Different styles to teach tracking?

[Supernova]

I would be interested to know how you others have teached your dogs tracking?

I think the way I have always done is probably most common one used or what do you others say? How have you done?

I have always done it myself to a small puppy 8weeks so that...
- I will do the track to a bit higher grass (~20-30cm)so that when I take very short steps it will become a "path" for the puppy to follow, about 6-10m straight.
- I'll put small bites of sausage in my footprints on the ground
- I'll show the puppy the beginning say "track" and there she goes... at the end of track just a few more sausagebites.

When this goes like a dance I start to increase the width of my steps and still putting sausagebite to each footprint. Tracking length 10-20m.

Then I put sausage only to everyother step and finally every third making the tracking length at the same time longer, and continue that way so the dog is finally tracking only the scent that I've left not the sausage...

[LongFields]

The seminar I have followed last weekend teaches it in a different way. Not with sausage, because the opinion of the owner of the dog tracking school is that the dog concentrates too much on the scent of the food, instead of the scent of the human making the track.
Because I have never done it before I don't know which way would be the best.

We learned it using a dog toy at the end of the track (you can read full details in my topic).

Making the track is best (according to the seminar) in short grass, rather than long grass. That is because the dog can smell the scent the best in short grass.

But I think there are much more experienced people here who have lots of experience in tracking, who could tell you much more about how they teach tracking.

[Chris_Duhon]

I have taught tracking in a very simple way with much success. I didn't use food, I found tall grass, and had my wife tell the pup the tracking word, but I made sure the pup saw which way I went into the grass, as the pup started moving, I made one sound, and I have found that with that they tend to automatically use their nose because they can't see you, but they know what you smell like.  Its not long before the pup realizes that your foot steps leave a scent and then they always remember that they can use the air also, because they started out like that. Now mine will use both FST and scent trailing.  My male runs sniffing the air, and every now and then he puts his nose to the ground to sort of double check himself, then he puts his nose back up and continues. Thus far, with my male whom I did this with, after 6months of tracking he has an absolutely incredible success rate, I won't even put it up because it won't be believed. His tracks go over hard, wet, muddy surfaces and even ditches filled with high water. As he got good and knew exactly what the track word meant, started using other people and a scent article from that person. That is what I did in a nut shell

[abelmanalo]

good points!  I never taught my dogs to track, as i never felt a need for it in my lifestyle yet.  but i'll try this tomorrow, just for fun.  

[Jenni]

With a puppy I always try to seek short grass, but easily broken surface. I use food, but only dry kibble in the toes, never in heel. In the end an object which has a strong scent of tracklayer. Usually takes 2-3 times, when pup has already idea, what's going on. And I never point the track, I just stand and wait, til pup understands to start seek the food from the pole. Easy and makes the dog work from the very beginning. Also at object I just wait for thereaction and praise it from just that, later I ask the dog to lay down, when pup already knows what lay down means. Never force or any extra commands on track. And I always want the dog to tell me where the track is, not the other way around.

J