Tracking - A Fun Sport For You And Your Dog!

Tracking events are generally considered the competitive version of canine search and rescue work

. Not only do they provide great training for dogs and their humans who wish to prepare for future search and rescue work but they also offer a great way for people to show off their dogs' abilities. Many dogs love tracking and take to it very easily.

The American Kennel Club offers three tracking titles ranging from the Tracking Dog (TD) title for the novice to the Champion Tracker (CT) title for a dog who has won all of the tracking titles over various settings ranging from urban to wilderness. To earn these various titles the dog is asked at different times to find articles with scent that have been left from 30 minutes to five hours previously. They have to negotiate increasingly difficult tracks and changes of directions, including cross tracks.

Tracking can be physically demanding for both dog and owner since it simulates, to some extent, search and rescue scenarios. In tracking the dog himself is in charge, so he may take an owner off course instead of going directly to the scent object. Even following the tracks to the object may require dog and owner to go through some difficult areas.

In addition, dogs and owners must spend a considerable amount of time training for tracking tests. Some training with scent articles may be done indoors but tracking training itself is nearly always done outdoors. The more variety the owner can introduce into the dog's training the better since it will help the dog handle the tests.

Getting started with tracking can be easy or hard, depending on the club resources near you. Most dogs are able to do tracking, especially if they are motivated. Dogs have sense receptors in their noses that allow them to have 100,000 times keener sense of smell than humans have. With a breed like the Bloodhound, that sense of smell is even keener because of centuries of selective breeding for scenting ability.

If you would like to get involved in tracking you should find out if there is a tracking club near you or a kennel club that includes a tracking class. There are many AKC and UKC tracking clubs and clubs that offer tracking classes. If you find such a club it will be much easier for you and your dog to train with people who are already doing tracking work. Even without such a club there are many good reference books that can walk you through tracking step-by-step so you and your dog can learn.

You don't need much equipment for tracking. Your dog will need a harness, a 20-40 foot lead, and you will need a few flags to mark your track. You can work in open, grassy areas. Beginning trackers should stay clear of roads, woods and ditches.

You can find out more about AKC tracking tests on the AKC web site.

by: Tristan Andrews

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