You are probably aware that dogs have a keen sense of smell, and that this extraordinary ability makes them very useful as Police Dogs, Border Detection Dogs, and Search and Rescue dogs. In sport tracking the dog uses the same keen sense of smell to follow where a person walked. Depending on the level of the test the person may have walked there 30 minutes ago or 5 hours ago, and they dropped 1 – 3 items along the way. The items, called articles, will be leather in a Tracking Test, or in an Urban Tracking Test might be wood, metal, plastic, fabric or leather. A first level track might be 400 meters long, and an advanced level track might be 1000 meters long. The handler will not know which way the track goes and must rely on the dog to follow the scent.
There are two types of tracking tests: Tracking Tests and Urban Tracking Tests. Tracking Tests are held in grassy fields, and Urban Tracking Tests are held in public areas, requiring the dog to track on a variety of surfaces such as asphalt, concrete, gravel, sand or dirt along with grass. Both types present their own unique challenges for the team. Tracking is not scored like Obedience, it is pass or fail.
Titles that can be earned in tracking are Tracking Dog (TD), Urban Tracking Dog (UTD) Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX), Urban Tracking Dog Excellent (UTDX), Tracking Dog Champion (TCh), Master Tracking Dog Champion (MTCh).
Please note that in order to enter an Urban Tracking Dog level test, a TD title or, alternatively, a Pre-Test certification is required. Should you need a Pre-Test certification, that can be arranged. In a Pre-Test certification, the dog will demonstrate the ability to follow a track of at least 200 metres, not less than 30 minutes or more than 1 hour old, that contains both vegetated and non-vegetated sections, has 2 corners (1 must be on non-vegetated surface) with one article at the end. The dog must demonstrate a start from the scent pad, transition from vegetation to non-vegetation, negotiate both corners, and indicate the article. This test can be carried out by an Urban Tracking Judge, a person experienced in Urban Tracking and approved by an Urban Tracking Judge, or the CKC zone rep. Please read the rule book, which can be found here for the official rules. Please contact Nicole at 250-897-8126 to make arrangements.
Please note: The club currently hosts CKC Official Field and Urban Tracking Tests twice a year, but does not teach classes. However, there are opportunities to learn about the sport of tracking by volunteering to help at these events and by attending seminars that the club hosts from time to time. There are also numerous resources available online, such as on YouTube.
Forbidden Plateau Obedience and Tracking Club 