Tracking Camp

Holly tracking at Lab Land during a fall camp

Tracking camp is a special learning opportunity for dogs and handlers to learn about and improve their sills and knowledge while having a lot of fun.

Camps are small groups of 5andlers and dogs (maximum 5 dogs) who spend 2-4 days with Susan Eldred at her property (and fields near by) outside of Thompsonville, (west of Traverse City and Interlochen, Michigan. To keep from overworking handlers’ dogs, the handlers will get to work at least once each day. Everyone will follow along and watch all the dogs work. Everyone will have lunch at Lab Land (headquarters). After we finish in the afternoon, handlers will have the opportunity to play with their dogs at Lab Land, go play elsewhere, go shopping, enjoy the beautiful scenery and countryside, enjoy fishing, wine country tours, eat Moomers Ice Cream (voted number 1 in the country by Good Morning America), enjoy sunset at Lake Michigan, and enjoy good food at one of the many local restaurants.

There are many options to choose from. You must stay at least 2 days. You may stay for the whole camp (4 days). You may choose which days fit your schedule best. This is possible because each person will work at the level of his/her own dog by laying most of his/her own tracks which will be marked so everyone watching can learn what the dog’s body language is telling us. We can work dogs of any level at each camp.

This camper and his dog are tracking across one of the dirt roads at Lab Land.

Lab Land is 30 acres with a wide variety of tracking opportunities. We have open fields, scattered trees, groups of pine trees, several mixed hardwood forests, areas of ferns, mowed paths, walking paths through the woods, dirt roads, and several buildings which create Variable Surface Tracking situations including concrete, working between, around and through buildings.

Welcome to camp headquarters

: Dogs start with a scent circle which has footprints throughout

: The dogs are looking for food in the circle

: Dogs learn to associate food with human scent

: Next is a scent triangle leading to a curved track with random food drops

: Dogs quickly learn to stay on the track to find the food

: Still on the first track, this dog has it figured out

: Handlers can be any age

: All dogs can track but the job is easier for some

: The second track offers limited choices

: Dogs learn to indicate”up” articles

: After working limited choices, the track comes back into the open field

: By the time the dog is in the open field, he will stay on the track and locate articles easily

: This is this pup’s first track

: This 5-month old crosses the road on his first track

: This 13-week old pup is working in open woods on an early track

: On the second track, this dog is confidently leading his handler to the track

: This pup is ready for a longer lead

: Snow poses no problem for this dog on his second day of tracking

: Tracking in light snow allows the handler to see how closely the dog is following the track

: Working in the open field

: This pup is already crossing roads with ease

: Susan used Mattie as demo dog for many years

: Mattie shows everyone what a tracking dog looks like

: She l,oves to find articles

: Cover change makes no difference

: Heading toward the last article

A demonstration of a trained dog on a track lets everyone know what their goal is.

Lab Land has many types of cover, changes of cover and varied tracking experiences for dogs. Below are photos to illustrate some of what you may encounter.

: Entering the tall red pines with years of pine needles

: In the red pines parallel to the road.

: Between tall pines by the road

: Through rows of tall pines.

: Leaving the tall pines toward a section of smaller pines.

: Through mixed small pines

: Open areas surrounded by small pines

: Through fields of late summer knapweed.

: Lichens around small pines

: Spring ferns

: Mixture of grass, sand and lichen

: Sandy mossy soil

: The lichen is soft when moist and crunchy when it dries out.

: A late spring snow.

: Over a log

: Over a log near the road

: Over a log, across a road and into the woods

: Looking for an article on a bench in the woods.

: Finding a hidden entrance through the woods

: Woods

: Tracking down the path in the woods

: Tracking in the hardwoods

: The dog has already made the turn down the next path

: Tracking down the middle of the road

: Approaching the road

: Crossing the road while Orrin approaches on the tractor

: Open field

: Short grass next to tall grass

: Open field heaaded towrad ferns

: Open field

: Field of tall weeds and lichen

: Intersecting paths in spring

: Paths betweeen ferns in fall

: Intersecting paths with an article

: Entering the field of flags

: Final articcle on the cone.

: Article on picnic table bench

: The way some agility dogs find an article on a bench.

: Up article

: Up article

: “I smell an article on that log!”

: “I found it!”

: Along the woods

: Fields near buildings

: Over a pile of wood chips

: Out of ferns onto path

: Entrance to woods

: Woods in fall

: Change of cover tall to short

: Intersecting paths through the ferns

: After tracking, the pool is a favorite spot.

There are many opportunities to experience VST (urban) tracking at Lab Land due to the location of the buildings and surrounding distractions (farm junk). Dogs work passed buildings, around buildings and even through them.

: Tracking on cement along the building

: Finding an article on cement along the building

: Between trailers and building

: On a track that passes the building

: Dogs are drawn to any opening in which scent may have entered

: After rejecting the opening, the dog continues along the building

: Scent is everywhere amidst the junk beside this building

: The dog continues to check as he moves along the building

: Special attention was warranted by the flag holder next to the door.

: Cement block pavers in front of the headquarters provide another scenting experience

: This track passes closely behind the building. The MinPin checks every opening.

: After checking here, the dog moved to the last opening.

: One last opening before moving back to the grass.

: Another dog checking the opening

: Decker checks the opening

: and finds his track is through the building

: This dog’s track curved in and out of the building

: This dog entered from the open side of the building.

: and exited out the back

: Then the pile of dock poses another scenting obstacle

: This dog found an article in the building

: This dog checks the opening in a planter because scent has fallen down the opening

In addition to Lab Land, tracking is also done on nearby land. There are wonderful fields in a state forest area several miles from Lab Land. These fields offer large areas of open field, areas of ferns, tree lines, a swale, some woods, a section of furrowed land and several small dirt roads. The land is great for TD or TDX practice. In the fall, the color is spectacular. The area is large enough to allow each person a large area in which to work with varying conditions.

: Open fields with scattered trees

: Large fields with tree lines

: Easy access to hidden fields

: Fall color bordering tracking field

: Scattered piness add to the beauty

: Tracks laid in open fields and through trees

: This track shows some of the depth of this field

: Fields of tall grass

: Tall grass doesn’t bother small dogs

: Flat field with hill on far side

: Crossing road into pines

: Open field partly covered in ferns

: Puppy crossing road back into field

: Far back in the open field

: Coming out of the swale

: Dog in the furrows

: Lab in furrows showing their depth

: Westie entering furrows

: Westie following in the middle of 2 furrows

: Workiing through the furrows

: Climbing across a furrow

: I found an article!

: Leaving the furrows

: The high school parking lot offers an opportunity to practice transitions between pavement and grass.

: Tracks start on grass going up and down the hill

: Then they come down the hill to find articles on the pavement.

: Dogs are rewarded for making the turn by finding an article

: Turning back toward the grass is another article

: More articles on grass

: Another dog plays the article game to practice transitions

: Up articles may be placed on the light poles

: This site also provides an opportunity for a full VST track.

: The start

To improve handling skills, campers have the opportunity to work The Eldred’s trained dogs. Campers find this very helpful in learning line handling and feeling what it is like to trust and follow a tracking dog.

: Decker

: Mattie

: Holly

: Holly

: Decker

: Holly

: Mattie

: Dancer

: Holly

: Dancer

: Holly

: Mattie

: Mattie

: Approaching article

: Mattie picked up her aarticles

: Turned to face handler

: and sat waiting for her treat

: Here it is

: I’ve got it!

: Pay me!

For more information, see the camp details page. A deposit of $50 per dog is required to hold a place in any camp session. The balance may be paid any time up to the beginning of the camp session.

2019 Camp Dates