"Dogs need to sniff the ground; it's how they keep abreast of current events. The ground is a giant dog newspaper, containing all kinds of late-breaking dog news items, which, if they are especially urgent, are often contained in the next yard."

- Dave Barry


Training Services | Tracking

Tracking

Did you know that a dog’s sense of smell is still beyond man’s technology to measure, or that we still do not have the technology to build a device as sensitive as a dog’s nose?

We here at Northstar Canine Consulting have been involved with tracking for a very long time and understand how important it is in both sport and service work such as Search and Rescue (SAR). However, just as a gymnast must train to accomplish extraordinary moves, so should a dog and his handler train to follow a trail. Just because a dog has that fabulous nose does not mean he knows how to use it effectively and efficiantly.

We can train or help you train your dog to track or trail over a variety of surfaces and teach you the difference between tracking and trailing. During the course of this training you as a handler will also learn scent theory, so that when you are working with your dog you are better able to understand what your dog is dealing with.

The Sport

Dogs that are involved in sport tracking are trained to follow the scent that is caused by ground disturbance which occurs when a track is laid. The dog should be methodical, placing his nose in each footstep of the person who laid the track, as well as being able find and indicate if an article was placed on the track.

Sport Tracking has seen considerable growth in the past few years with handler participation in Schutzhund/IPO levels I – III as well as the two levels of Advanced Schutzhund Tracking, FH1 and FH2.

The AKC also offers three levels of tracking for those who do not wish to go the Schutzhund route, including Tracking Dog (TD), Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX), and Variable Surface Tracking (VST).

Service Tracking

Service tracking is much different than sport tracking in the sense that typically time is of the essence. A service tracker would likely be a Police Service Dog or a Search and Rescue Dog and would have a primary mission to find a missing subject as quickly as possible over a variety of terrain. Because of the nature of the job, these dogs also learn to air scent or trail. This provides a much faster method of finding a subject without having to trace each step. However, these dogs do learn how to track as well. In the event a trail is lost, a good service tracker can go back to a step by step track.
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