped in his head to go berzerk and act crazy, essentially reacting with an emotional response. Instead, he will stand there and observe, reach back in his memory bank, and know that he has seen this crap before. Expect the little things on the future real-life tracks to throw your dog off; 

TRAIN FOR IT! 

You don’t want these innocent surprises to break your dog’s focus and throw his mind off the track. An opposum running across the track should be noticed, once it sinks in that it is not a part of the main goal, it should be forgotten, and you should move on without much hesitation. You do not want to walk through a cow pasture on a track and have your dog stand tense with extreme curiosity, looking and wondering about the animals that are ten times his size. When a hunter says, “jump in the back of the side by side, and I’ll bring you to the hit sight,” you don’t want to be catering to your dog because he is scared of it. You want him to jump right in. You are a focused team with a track that needs tending to.  

Be well-rounded, be cultured, be focused on one goal, be an extraordinary team, strive for professionalism. Above all, when a live deer is jumped, one that is not a part of the wounded track, you do not want your dog chasing it. You will look like a fool trying to explain that one to the hunter.

The coolest part about all of this is your pup’s inner personality and character will have no choice but to show. It is experiences like these that your pup should have already conquered, it will show, and he will either gain respect with them or lose it without them. This is why training your pup for these types of situations is going to be crucial. When introducing your pup to new things, take note of which things he needs more time to overcome. Bring the weaknesses to the surface and correct them to become the better version of himself.

You. It takes two to make a team. Your dog wants to make you look good. As the leader, you control how you and your dog are viewed. While you become so focused on teaching your pup how to be, think about yourself and your weaknesses. What can you get better at? In tracking, people skills always come into play. A bad temper is never a good one, confidence in decision making is essential but should always be considered how it came to be, a never give up attitude should not be lacked, being able to bounce back after getting beat are some great qualities to have under the belt. You can have a well-rounded dog, but it takes two to play. Just be consciously aware, and check yourself when need be.

THE NITTY AND THE GRITTY

By now, the critical factor in culturing your pup should be rooted. From here, it is time to get a game plan to put into play to achieve a well-rounded, cultured dog. This is your chance to imprint upon the dog your own style, to provide him with the core values you wish him to attain, to create the one-on-one bond that he will find nowhere else. Expose your pup to everything, open the doors of opportunity, bring on the element of surprise.

Everything should be fun. Tie deer legs or hide to a string and run around like a kid, introduce him to the game of “I really want that thing, and holy crap, I’m having a fun time trying to get it.” Everyone formulates their own opinions, creating the way they think best to keep the mind always in tune with tracking. I leave easy access to deer legs. Venison is always on the menu. Every other day, at minimum, we are training. I like to immerse the soul and mind into tracking life in any way I can come up with.

Basic obedience should always be on the introduction to life list—pretty straightforward stuff. Basic recall is of significant importance. An example is if you happen to drop the leash on a track, you want your dog to be respectful and wait for you to correct your mishaps with a simple command such as “hold up.” 

Your dog is going to encounter many foreign things that the average dog will never experience. Turning him into a situational Cameleon will leave you with a grin when you get complimented on his ability to adapt. Just remember when exposing your pup to new things, every young mind is curious. Some things need comprehensive investigation so that they are understood.  

He should run up to that farm animal and check them out, or maybe he will be shy at first. It’s all perfectly normal, and it’s in your pup’s character. When introducing him to new things, you must stay relaxed. He will feed off of your energy. It ain’t no big thing. It’s alright. Don’t be that parent waiting for failure so they can come out victorious with the correction on their kid.  

Now, if your pup starts maliciously chasing and attacking things, this needs to be corrected. And it’s alright. This is the whole point of the exercise, so he knows how to act. If your pup cowers and shakes out of control when riding on a four-wheeler, comfort should be given, letting them know it’s all good. With every new experience you provide your dog, you must greet their reaction correctly. Be easy, and use your head—time to push their comfort zone.

A list of exposure experiences that should be taught before the first tracking season starts goes something like this. 

The farmyard experience. Let them come in contact with different animals of shapes and sizes. This stuff is all new and cool and will take time and proper investigation. A goal would be to have a nonchalant walk through the barnyard without him being overly focused on one thing for too long

Public people exposure. Let them check out new people, at home and in public. Take them to grandma’s house. Your friend’s place. On the other hand, your drunk uncle’s house may not be the best exposure experience to give your dog as this could give your dog a bad taste of people. We want to build off of curiosity from a positive environment. 

Transportation exposure is essential—For that’s how you get to and from new tracks, you know.  

Take long walks. A couple of miles shouldn’t be out of the question. Find out how much stamina your dog has, make sure he can keep trucking right on with you. Question their stamina, build up stamina if need be.

CONCLUSION

These are critical steps to lay the foundation in your tracking dog and your future. Enjoy it. You are watching your dog grow into himself and proceed each day with confidence and purpose. Watch your dog excel. 

Start to learn your dog’s indicators. Watch his reaction when he validates finding a puzzle piece on the track. Watch your dog excel. The reward of tracking and recovering deer for others is what this is all about. It’s hard work. It’s rewarding work. Set yourself up to be the best you can be by giving proper time to the little things that will eventually come into play on bigger things in your new tracking adventure.