Overview - Trust Your Dog
The purpose of tracking is for the dog to follow a human scent trail and find the "missing person” at the end. Tracking is an activity that cannot be taught to a dog by a human. All dogs that have the ability to smell can track; some are better at it than others but if push came to shove and they were left in the wild they would all be able to use their sense of smell to locate food.
People have a limited understanding of how scent works, whereas dogs (with their much more sensitive scenting apparatus) understand and work it brilliantly. It is important that it is understood that the best a handler can hope for, is to hone the dog’s natural scenting ability in the desired direction. The dog must use its initiative to achieve in tracking and the handler must remember in tracking the dog is never wrong; it might just need to recheck the direction of the trail until it is sure. The tracking handler’s motto is trust your dog. If there is any doubt you MUST believe that the dog is doing the right thing: - don't forget that you can't track, you don't understand the circumstances the dog is working under.
Trials
Tracking trials are held from May through until September each year in Victoria, due to the heat and snake bite danger in summer. The first test is called a tracking qualification test, then you move onto test I, test 2 (once test 2 is passed your dog will or gained it’s first tracking title, which is known as a tracking dog title and your dog will have the letters TD after it’s name). Then you and your dog move onto test 3, test 4 and test 5 once these have been completed successfully your dog will have gained its tracking dog excellent title (TDX). Test 6 is the next and last test that you and your dog will undertake in tracking and once this level has been passed, your dog will have attained the ultimate in tracking, it will be a tracking champion.
The first test, (TQT) is 300 metres in length and will contain one 90 degree turn. The time delay between when the test is laid by the track layer and the dog commencing to track is between 10 and 30 minutes. An article (usually a sock) with the tracklayer’s scent on it is left at the start flag so the dog knows which scent it is to follow.
Test 5 is laid over a distance of I200 metres, or 1.2kms, it has a least five angle turns one of which will be acute. The time delay on this test is between 60 and 180 minutes prior to the dog and handler working the track. It has an article at the start flag and three more over the course of the track. Two articles must be indicated by the dog and the track layer found for the dog to obtain a pass.
Test 6 is also laid over a distance of 1200 metres but instead of the article being left at the start flag it is handed to the handler in a sealed bag in the vicinity of where the judge gave their instructions to the track layer. This is what is called a ‘blind start'. There is no flag stating where the track layer commenced laying the track, the dog must use its scenting ability to find the track left when the track layer left the area.
Trials generally cost between $20 and $35 dollars to enter and, because of the amount of land required are generally held outside the Melbourne metropolitan area. Grassland, Ballard, Inveigh, Broadford and the Mornington Peninsula are regularly used areas. Check-in times are usually around 6.30am and trials are often held over two or three days to ensure as many entrants as possible actually get a track.
You may request a particular day, but note that the trial secretary is not obliged to juggle the entries and it is almost impossible to accommodate all such requests. Be prepared to accept any of the days and you'll be a popular competitor! Note that there are often more entrants than tracks available in which case a ballot is held prior to the trial. When attending a tracking trial, it is considered poor form to not be prepared to lay tracks for other people. Always take at least six articles and put them on when you leave home on the morning of the tracking trial and keep them on your person during the day. The rule book states they must be on your person for a minimum of 30 minutes prior laying a test, by having them on you all day you will never be caught out not being available when a track layer is required. Remembering that you will require unknown people to lay your tracks as time goes on, be prepared to help others as required.
Entry forms for tracking trials are available for purchase from the DOGS Victoria office but you can also use the standard obedience entry form. The test number you are entering should be stated, and your known track layer should be nominated. Also include a copy of your most recent pass, which verifies that you are eligible for a particular test. Include a stamped self-addressed envelope to ensure that the trial secretary sends you a receipt and/ or map of the venue.
Training Method
The basic idea when beginning to track with a dog is to get the dog interested enough in someone to want to follow, and try to encourage the dog to use its nose instead of eye/ears to find the person. The same process can be used to find an object rather than a person, but it's generally easier to get the dog focused on finding a person than an object.
You should always commence tracking training by laying the track with the wind behind you. If you lay the track into the wind it will encourage your dog to wind scent rather than scenting the ground where the track layer has walked.
Have the handler put the dog in harness and attach a training lead approximately five metres in length. Give a favorite toy or favourite treat (reward) to someone the dog knows well. Stand near an obstacle that the dog can't see around or through (like a car or brick wall). Have the track layer make a big fuss of both dog and toy/reward and walk off towards an obstacle they can hide behind (a tree or shed) about 30 metres distant.
Let the dog see the person leave and the general direction they are going in, then move it behind the car. Make a big fuss, "Where is he? Who's got your toy? Where’s he gone?" etc to get the dog’s interest level up.
Leave about a two minute gap after the track layer has left before moving the dog out to find him. Be consistent with the use of a word for the tracking act i.e. find or seek. Remember the word should not sound harsh in anyway. Use this word now and encourage the dog to find the track layer. i.e. "Find. Where is he?” or “Seek him then". The dog should move in roughly the right direction having seen the track layer leave.
Allow the dog to travel a short distance in the right direction on no more than three metres of lead. Don't allow it to run; steady tension on the lead is the best. If the dog’s nose goes down towards ground level, praise and repeat the word in an enthusiastic but non-distracting tone "Find/Seek, good boy". While the dog’s nose is down, or is clearly sniffing/scenting allow forward movement, if the dog is just wandering at random, or trying to run in the direction he saw the person leave, gently restrain him and allow no forward movement.
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CORRECT THE DOG. Simply encourage the dog to come back onto the track and only then once the dog has indicated the track and you have praised it will you move forward with the dog. Slowly progress towards the track layer hiding place and regardless of the dog’s performance to get there, PRAISE madly. The track layer should make a big fuss of the dog and play with the toy with the dog. The track layer and toy are the dog’s reward and should be used profusely to encourage the dog to remain enthusiastic next time.
Do only one or two tracks per training session. Don't be surprised if your dog seems to have little idea of what is required for the first few sessions. Like many activities it can take time for the dog to get the idea, repetition is the key.
As the dog improves, increase the distance, don't allow the dog to see the tracklayer leave, and start to use articles on the ground. The articles can be used to help keep the dog’s nose down. Outside of your tracking training, get the dog enthusiastic about picking up socks. Make a game out of it. Then use socks on the track and praise when they are found. Don't fall into the trap of placing them so closely that the dog can see each one and just runs to them. Place them at least 10 metres apart and let the dog scent to them.
Further Information
Further information on tracking can be obtained by reading the ANKC Tracking rule book. To view the tracking rules please click here. The Tracking Club of Victoria also conducts beginners training days for members and an annual workshop weekend which is open to members and non-members. For more information go to www.trackingclubvic.org.au.
Tracking - All Dogs Can Do This
The dog's ability to track is well known. Man has utilised this ability for centuries. Dogs have helped the hunter to find game and food. In France, dogs hunt for exotica like truffles. Dogs have been used by police to hunt criminals and by search and rescue workers to find lost people.
The usefulness of the Swiss Mountain rescue dogs and avalanche dogs is legendary. There are international teams of dogs trained to find victims of earthquakes and other natural disasters. There have been hundreds of dogs of various breeds working at the World Trade Centre, in unimaginable conditions. The wreckage includes glass and sharp objects, rats are a problem, but still the dogs work.
German Shepherd Dogs and gundogs have always been in the forefront as a tracking and search and rescue (SAR) dog, not because they have the best sense of smell, but because of their willingness to work. This working ability is a key factor in why these breeds are used all over the world for services and SAR work.
For the ordinary citizen, tracking dogs can be a competition sport where dogs compete for ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council) titles. Tracking is something that all dogs can do. It is a natural instinct for a dog to use this sense. From birth a puppy makes its way to its mother for a drink. How? The puppy is born blind. It uses its sense of smell.
The dog's tracking ability is extremely acute; we still don't fully understand the dog's capabilities in this area.. The dog's olfactory sense is much, much more greatly developed than humans. Dogs naturally track for food. You could call this their hunting instinct. We don't have to teach a dog to track; we use their natural instinct to teach them that we want them to follow a certain track. In Australia, apart from police dogs and the armed services, groups of search and rescue volunteers train dogs to find people. From a recreational angle, others train dogs to compete in ANKC tracking trials.
All types of dog of varying breeds complete in these trials from toy breeds such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels to larger gundogs and working breeds like German Shepherds and Rottweilers.
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