Tracking
With a keen sense of smell- 100,000 times stronger than humans - dogs are often used to find lost people and animals, drugs, avalanche and disaster victims, and even to detect cancer. AKC Tracing is a canine sport that demonstrates and dog's natural ability to recognize and follow a scent and is the foundation of canine search n rescue wok. Unlike obedience and agility trials, where dogs respond to the owner's commands, in tracking a dog is completely in charge, for only he knows how to use his nose to find and follow the track. For many, the greatest pleasure of tracking is the hours spent outside training and interacting with their dogs. The tracking community is known for its camaraderie, and they all share in the excitement of a "pass" and the disappointment of a "fail." -Reproduced with permission from the American Kennel Club Beginners guide to tracking.
Tracking Titles
Tracking Dog (TD)
The TD track is from 440-to-500 yards long with 3-to-5 turns (or change in direction) and aged from a half-hour to two hours. A dog must indicate a glove or wallet placed at the end of the track. Tracks are plotted in an open field with uniform over.There are no obstacles such as roads, ditches or woods. The start of the track will be marked with a flag. A second flag is placed 30 yards from the start flag to indicate the direction of the first leg of the track. There are no other flags in the field.
Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX)
The TDX track is 800-to-1000 yards long, with 5-to-7 turns and aged from 3-to-5 hours. The track also has two sets of cross
(diversionary) tracks and has some of the aforementioned obstacles. The start is marked with a single flag and the dog must
determine the direction of the first leg. There are four dissimilar articles for each track, one at the start and three more on the track.
Variable Surface Tracking (VST)
A VST track is from 600-to-800 yards long, with 4-to-8 turns, and aged from 3-to-5 hours. The articles must be one each of
leather, cloth, plastic and metal.The VST track must also contain three different surfaces with one turn on a non-vegetated
surface such as concrete. This test demonstrates the utility of the tracking dog to work in an urban environment.
The TD track is from 440-to-500 yards long with 3-to-5 turns (or change in direction) and aged from a half-hour to two hours. A dog must indicate a glove or wallet placed at the end of the track. Tracks are plotted in an open field with uniform over.There are no obstacles such as roads, ditches or woods. The start of the track will be marked with a flag. A second flag is placed 30 yards from the start flag to indicate the direction of the first leg of the track. There are no other flags in the field.
Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX)
The TDX track is 800-to-1000 yards long, with 5-to-7 turns and aged from 3-to-5 hours. The track also has two sets of cross
(diversionary) tracks and has some of the aforementioned obstacles. The start is marked with a single flag and the dog must
determine the direction of the first leg. There are four dissimilar articles for each track, one at the start and three more on the track.
Variable Surface Tracking (VST)
A VST track is from 600-to-800 yards long, with 4-to-8 turns, and aged from 3-to-5 hours. The articles must be one each of
leather, cloth, plastic and metal.The VST track must also contain three different surfaces with one turn on a non-vegetated
surface such as concrete. This test demonstrates the utility of the tracking dog to work in an urban environment.