What is tracking?

Does your dog like to sniff?  Not surprisingly most dogs like to sniff things; scent is dogs' primary sense. Much of the obedience and other training we do with our dogs runs counter to their natural instinct to smell what is going on around them. Tracking is a sport where dogs use their natural abilities to track the ground-scent left behind by a person across a variety of natural terrains.  Dogs are trained to track wearing a harness and on a long lead – they are even allowed to pull.  Food rewards and a big game await the dog at the end of every track.  It is no wonder most dogs love tracking!
 
All dogs already know how to track.  The tricky bit is teaching them to follow the scent you want them to follow without becoming distracted by other scents, like kangaroos and rabbits.  There is a structured system of tests (trials) that range from 400m to 1.2km long that you and your dog can participate in to earn tracking titles.

How do I get involved?

The club holds an information session about tracking at the beginning of each tracking season (usually in May).  The information session is advertised in the clubhouse, in The Good Companion magazine and on Facebook.

​You can sign up to the ACT Region Tracking Group on Google groups or email our office  and ask to be added.  The Tracking and Rescue Dog Club of NSW runs monthly classes near Sydney and their website has some information. There are also a number of good books on tracking that will give you a program to get started. 

When are classes held?

Tracking is not for the fainthearted trainer.  Most tracking occurs in winter (because of the snakes) and often involves trekking through long (often wet or frosty) grass or bush at ungodly hours of the morning.  To compete in tracking trials you also need to be prepared to travel as, although CDC sometimes holds one tracking trial a year, most events are in Sydney. 

You can do most of the required training on your own (although it is always good to have someone else to train with).  In the early stages you need to be prepared to train several times a week in order to help your dog understand what it is you want it to do. Despite all of that, tracking is great fun and is suitable for dogs and people of all ages.

Is my dog suitable?

Unlike other sports, we don't hold formal classes for tracking. Instead, CDC Members interested in tracking meet up regularly through winter to help each other lay tracks and improve their handling.