|
A B O U T T R A C K I N G
|
|
|
A l l d o g s h a v e t h e i n s t i n c t t o t r a c k
If you take the smelling glands out of a human nose and flatten them with a hammer - it would cover your face. If you took them from a dog and flatten them with a hammer - they would cover his whole body.
To me, tracking is the ultimate adventure. It is the only canine discipline where the dog is in control. My dogs love to track, they love the wide open spaces and the opportunity to show me how clever they are.
And even on those days when they don't actually find the tracklayer - we still have fun trying.
I started tracking with my dogs in 2000, and to date we have successfully gained -
6 x Tracking Dog - T.D. titles (3 of these having also passed their TD5) 1 x Tracking Dog Excellent - T.D.X. title 1 x Tracking Champion - TCh title
If you are interested in the sport of Tracking or have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will try to help you.
Both Clarence District Kennel Club & Grafton Dog Obedience Club hold tracking trials each year
|
|
|
A N K C T R A C K I N G I N A U S T R A L I A
|
|
|
In competition the dog has to follow the scent of a human, negotiate changes in direction, find or indicate articles dropped along the track, and find the person at the end of the track.
The dog must follow the scent along the ground - "air scenting" is not allowed.
The level of competition determines the - Length of the track Number of directional changes Number of articles Time frame set for the track to "age" before the dog is allowed to begin
Tracking is the ultimate adventure. It is the only canine discipline where the dog is in control. The handler must trust their dog to lead them on the correct path.
The dog works on a harness attached to a 10 metre lead. Where the terrain allows, the lead must be let out to its full length. Dogs are not allowed to run, a steady controlled pace is preferred. There is no set time limit on the test, however if the dog is not "working" it will be called off the track by the Judge and will not be awarded a pass.
There are 5 gradings - Fail Pass Good Very Good Excellent
There are 7 levels of competition - Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 - "Tracking Dog" Title (suffix - TD) Track 4 Track 5 Track 6 - "Tracking Dog Excellent" Title (suffix - TDX) Track 7 - "Tracking Champion" (prefix - Tch)
|
