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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. Tracking is a canine sport that demonstrates a dog’s natural ability to recognize and follow a scent and is the foundation of canine search and rescue
work. 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.” As stated in the AKC Tracking Regulations, "Tracking, by its nature is a vigorous
non-competitive outdoor sport. Tracking Tests should demonstrate willingness and enjoyment by the dog in his work, and should always represent
the best in sportsmanship and camaraderie by the people involved."
How Do I Get Started in Tracking?
Getting started in tracking is easy, and you
won’t find a more willing participant! A
puppy instinctively uses his nose—training
your dog to track simply hones his natural
ability. And since all dogs have a natural
ability to follow a scent, any breed is capable
of learning to track. First, find a tracking class. Many AKC-affiliated clubs offer tracking classes and some are “Tracking Only” clubs. To find a club in
your area, go to the AKC website, Club Search or Training Resources.
Tracking requires very little equipment. You
just need a harness, a 20-to-40 foot lead, a
few flags to mark your track and an open
grassy area free of obstacles such as roads,
ditches or woods.
There are some great reference books that
provide step-by-step instruction to help
you train your dog for tracking. Many of
the people who have followed these educational
programs have gone on to earn tracking titles.
Before you enter a Tracking Dog Test (TD),
you must have the dog certified by an
AKC-approved or provisional judge. This
certification form must accompany the
entry form.
Once you and your dog are ready, find a
tracking event in your area by going to the
AKC Events Calendar on the AKC website.
Contact the club to get a premium list,
which details all relevant event information,
including the entry form. You may also
download entry forms from the AKC website.
Complete the form and send it to the
test secretary.
Once the entries have closed, a draw will
determine who will be in the test. There is
a great demand for tracking tests, and the
number of dogs that can be judged in one
day is limited. As a result, there are more
entries than spaces available.
Am I Eligible?
To be eligible to exhibit a dog in tracking
tests, a dog must be:
• Registered with the AKC, enrolled in
the AKC Indefinite Listing Privilege (ILP)
program, or be a Foundation Stock
Service (FSS) recorded breed that
meets the eligibility requirements for
competition
• 6 months of age or older
Indefinite Listing Privilege (ILP)
Dogs of any breed recognized by the AKC
that do not have registration papers or
known parents may qualify for an ILP. These
dogs may participate in certain AKC events,
such as obedience, agility, rally, tracking and
many types of performance events. Photos
are required to prove the dog is an AKCregistrable
breed. The dog must also be spayed or neutered.
Tracking Titles
A dog can earn three AKC Tracking titles,
each has an increased degree of difficulty.
The TD (Tracking Dog) title must be
earned before competing for a TDX
(Tracking Dog Excellent) or VST (Variable
Surface Tracker) title. A Champion Tracker
(CT) is awarded only to those dogs that
have earned all three tracking titles—TD,
TDX and VST. If a dog is awarded the CT
title, he is among the elite of those dogs
active in tracking. To earn a tracking title, a
dog needs to pass the test in which he is
exhibiting only once.
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
cover. 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.
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