What is it and why is it so important?
Motivation is different things to different dogs, just as it is for different people. Simply put it is a reason for doing something or behaving in some way. However, as it is for people so it is for dogs -- one size does not fit all, though some forms are more popular than others. For people, money is often a popular motivator, as is fame, glory, or any number of other things. But dogs do not live in the world the same way we do, plasma tv's and fancy cars mean little to them - they live by their drives, so their motivations are somewhat simpler - more primitive if you like.
Hunger (self-preservation) is a primary one, and for teaching tracking, is usually a useful one. I do not like to generalize, but make any dog hungry enough and he will search for food. Another motivator is aversion to pain, i.e., if the dog does not do something he should - he gets a correction, if he does it - all is well and he gets praise or another reward (ball, etc.). The human equivalent might me something like 'spare the rod, spoil the child' - useful, but not as the path to take for us. Other drives are not so helpful to us in tracking, such as sex or defense, though prey drive can be helpful for certain dogs. (more on this later) I am well aware that many successful top-level competition dogs have been trained using forced tracking methods, but many have been ruined as well. And while I am not an advocate of such methods, I do believe you cannot get a 100% reliable tracking dog without the use of some force at the appropriate time (see removing food, proofing, etc.), any more than you can get a 100% reliable retrieve without the use of some force.
So what kind of food is useful? It depends on the dog. In the beginning finding the right (tracking) food for your dog is critically important. The dog's behavior will tell you when you've found the right one. If you toss something on the floor and he acts as if he could take it or leave it, instead of inhaling it and nosing around for more -- try something else. Cut up hot dogs have been used to train thousands of dogs over the years, and I use them from time to time, but they do not work for all dogs, nor do they necessarily work for any one dog all the time. Changing the treat on occassion is also important and sometimes necessary - so have backups ready. Changing the food from time to time helps keeps the tracking interesting for your dog. With any food you choose -- cut into very small pieces, helping minimize the time the dog chews it on the track. This is because a dogs cannot track properly for Schutzhund if it is chewing, although they can track with their mouths open. I take a hot dog, cut it lengthwise in quarters, then slice into ¼" long pieces. These pieces are big enough, and have the added benefit of dropping down into the grass, making the dog work harder to find them!
Other foods that are useful are cheese, steak (one member of the 2007 World Team gets steak pieces on every track!!), and various dog treats - Zuke's Mini Naturals, e.g. is a great one - and they're precut to a great size. Biscuit pieces are not good because of the time it takes to consume them, though a biscuit could be used as a reward at the track's end. In my opinion, the less odor the treat has the better. We do not want the dog scenting it from 10 feet away, or near a corner if the wind is blowing into his face after he turns. Liver is a good example of a food not to use on the track, as is sardines. However, these two make excellent end of track rewards when sealed in a small plastic container. Pax gets a can of sardines at the end of every practice track (see ending tracks).
In New England, where I live, it is hard to find the plowed and disced fields of the Midwest, South and West Coast. More often we use hayfields and even soccer or baseball fields or other short grass (which I think is an excellent surface to start on). This brings me to the color issue. While dogs do not see in color, but they do see contrast, and a nice piece of yellow cheese on green grass will stand out like a lighthouse beacon for our canine friends in search of the next morsel, allowing them to more easily use their eyes and conversely -- not promote the use of their nose, which is what we want. There are ways around this (see blindfolds), but for now it puts cheese lower down on my list of motivators. However -- if your dog absolutely loves cheese, try a cheese hotdog.
Find the right motivation!!!
