Trail Dog Training

[KleinCrazy]

Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone out there has a Trail Dog that goes out with you when you go riding and if so, how did you go about the training?

Recalls for when they go after wildlife. Staying on the trail and not out the the scrub. Comfort with bikes around. etc.

I would liek to start workign with my 10 month old Belgian so that next summer she could come out riding with me more instead of being stuck at home.

Thanks
James

[TrailPatrol]

James,
Drop a line to Ron Bergin with CAMBA. I know up until a couple years ago Toby went with Ron everywhere. Then Toby and Ron were attacked by a bear. So, I have no idea if Toby still goes with Ron, but you can always ask. You can contact him off the CAMBA website: www.cambatrails.org

Ride safe,
Hans
:banana:

[martini]

Chaco(a Boxer/pointer mix) for about a year now. I got him at about three months in December of 02 and started hiking trails with him immediately so he got familiar with the feelings of being on trail. This was always on lead to keep him on trail. I was lucky in that he either never spotted wildlife, or just doesn't care, but he's not taken off on me yet, and I really don't suspect that he will, he really seems to love being on the trail and running with me.

This past summer was his first full year on trail, and I've been trying to keep his milage on the lower end for his health in the long run. I'll probably gradually increase it as he gets to four years old, then begin tapering back down. As a result of hiking with him, he really sticks pretty close to me on the trail. Lisa rides behind me and says that Chaco shadows my every move when he's behind or beside me. Most of the time he's right out front. If he slows down he get's a "hup hup!" call or a single tone whistle. He does get buzzed every now and again though....

To get him comfortable with bikes, I just had them all over the house. He always saw one. Lisa didn't like having them around so much, but she understood what it was for. We would rider our trainers indoors and he got used to us being on the 'big metal things'.

It's gotten to the point now that he knows the trail heads that we frequent and he just gets amped as we get nearer. It's kinda funny. As I get prepped to ride, he stays in the truck so he won't bother other parking lotters. When we get out on the trail he's very mindfull of my calls, often anticipating me calling out to him.