This method was developed by a very good friend of mine (we’ve been tracking together since 1970) and used by her to start countless dogs in tracking and to successfully have handlers complete 36 TD’s and 1 TDX (to date). It has been used for MANY breeds, from a Yorkshire Terrier to a Newfoundland, and for dogs from every one of the seven AKC groups so it is not breed specific. You can start a dog with this method from 8 weeks old to 10 years old(or more). It’s how the 2nd Samoyed bitch in the history of the breed to earn a TD was trained, how my TDX Rottie was trained, how my Bernese Mountain Dog is being trained, and how Arlene’s 4.5 pound TD Yorkie, Fergie, was trained.

You will need a non-restrictive harness (nylon will do just fine) with a D ring on the back for the line; a six foot lead to start and a 20 – 30 foot line later on; a cotton work glove or old leather wallet; bright plastic clothespins or wooden ones with a strip of surveyor tape or torn rag attached; a friend or family member for the first 2 or 3 times out (not essential but makes it much easier); an open area with ground cover between ankle height and your knees (if you can). You can start in lawn grass or weeds over your head if you must, but the medium length cover seems to make it a little easier for a beginning dog and gives you someplace to hide – as you will see a little later. If you want to get a little fancier – 4′ stakes of wooden dowel or metal with one end sharpened to enter the ground easily will give you something to put your flags on when there are no high weeds or tree limbs near-by.

First rule – This is for FUN! If you get a title – great, but the important part is enjoying your dog.
Second rule – The dog knows how to and what it is smelling – you Don’t — TRUST YOUR DOG!
Third rule – Have FUN!
Fourth rule – Use GREAT TREATS for this – hot dogs, meat loaf, prime rib, stinky cheese — stuff the Dog doesn’t get other times. (Oops – I think my dogs typed that rule when I wasn’t looking.) But they’re right, use the best treats when tracking.
Fifth rule – Have FUN!
Sixth rule – ALWAYS mark your track until the day you go for certification. You won’t know if the dog is having a problem if you don’t know exactly where the track goes and where the turns are. While the dog must solve the problem for themselves – you are a partner in this and need to know when to lend a hand by giving the dog a chance to do the solving. You will think you know that you made that right turn by the big clump of weeds and the skinny tree; until you are behind the dog and find that there are three weed clumps and two are near skinny trees and now you are confused – is the turn here and your dog is over-running it or is it really at the weeds that are still 10 yards away?

OK – Lets start a dog!!

1. Put tracking harness with a six foot lead attached on the dog near (within 3 – 5 feet) the start of the first track. Have your helper hold the dog while you take several of your clothespin markers, the glove or wallet (the article), and some really great treats.

2. Leave the helper and the dog with a big fanfare and much fuss about leaving, show the dog the treats and that you have them, place a flag or stake at the starting point and scuff up the ground well with your feet before settling into a steady, normal walking pace for about 30 to 50 yards (for a dog the size of a Berner – a little shorter, 20-35 yards for a smaller dog). Place a clothespin flag about every 10 yards so your helper will know EXACTLY where you walked. Try to head INTO the wind the first time if you can, but it is not critical. Your track will be so fresh and so short, the wind will not yet be a major factor in the dog’s working.

3. When you are within about 10 yards of the end of this first track, signal your helper to turn the dog around so it cannot see where you go now. Be sure the helper continues to watch you so they know when to start “tracking” with the dog.

4. Complete the length of track; lay down the article and pile several pieces of the treats ON TOP of it. Place a clothespin marker near the article drop so the helper will know this is where the article is – you might want to make this marker a different color than the rest.

5. With large steps, “jump off” straight ahead in the direction you have been heading for about 10 feet and either hide behind a near-by obstacle or lie down FLAT on the ground so you are not easily visible to the dog. Signal your helper to start after you.

6. The helper should now turn the dog around and make a big fuss about going to find you. They should say things like “Let’s go find her/him” or “Let’s find —-” or “Where’s —“. The idea is to create enthusiasm for the “hunt”. The dog should have a double incentive for moving along your path – to find you and to find those goodies!

7. The helper should keep the dog up short, no more than the leash length and as much on top of your path as possible. They should also be encouraging the dog with lots of “Good Puppy”, “That’s it – Find her/him”. Especially loads of praise if the dog actually puts its head down and appears to be using it’s nose to help find the way. Don’t expect to see this behavior for the first few times you take the dog out, but sometimes they fool you!

8. When the dog reaches the article drop and finds the treats, you come out of hiding with lots of “Good Dog – you Found it!!”, “Aren’t you a smart puppy”, etc. This is where we make absolute idiots out of ourselves to make the dog feel it just did the smartest thing in the world finding this glove/wallet with all those tasty goodies. If the dog does not appear to be stopping for the treats and wants to continue to where you are hiding – be sure the helper holds the dog up and points to the article and encourages the dog to go for the treats; in the meantime you will have gotten up and are joining in the celebration of finding the article.

9. The first time out we do this about 3 times (3 different tracks – can be in different directions just so as none of them cross each other) and they are at least 50 yards apart from each other. We then call it quits for the day. This may sound like a lot to remember, but after you do it once, you will find it very easy.

10. The next time out (we usually go once or twice a week, depending on our work schedule and the weather) increase the length of the tracks by about 20 – 25 yards if the dog seems to be getting the idea of looking for you; still doing three. Increase the track length in 20 – 25 yard increments per day, until the dog is going about 125 – 150 yards straight out and reduce the number of tracks to 2 at about 100 yards and 1 at about 150 to 200 yards on the following tracking days. After the second or third outing, if you can’t get a helper to start laying tracks for you, you can work the dog yourself, by laying the track, jumping off at the end of the track for about 3 to 5 yards while the dog is either in the car or tied to a tree/fence/stake/etc. and circling back to start the dog. Continue to put your marker clothespins every 20 – 30 yards even if you lay your own tracks. You should still have the dog on a short leash and not let them get more than a leash length off the known track. While “head down” tracking is preferred, unless you are doing Schutzhund type work, it is not required that the dog track with a “deep nose”, just follow the track, make the turns and find the article.

11. By the time the tracks are about 150 yards long, when starting the dog on a track, you need to let the dog get a good whiff of what they will be tracking – whether it is you or someone else who has laid the track. If your dog knows the down cue, have them “down” where the track starts (this should always be marked with a flag, or stake and flag). If the dog does not do a “down” this is NOT the place to begin to train this, just point to the ground instead where the track begins and tell the dog to “Find It”. The reason for downing at the start is to give the dog an opportunity to get a really good dose of whoever’s scent they must track.

TURNS

12. When the dog has done a few 150 yard tracks with relative comfort and is stopping at the article with the treats still ON TOP, usually the 3rd or 4th week, we “up the ante” by introducing an “open turn” – in other words one that is greater (more open) than 90 degrees. You can start with either a left or right turn depending on your tracking site; the dog will eventually learn to do both. We usually go out about 100 yards, place a marker, and make a quarter turn to either the left or the right about one or two yards past the marker, and continue on for about another 20 yards, drop the article, place the treats on top, and jump off the end as before.

13. Each time you go out now, make the turn a LITTLE sharper and alternate your turn direction, until the dog is doing regular 90 degree corner turns to the left and right. Don’t increase the length of the track more than 10 or 20 yards until the dog indicates that turns are no problem. Many dogs never have an issue with the turn, they just follow the track, turn and all, like it was nothing new. Other dogs seem a little confused by the “loss” of scent when the track turns off. For those who need time to work out this problem, be sure you halt a little before the actual turn (the reason for making the turn AFTER the marker) so the dog on its six foot leash cannot go too far past the turn. Allow the dog to circle the turn area a bit so they can find where the track goes, and as soon as the dog heads off in the proper direction, follow and PRAISE, Praise, Praise.

14. As the dog demonstrates that it has the concept of following a scent trail with a turn to find some yummies at the end, increase the length of the second leg until the track is about 200 yards, add in another turn, best in the opposite direction from your first, and continue to add distance and turns until the dog is doing a track of 400 to 500 yards with four or five turns in it. By the time the dog is working about 200 yards with one or two turns, you can start using a longer line, but not the full 20 feet required in a test!! While training, I never give the dog more than 10 feet of line, I always mark the track, and after a couple of months, I start wrapping the treats in saran and placing them either INSIDE the glove or under the wallet so the dog must nose the article to get the goodies giving you a good article indication. It is OK if your dog is the retrieving sort and picks up the glove to bring it to you, but retrieval of an article is NOT required for AKC tracking.

15. Along the way, you will run into little (or sometimes BIG) problems – everyone does. But the thrill of watching your dog the first time that light bulb comes on in their head and they really put that nose down and pull you along the track – whether it is the first time you go out or the 50th time, is incomparable. There is a computer tracking list for those who really want to get into it, several tracking clubs around the US (not sure about other countries) and I’m always available to share what knowledge I might have. If you are interested in AKC tracking titles and tests, the rules are on the AKC’s web page. I know that many European countries have tracking tests of some sort, but I’m not sure where to find information about them or their requirements. You don’t need huge fields, you don’t need pristine areas to work, your dog is always on a leash or line so you don’t break most leash laws while doing this, and if you ever drop your car keys on a hike, or little Johnny wanders away from the campground, you just MIGHT just be able to put the dog to work for real!

There are many ways to train for tracking and many nuances of each way. The really important things to remember are Rules 1, 3, and 5, and that the dog knows how to follow a scent, we are just showing them what scent we want them to follow.

Happy Trails to You!!

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This article provided by the Bernese Mountain Dog Club Of Southeastern Wisconsin.

Our club has deep roots not only in obedience training but also in tracking. For those of you who are not familiar with this dog sport, tracking consists of a dog and handler team following a human trail and finding “lost” articles such as a glove or piece of leather. There are varying levels of difficulty, and in CKC trials dogs can compete for Tracking Dog (TD) and Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) titles run mostly in fields – cut hay fields are the best – and for corresponding urban titles (UTD and UTDX) in urban settings. Our club hosted its first tracking trial back in 1956, in fields off Henderson Road in Victoria. This test is historic because it was the first tracking test held in western Canada.

Hosting a field tracking trial requires space, lots of space! In a trial, each dog runs its own individual track, and several acres per track are needed for the nearly 500 m long TD tracks and even more for the nearly 1000 m long TDX tracks. With farm lands diminishing at a rapid pace, many clubs are struggling to secure suitable fields for their trials. We have been fortunate indeed! For close to three decades, the setting for our annual tracking trial has been Woodwynn Farm, a 192-acre heritage farm located in the Mount Newton Valley on Saanich Peninsula. Nestled high on the gently sloping hillsides above Hagen Creek and overlooking Saanich Inlet, the setting is picturesque. The rolling terrain where the wind swirls the scent, wide open fields, and scattered majestic old oaks provide just enough variety to make tracking at the farm both interesting and challenging.

The lands around and within Woodwynn Farm are part of the Douglas Treaty Lands, which James Douglas purchased from the First Nations in mid-1800s. The Woodward family of the department store fame carved out the farm, which remained in the family for about a century until 1988. The name of the farm appears to be an amalgamation of two branches of the family, the Woodwards and the Wynns. Our club’s first tracking test at the farm was held in September 1981, with blessings from the owner A. B. Russ. That year ten TD tracks were laid at Woodwynn Farm; two TDX tracks were at a nearby site in R. Gregory’s fields off Mt. Newton X-Road. In 1984, the tracking trial became known as the Don Hudson Memorial Tracking Trial in honor of Don Hudson Russ, who together with his wife Molly, was among the founders of our club and who, incidentally, also had a family connection to Woodwynn farm. By this time, all the tracks (TD and TDX) were in the Woodwynn fields and spread over much of the farm’s lands. In 1988, the farm was sold to John Arnaud. Mr. Arnaud and his nephew Paul Gotto, who later managed the farm, generously allowed us to continue using the farm for our fall trial every year for the next 20 years.

The fate of the farm became a hotly contested issue after it was put on sale a few years ago, with the Tsartlip First Nations band, neighbourhood groups, local governments, and other interested parties all weighing in their views on the future of the land. In March 2009, the farm was purchased by the Creating Homefulness Society, a non-profit organization that aims to run the farm as a therapeutic community, helping motivated homeless people to get off the street for good and transform their lives, and as an organic farm. The idea is to provide the clients an environment that is a polar opposite of their former street life and give them an opportunity to learn new skills while working the land in a sustainable way. The project also aims to maintain and restore the farmland through good organic farming practices, while, hopefully, also maintaining environmental values of the land. The project is spearheaded by Richard Leblanc, executive director of the Creating Homefulness Society. The board of directors of the society includes many dedicated and talented people, including the world-class rower Silken Laumann, who are committed to this cause. Richard kindly let us hold our tracking test again at Woodwynn Farm in October 2009, and we hope to be back in 2010.

Through all the changes in ownership, farm management, and controversies, our annual tracking trials have endured, and every fall dogs have continued to sniff their way through the maze of scents in the beautiful Mt. Newton Valley. Over the years, we have been at the farm in drenching rain, soaked to the skin; we have plotted tracks on misty mornings with the fog so low and thick that all the landmarks are obscured; we have also been there on crisp fall mornings with the rising sun lighting the fields so brilliantly bright that trying to follow the dog’s progress hurts the eyes. From 1981 to 2009, dogs and their hopeful handlers have run 188 TD tracks and 86 TDX tracks on these fields. Overall, the pass rate has been 46% for TD and 25% for TDX. The dogs have been of various breeds, which in addition to traditional tracking breeds include several that do not immediately come to mind as tracking dog prospects. Here they are: Alaskan Malamute, Bearded Collie, Belgian Tervuren, Bouvier de Flandres, Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, Bulldog, Cairn Terrier, Chinese Crested, Coton de Tulear, Dalmatian, Doberman Pinscher, English Springer Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel, English Pointer, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, German Shepherd, German Short-haired Pointer, Golden Retriever, Irish Setter, Kerry Blue Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Leonberger, Lhasa Apso, Miniature Pinscher, Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier, Newfoundlander, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Pomeranian, Rottweiler , Rough Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Standard Poodle, Standard Schnauzer, Papillon, Silky Terrier, Vizsla, and Weimaraner.

Tracking trial judges receive special recognition, because it is their diligent plotting of the tracks and fairness that makes the trials both fun and a learning experience for the participants and spectators alike. At Woodwynn Farm, our tracking judges have been Ben Taylor, who judged the very first trial at this location in 1981, Ian Hall, Mary Bates, Irene Bourassa, Gary Roe, and Joanne McLeod. Gary and Joanne have been judging our trials in alternate years since 1986, and both started their judging careers at Woodwynn Farm. To date, Gary has been our judge 12 times and Joanne 11 times! We can only applaud their commitment to tracking and to our club.

In light of the history of tracking at GVDOTC, I am a newcomer to the scene. My personal involvement in tracking began in September 2000, when I arrived at the tracking trial at Woodwynn Farm as the prospective owner of a 2 week-old golden retriever puppy! Two years later I was a participant in the trial, where Laika pulled me to the final glove, despite poor handling and much trepidation on my part. I have been hooked to the sport ever since and have missed only one of our annual tracking trials (but for a good excuse; in 2004, Laika and I were earning our American TDX at a test in Fort Lewis, Washington! By the next fall, however, she had already passed on to greener tracking fields, a reminder of our fleeting time on this earth).

Going through the boxful of records from our past trials made me appreciate anew the vast amount of volunteer work that goes into organizing and running a successful tracking trial. Thanks to the efforts of a small but dedicated group of club members, past and present, we have been able to continue our tracking tradition through the years. If you are new to tracking or would like to see what it is all about, there is no better way than to watch a trial, or if you are so inclined, help out laying a track!

Of course there would be no tracking trial without a suitable venue with vast open fields. Hence, we thank Richard Leblanc for his interest in our sport and letting us continue using Woodwynn Farm for our tracking trials, even while the farm is in the midst of a major transformation into new uses. If you want to learn more about what is happening at the farm and future plans, please visit the Creating Homefulness Society’s website (www.woodwynnfarms.org). You can support the projects at the farm through a charitable donation; an anonymous donor has pledged to match all donations received by 9 May, dollar for dollar, so now is a good time to show our support!

Thanks to our tracking committee members Mary Harkness, Maralyn Redford, Liz Taylor, and Amalie Bush for providing input and information and for Richard Leblanc for reviewing an earlier draft.

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Submitted by Kristiina Ovaska, 16 Feb 2010
From: Greater Victoria Dog Obedience Training Club Newsletter, February 2010

Schutzhund titles and IPO(1,2 and3) ( international working dog) titles, are virtually the same.

Degrees

SchH 1,2 and 3 – Schutzhund titles are awarded to dogs who perform all 3 phases to a passing score. The three phases include: tracking, obedience, protection.(obedience under maximal distraction)

TR titles(tracking) – are awarded to dogs that are only being tested for tracking, not all 3 phases in one trial. SchH1 and TR1 tracks: laid by the handler with handlers own articles(2) that must be approved by judge. Track age is 20 minutes. Minimum 300 paces. 3 legs and 2 corners.

SchH2 and TR2 tracks: track is laid by a tracklayer, using natural strides. 2 articles on track. Track is aged 30 minutes. Minimum 400 paces. 3 legs and 2 corners.

SchH3 and TR3 tracks: laid by a tracklayer, using naturals strides. No scuffing or stomping in of corners etc is allowed in any tracklaying. Minimum length is 600 paces. Track is aged 1 hour. 5 legs and 4 corners. 3 articles. (1st leg, 3rd leg and end of 5th leg)

FH1- laid by track layer and a cross track is also laid 30 minutes after the finishing of the laying of the track. Track is aged 3 hours. Minimum 1200 paces. 7 legs and 6 corners, some being at a 30 degree angle to the track. (4 articles)

FH2- laid by tracklayer. Aged 3 hours. Cross track laid 30 mins prior to the start of the track. Minimum 1800 paces 8 legs and 7 corners, some being extremely angulated. ( 7 articles)

When my new Terv puppy, Quick, arrived in March, I immediately noticed a behavior that brought joy to my heart. When I strolled around the yard in the evening, this two-month-old bundle of fur followed behind me, putting his nose in each footstep that I made in the damp grass and sniffing deeply. I knew then that I had a fine tracking dog.

Although he displayed an early aptitude, I elected to wait until June to begin his tracking training. In the initial stages of training, I like to track the dog every day, and that only became possible when school was dismissed for the summer. Before starting, I reviewed my favorite tracking references. I am very fond of “Tracking From the Ground Up,” by Sandy Ganz and Susan Boyd. There are other books out there for novice trainers, but I find the Ganz/Boyd book so easy to use. I think that anyone who has a willing dog, a few hours a week, and this book can train a dog to be nearly ready for a TD test without any outside help. Another tried and true reference is “Tracking Dog: Theory and Methods,” by Glen Johnson. This book is currently out of print, but ask any tracking enthusiast and he or she is likely to have it on the bookshelf. The Johnson book is much more technical than the Ganz/Boyd book, and suggests a training program that few working people will have time for. Yet it is a resource that every serious tracker should read.

After reviewing both books, I began Quick’s training. When starting a dog or puppy, the first goal is to get him to understand that by using his nose to follow a scent from one place to another, a reward will be found. This might take a few days, and patience is very important here. You cannot progress until your dog is actually “tracking,” which means deliberately following the scent path. I began by doing three tracks every morning, each one short, straight, fresh, and heavily laden with food. For the first few days, the tracks were only ten to fifteen yards long with food in every footstep. I kept him on a six foot leash to prevent him from drifting away from the track (known as “casting”). At the end of each track was a favorite toy with a big pile of food on top

We kept it very simple at first. It took my “natural” tracker about two weeks to reach the point where I felt that he comprehended what he was doing. I waited until he was following the track in a straight line without casting, with his nose in the grass sniffing for the food drops, and stopping at the articles to eat his food and play with the toy. I knew then that he understood the game. When he reached this point we were ready to start the next stage of tracking: increasing age and length. If the dog truly knows his task, this can be done rather easily. Over the next week we made rapid progress as I increased the age of the tracks about three minutes a day, so that by the end of the week Quick was following three tracks per day that were 20 -25 minutes old. I also increased length to 50 – 60 yards, but still in a straight line. At the same time, I reduced the amount of food I was using to one piece every 5 -7 steps. During this phase I also switched to a longer lead and gradually allowed him more line, working twelve feet behind him by the end of the week. I then paused and carefully planned the next step.

Training turns is a critical phase of teaching a dog to track. If not done properly, a dog can easily learn bad habits that will haunt the trainer for the duration of the dog’s career. I decided that I would try something different with my new puppy. I wanted to try using “serpentine” tracks to teach Quick the concept of turns. A “serpentine” is a track that, as the name implies, progresses from start to end in arcs. At first, the arcs should be very broad with a radius of, perhaps, twenty yards. I did not increase the length of the tracks as I began using serpentines, limiting them to 60 yards at first. Gradually, I reduced the radius of the arcs and began increasing the length of the tracks. Next, I began putting longer straight legs between the arcs. In a short time, Quick was doing 100 yard tracks with two or three arc turns.

Once he was comfortable with turns (at least, arc turns), I turned my attention to increasing age and length. There is supposedly an age “hump” at about thirty minutes. Dogs are known to have difficulty progressing from 25 minute old tracks to 45 minutes, and then have an easier time after that. To tell you the truth I’ve never noticed it in my own dogs. Quick proceeded methodically from 25 minutes to 45 minutes to one hour. I increased the length of the tracks steadily, being careful not to ask more from him than his short attention span would permit. At this point in his training, Quick is reliably doing 200 yard tracks aged one hour, with three to four arc turns and food drops about every twenty steps. I am giving him twenty feet of leash (the required length for an AKC test) and he is finding his articles with ease.

My goal is to have my puppy ready for his TD test next spring. Between now and then, there are some important things I plan to do. First, I will gradually decrease the radius of the arc turns until he is doing right angle turns. If I do this right, it will be a seamless transition and Quick will never notice the difference between an arc and a sharply angled turn. Second, I will teach reliable article indication, preferably the down. I haven’t touched on this part of the training because his response to verbal obedience commands just isn’t strong enough. I’ll also steadily increase age and length until we’re doing at least the maximum requirements for a TD test: 500 yards, 2 hours old, with five turns. Of course, goal achievement is nice, but the important thing is that Quick loves to track and I love to follow along behind him.

Permission has been granted to mytrackingdog.com by Daniel Tratnak.

He was the tracking correspondent for Tally-Ho from 1992 to 1998 and was the author of the tracking chapter in Margaret (Peg) Walton’s book, ” The New Basset Hound ” (Howell: 1993) In recent years, Craig has also been an enthusiastic participant in tracking mailing lists.

All the following articles were originally published in Tally-Ho and are copyrighted to Craig Green; they may not be reproduced without his permission. For more information, contact Craig at craig@waterwind.com.

Please Note: All article will open in a new window.

• Thinking About Tracking
• Variable Tracking Conditions
• Local Tracking Customs
• Handling at Tracking Tests
• Endurance
• Handling: Part 1
• Handling: Part 2
• Proposed Tracking Titles
• Common Handler Errors
• TD Training: Part 1
• TD Training: Part 2
• TD Training: Part 3
• TD Training: Part 4
• Snow Tracking
• Variable Surface Tracking
• TDX Training
• TDX Tests
• Overtraining
• Obedience is Government; Tracking is Business
• Tracking Notes
• Problem Solving
• More Problem Solving
• Tracking Old and Young
• Tracking Equipment, Part One
• Tracking Equipment, Part Two
• Tracking Equipment, Part Three
• Tracking Equipment, Part Four
• Peaking
• Tracking Boot Camp
• A Tracking Philosophy, Part One
• A Tracking Philosophy, Part Two
• A Tracking Philosophy, Part Three

Tracking

Tracking, American Kennel Club-style, was originally part of the Utility obedience class and is still closely affiliated with obedience events. Obedience has a stated purpose of demonstrating the usefulness of purebred dogs to humans. The Utility title points to a test that has to include nose work. Through the years that has evolved into a scent discrimination test that can be set up in the same ring on the same day as the other elements of the obedience test.

Tracking tests now lead to titles independent of obedience titles, so that a dog with a TD, TDX or VST (Tracking Dog, Tracking Dog Excellent or Variable Surface Tracking) title need not have any obedience titles. But the purpose of demonstrating usefulness shines as brightly as ever in the words from AKC:

“The purpose of a tracking test is to demonstrate the dog’s ability to recognize and follow human scent, a skill that is useful in the service of mankind.”

Further, the spirit of tracking comes through in these words:

“Tracking, by nature, is a vigorous, noncompetitive outdoor sport. Tracking tests demonstrate the willingness and enjoyment of the dog in its work, and should always represent the best in sportsmanship and camaraderie by the people involved.”

This special atmosphere happens because each tracking title is awarded on the basis of a qualifying performance in a tracking test, independent of how any other dog-handler team does at that test. Teams are not ranked or awarded placements. Everyone at the test can earn the title that day, if everyone passes. Someone else’s success doesn’t hurt your chances in the slightest. As a result, cheers for other participants are heartfelt and enthusiastic.

The noncompetitive nature of tracking is ideal for a sport that sparks many people to go into search and rescue or other scent work with dogs. In a real search it takes everyone working cooperatively in order to cover the territory as thoroughly and quickly as possible. Tracking and searching are exhausting tasks for dogs, making efficient use of the precious canine resource imperative. Everything that builds esprit de corps among the handlers can save lives, so the AKC is to be applauded for keeping the sport of tracking cooperative rather than competitive.

It takes a great deal of work to set up and run a tracking event. The resources to provide tracking tests for all the handlers who want to enter are overstretched, so a system of drawing for places has been established. When the deadline for entries arrives, a drawing is scheduled. The drawing selects entrants and alternates who can run in place of any entrants who can’t make it when test day arrives. Most entrants have to travel to tests, sometimes considerable distances.

Another drawing is held the morning of the test, to determine running order. No one can predict exactly what the weather will do to scent conditions, or if something unexpected might happen on one track or other. A drawing helps make everyone feel there was no favoritism.

The morning drawing is also usually when alternates find out if they’ll get into the test after all—though the unexpected can happen later and provide them still another chance. AKC encourages clubs to lay an extra track in case something goes wrong on one of the scheduled tracks. If that track is not needed, it can be used to provide an opening for an alternate.

Tracking Dog Test

Entering a TD test requires certification in the form of a regular tracking test by appointment with a qualified judge. When the dog passes this test, the judge provides four signed verifications that can be used within 12 months, allowing the dog four attempts at a TD title. If the dog does not earn the title within that time, the certification test must be repeated in order to enter further TD tests.

The TD test calls for the dog to successfully work a track that includes the following characteristics:

1. Length of 440 to 500 yards

2. Each “leg” (straight line of the course that runs between turns) to be at least 50 yards long

3. Dog started on the track between 30 minutes and 2 hours after the time the tracklayer started walking the track

4. A total of three to five turns, at least two of them to be a left and a right 90-degree turn, and no turns more acute (tighter) than 90 degrees

5. A start flag, a second flag 30 yards farther on the track, and the first turn to be not closer than 30 yards to the second flag

6. All parts of the track to be at least 50 yards from other parts of the same or other tracks

7. No changes of ground cover, bodies of water or paved roads to be crossed, though the track may cross sidewalks and jogging paths not wider than about 6 feet

8. One article is placed at the start for the handler to use in giving the dog the scent if desired, and a wallet or glove is placed at the end that the dog must indicate

The TD test is designed to demonstrate the dog’s ability to track a person on moderate terrain and to find an article that person drops at the end of the track.

Tracking Dog Excellent

To enter the TDX test, the dog must have a TD title. As with the TD and VST tests, a dog may enter TDX tests after having earned the title, but dogs who have not yet earned the title are given first chance at the openings in a test.

The characteristics of a TDX test are much tougher than those of the TD test, and include:

1. Track length to be 800 to 1000 yards (a mile is 1760 yards)

2. Each leg of the track to be at least 50 yards long and no part within 50 yards of any other part of the track or any other track

3. Track aged 3 to 5 hours from the time the tracklayer starts walking it until the dog and handler start working

4. Turns to total five to seven, using both right and left 90-degree turns (at least three altogether), some other turns allowed to be greater than 90 degrees, and no extremely acute turns

5. Two cross tracks formed by two people walking side-by-side about 4 feet apart at a 90-degree angle across the track, starting between 75 and 110 minutes after the tracklayer started walking

6. At least two obstacles (can be variations of terrain and cover, natural obstacles or man-made obstacles), separated from articles and cross tracks, that will test the dog’s ability to handle changing scent, to scent while negotiating physical obstacles and/or to continue under difficult and varied handling conditions

7. Four personal articles, all different, one at the start to give the dog the scent if the handler chooses, and the other three on the track for the dog to indicate

8. One start flag with no indication of the direction the track begins, except that it is to be no tighter than a 90 degree angle from the direction the judges have the handler use to approach the flag

The TDX test differs from the TD test in that it is designed to show the dog’s scenting ability as well as “stamina, perseverance and courage.” This test can be physically demanding, more than some handlers and some breeds of dogs can realistically manage.

Variable Surface Tracking

The VST test is designed to be physically maneuverable by all AKC breeds and human handlers of all ages. No physical obstacles such as those included in the TDX test are used in the VST. You won’t find yourself helping your dog while climbing a fence, scaling a wall or wriggling through strands of barbed wire. Here it will be the scent task that presents the challenge—a big challenge. The test includes the following elements:

1. Length of 600 to 800 yards

2. The track starts on vegetation and consists of 1/3 to 2/3 vegetation surface with the 1/3 to 2/3 of the remaining track to include a minimum of two other types of surfaces that are devoid of vegetation: concrete, asphalt, gravel, sand, hard pan, mulch, etc.

3. Each leg of the track at least 30 yards in length, 30 yards from any other part of the track and 50 yards from any part of another track

4. Aged 3 to 5 hours

5. Three or more 90-degree turns, 4 to 8 turns in all, and one of the 90 degree turns to be at least 30 yards from any vegetation

6. All tracks to use buildings and other structures to present the dog with diverse scent problems to solve due to the diffusion of scent the structures cause

7. Articles to be one of leather, one plastic, one metal and one fabric, all between 2” x 4” and 5” x 5”

8. While the handler is allowed to follow no closer than 20 feet behind the dog on a TD or TDX test, this distance becomes 10 feet on a VST test

9. Judges may post a person at a carefully measured distance and position in relation to the track to warn of problems and temporarily stop the dog and handler until it’s safe to continue (in case of on-coming traffic or other hazards)

10. Judges are to be especially aware of surface temperature and any chemicals used that could endanger the dog, postponing or if necessary canceling a test to protect a dog from harm

11. Because there must be at least three different surfaces for a VST test, it cannot be done on a snow-covered area

Variable surface tracking can be called somewhat experimental. In this test, it is possible on some days the scent will actually not be workable. We can be pretty sure that some dog could work the scent problem of a TD or a TDX track, even if the dog on a particular track on a particular day can’t manage it. We can’t be so sure on a VST track. It is designed to test the limits of not only this dog’s ability, but of canine ability. It’s an adventure.

The Fourth Title

A conformation show championship title requires defeating other dogs in competition. In the noncompetitive spirit of tracking, the Champion Tracker Title Certificate is awarded to each dog who has earned the TD, and TDX and VST titles. This dog’s registered name can then be preceded by CT, for Champion Tracker.

Though the champion title requires all three of the other titles, handlers can choose to stop with a TD and a TDX, or a TD and a VST. Either of these represents a truly skilled team that has demonstrated the ability to meet a real challenge and see it through.

Exceptions

A careful reading of the tracking regulations reveals some of the unexpected things that can happen in the real world of a tracking test, with rules designed to help judges arrive at fair decisions:

1. If the limit for entries is not reached in one category at a combined TD, TDX and/or VST test and entries exceed the limit in another category, the extra tracks can be changed to the other category.

2. Specialty clubs can choose to open their tracking tests to all breeds, with four drawings held to give dogs of their breed precedence and dogs without the title precedence over those who have already earned the title.

3. When someone is chosen by drawing for the test and then an alternate actually runs in that slot instead, the original entrant’s entry fee and certification is returned.

4. Judges are not to vary tracking tests to fit their own ideas. Handlers are to be able to expect that the test will follow the written regulations.

5. Tracks are plotted the day before a test, and for TD and TDX tests are marked with flags. People who are entered in the test are not permitted to be on the field the day tracks are plotted.

6. Female dogs in season can participate, if the handler gives proper notification and the dog is run last. She is to be kept off the tracking field until just before time for her to run her track. A handler who violates this rule will be asked to leave and will forfeit any awards. If it happens at a second test, the AKC may take action.

7. Once the drawing for running order of tracks has been held, numbers can be exchanged between handlers only under unusual circumstances, by approval of the judges, and with a full report to the AKC.

8. It is not encouraged, but if necessary it is allowed for a person entered in one test to act as tracklayer in another test.

9. The tracklayer is to notify the judges of any error made in the laying of a track. It is then up to the judges to decide whether or not the track can be used as a fair test. The judges have the authority to retest dog and handler on another track.

10. Spectators can be brought up onto a portion of the track that dog and handler have completed, in order to have a view of the tracking in progress. This and any other activity on the tracking field is to be managed so as not to present undue distraction to the working dog. The judges will decide when a distraction warrants invalidating a track.

11. With judge approval, the handler may restart the dog between the first two flags on the TD test, one time. Restarts are not allowed on the other tests.

12. Handlers are allowed to praise and pet dogs after articles are found, carry and give ice or plain water as needed, and drop the leash briefly to untangle it. Handlers are not allowed to carry food, toys, or other motivational items on the track, nor are they allowed to toss the found article for the dog or throw it on the ground (that may be considered a restart).

13. A dog that eliminates in the area while running the track will not be failed (the exercise of tracking can bring on this urge naturally), provided the dog doesn’t stop so long as to constitute no longer working the track.

14. If a judge is injured or unable to continue, the test secretary and the tracking committee will select a knowledgeable person to work with the other judge and complete the test.

15. The handler must present all the required found articles to the judges in order to pass the test, except that if the dog can’t find an article with an active search and the judges can’t find it either; the dog is given credit for finding it.

16. The dog can wear a protective coat, but the judges must witness the harness and coat being put on the dog.

17. A handler guiding a dog calls for calling the handler off the track and failing the dog. Whether or not an action constitutes guiding the dog is up to the discretion of the judges.

18. Handlers, spectators and judges should be prepared with clothing for inclement weather. Few weather conditions will cause the plotting or testing day of a tracking test to be changed. Searches often have to be done in bad weather.

19. Tracking judges have to be physically fit, and no judge should accept an assignment with the plan that the other judge will do most of the physical work.

20. Everyone involved in a variable surface tracking test is urged to behave circumspectly and leave the premises in good condition to maintain the public relations needed to continue obtaining the use of the facilities for future tests.

21. Judges need to follow dog and handler at a distance that allows accurate judging while not interfering with their work or tipping off the handler to which direction the track does not go. The tracklayer, too, needs to be close enough to help the judges if need be, but out of the way.

Benefits of Tracking

Tracking builds a rapport between you and your dog that goes beyond words. You can’t smell what the dog can, so you have to learn to trust your dog if you are to earn a tracking title together. At the same time, the dog can’t do the task without you. Neither of you is “boss” in tracking. It’s a true partnership. It takes your relationship with your dog and your understanding of dogs to a whole new level.

Tracking has increased human understanding about the workings and limits of a dog’s nose. This knowledge is leading to more and more opportunities for dogs to serve humans and have good lives doing it. With the beginning of variable surface tracking tests in 1995, the frontier of exploring dog nose work continued forward.

You don’t have to be a scientist or professional dog trainer to learn scent work with dogs, thanks to the accessibility of AKC tracking events. Look up your local dog clubs through the AKC website at www.akc.org and go out as a spectator. Volunteer to help as tracklayer and experience tracking along with exercise and wonderful camaraderie. You’ll learn to dress for whatever the weather can throw at you, and you’ll enjoy the out-of-doors in a way too few of us get to do these days.

Most dogs are capable of passing a TD test with a motivated handler. You can start your puppy tracking right away, or track with an older dog still fit enough to enjoy the exercise. If your dog turns out to be one of the many who love to track, you’ll be hooked for life!

Date Published: 10/17/2005 10:59:00 AM
Date Revised: 10/17/2005

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Copyright Kathy Diamond Davis, author, Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog To Reach Others.

The work was originally published by the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) and is republished with VIN permission.

Kathy Diamond Davis, author, “Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog To Reach Others,” and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinarypartner.com.

We humans seem obsessed with designations – you can’t escape them. They are in our jobs, in our health-care system, in our ads on t.v. Unfortunately, in order to obtain these designations we often have to give up common sense. Nowhere is this more obvious than in tracking. In order for us to be able to judge a tracking dog’s performance we have to surpress most of his abilities, to the point where traditionally-trained tracking dogs have become almost useless in real-life situations. A recent extensive trial simulated a situation where a child had gone missing. Out of 100 traditionally-trained tracking dogs only 5 were able to complete a large rural track, and ‘save’ the child. 95% of the dogs that were trained through drive were successful.

Properly trained tracking dogs can make the difference between life and death!

Tracking is the only discipline where we rely completely on our dogs. We don’t know what they smell or how they interpret the scent. All we know is that a dog can find pretty much anything we want it to find, using it’s nose.

A tracking dog at work is one of the most impressive forms of human/animal interaction you will ever see.

“On the Trail” tracking courses run 3 months each. We teach in Calgary, Cochrane, Kananaskis Country and Canmore.

Tracking weekends and weeks are designed specifically for those people that want to get an intimate understanding of tracking as an integral part of our philosophy regarding animal and human well-being. For many, these getaways will be the start of a major change in lifestyle.

Please take a look at our Events page for upcoming schedules and events, or Contact Us for more information.

ARTICLE SEARCH: Please collect a number of articles of varying sizes and materials. Here is some idea of the variety I’d like you to have in your “object bag”:
– wood (cork, small wood blocks….)
– metal/tin (ex: cutlery, mint box, old keys…)
– plastic (old shampoo bottle, film container etc.)
– fabric (at least 3 different ones, for beg. dogs – old sock, glove, ball cap, rags etc.)
– leather (old key chain or gardening glove)
– nylon
– glass (thick, like a spice bottle)

Please keep the above items no smaller than a key tag/golf ball size, and if possible mark with your initials and keep them in a “sturdy bag”.

.Also bring a favourite reward for the article searching (could be a toy or a treat). If you have a clicker, bring that as well.

Frans, Tara & Odin

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Reprinted with permission from http://onthetrail.ca/. Copyright Frans Baars.