Tracking With Your Rottweiler

View Results from our recent Tracking Test! 

CT Goose earned all three of her tracking titles at MRC tests

We have to learn to read the body language of the dog to know when he is on track, when to assist him, and when to be patient, and wait for him to figure things out.

Tracking has so many variables that have to be taken into account. Every day that you come out to the field to track, it is different to the dog. It could be moist or dry, windy or not, with the ground cover varying between tall, short, weedy, and each presents a different challenge for the dog.

Another situation, on top of those variables is the time from when the track is put down until the time the track is run. This is called aging the track. Too many handlers get frustrated and jump from technique to technique trying to get their dog to work the track with:

a) a deep nose (meaning nose down on the line of the track scent)
b) consistency, and
c) willingness and drive

When teaching the dog from the beginning to have a “deep nose” he will be closer to the target line of scent than if allowed to carry his head higher. Also, by teaching “step tracking,” meaning teaching him to scent from footstep to footstep, his nose will be down, his speed consistent and steady, and his body language easier for you, the handler, to read. With the combination, the dog will stay true to the track.

I start my dogs about 12-14 weeks old. You can start older dogs the same way as the puppies. The good news is that all the beginning work is done on short grass, so there is no need to drive around to find big fields.... Yet!!!!!!!!

You will need a handful of flags to stick into the ground, some hotdogs, and a 6 foot leash to start. I quarter a bunch of hotdogs, chicken/turkey are easier and digestible for the dog. Then I find a section of my yard not used by anyone or animal. I place a small flag to mark my start, and stepping from side to side on that spot, I make a “scent pad”. I drop a few pieces of bait on the scent pad, then placing one foot in front of the other, I step forward indenting my toe first, and placing a piece of bait in the imprint. I take about 15 steps and drop several pieces at the end, to mark the end of the track, take a huge step forward, and then come back to where the start is, not walking too close to the original track. The repeat the same track , making a second track to work.

After making my scent pad, place and article (sock, rag, glove) at the start flag. As I proceed making my first leg, making it the length of 20 steps,( also making sure food is in every step), I will start to introduce turns. When making a left turn, my right foot turns and faces the new direction of the track. I would then follow with my left foot by making my step only half the distance of a regular step. Then repeat another half step with your right, and then return to normal steps for another 20 steps. At that point I will introduce the right turn. This time, taking my left foot and facing it in the new direction followed by the right making a half step, then half step with left and back to normal steps for 10 steps and end track by placing food on the article. Take a huge step off the end of the track.

Each time I go out and lay a track, I will make each leg longer by 5 steps. I work my legs/track up to a total of 150 yards. This is still being done on short grass, As I am still in my foundation stage.

Once I have the length down, I will shorten my track back down to 50-60 yards and start aging my tracks. I have also been reducing my bait on the track from every step, to every 3 steps, down to every 5 steps, down to every 7 steps, until I will put a piece on the start and on the corners and at the articles. My aging process starts with 15 minutes intervals and increases every 15 minutes, until I can reach one hour.

CT Gable passed his VST at an MRC test

When I have reached the time period, I start putting the two phases together. I will start to lay my track, (starting in short grass) by skirting into some taller grass cover and then back into the short grass. Slowly reducing the amount of short grass and increasing the taller grass.

Until you can get yourself familiar with the area and the tracks you will be laying, you could take a clothes pin to mark your track on the corners to help you better read you dog when he gets to this part of the track. Don’t relay on those markers, as you need to watch how your dog works the track.

When your dog can work a 400 yard or longer length track, you will need to find an AKC tracking judge who is the only one who has authority to certify your dog for a test. A certification is a prerequisite track that has to be passed by you and your dog, enabling you to enter a AKC tracking test.