Puppy or Adult Trailing / Tracking Imprinting

The purpose of this course is to imprint the K9 in trailing/ or tracking using natural methods to the dog without compulsion. The training may or may not be on lead with self-discovery being the training model for the dog. The goal for adult dogs will be trailing in a rural environment out to 400 meters, on or off the lead, and at least 30 minutes old. The program completion time is one to two weeks.

Course Details

A.  THE FIRST TRAILS Virtual Classroom/ Hands-on, field work

Jeff will walk you through our trailing imprinting program though virtual classroom and/ or video review. Each step will be covered online with plenty of time for Q&A. Once you are ready for the field and your K-9 first trails, Jeff will give you a detailed outline of training steps for your two weeks of training including instructions for videography, video upload, and online Q&A sessions with video review.

Training area:  Working in primarily soft surface environments: rural, woods, marsh, and fields.

B.  Trailing Imprinting

*Reward and motivation

Jeff will walk you through several steps of his reward and motivation testing process then review your dog’s response to it. These two crucial elements are important components of our imprinting process.

*Instructions for the trail layer

Jeff will go over a critical element to trailing training and that element is the bait or human training aid who the dog must find. He will also train you about the nuances of human scent evidence and how to teach the dog to take scent at the start of a track.

*Instructions on training locations

As with retail sales, location, location, location! Location is everything and without the right environment, success will be fleeting. Jeff will study your training areas to teach you where to start!

*Training intervals, repetition, and distance

Jeff will study your dog’s behavior and demeanor to gauge its response to training intervals and repetition as well as the best distance to initially track and then create a training regimen that will maximize results and excitement for the dog.

*Firetrails!

The meat and potatoes of our program! Fire trails are the thrill of the chase and the basis for all that you are about to do! Jeff will walk you through this step by step and with a video review of your progress. He will coach you through the best ways to add distance, turns, and age to the track. Once your pup is up to is prescribed distance and age, Jeff will begin the second phase of the imprinting process.

*First blind trails

Once the dust has settled from the fire trails its about time the dog starts tracks where the trail layer is missing and the trail has aged a bit. Jeff will study your progress so far and with in-depth video review then prescribe a second phase program that will have you well on the way to scent specific tracking/trailing.

*Online exam with certification

Once you’ve completed all of Jeff’s virtual classroom and fieldwork you can sit down for the final part of your trailing imprinting journey. The final certification is through our University Portal where you will take a 35 multiple choice and essay-style question exam. Then, with an 80% passing rate, graduate with your certificate of completion and the first steps down towards a long and prosperous tracking/ trailing career!

*Your own DropBox Folder

We will set you up with your own Dropbox folder that will give both you and Jeff, concurrent access to all of your training videos and map overlays. We will maintain this folder for you until course completion where you will have the opportunity to download everything you have completed.

*Personal Coaching

Jeff will schedule periodic classroom time with you which may include, slide shows, map overlay review, and training video review. This training will be face to face on your computer screen! You will receive a maximum of four personal coaching sessions for this course. Personal coaching classes are from 20 minutes to a maximum hour long and spread throughout the two-week program. Two hours maximum coaching per week.

*Daily Email Q&A session

You will have the opportunity to send Jeff a daily Email. This email may consist of up to ten questions. Email Q&A is for each training day. There are ten training days in our two-week program.

Online testing for Trailing Imprinting. Training manual is The Tao of Trailing. *Books mailed with Free Shipping in the USA. We pay 50% of your Shipping fees to Europe with normal first-class mail. You will receive a certificate of completion for this and all online exams at our university.