The following is a brief explanation of Tracking (taken from an article in the "Gazette" Vol. 110, #10, page 112, author Phil Miller.
T-Y-D The most important thing to learn from a tracking dog is T-Y-D --Trust Your Dog, and never allow it to fail. Most errors in tracking are not made by the dog but by the handler. Often the dog must work our problems with little or no assistance. You may start training as early as 4 months, but it is important that you work slowly and correct mistakes immediately at this age.
Before you Begin: You will need the following items before you begin training:
Regular Collar - do not use a choke chain!
6- to 10- foot lead - choose one made of a heavy woven material.
Harness - should fit comfortably over the dog's shoulders.
Articles - these can be socks, gloves, a wallet, cap, scarf, eyeglasses case, etc.
Stakes - used at the start and finish of the track, also in early training to indicate turns. Survey stakes of wire with small flags at the top are good.
Clothespins with marking tape - used in intermediate training to indicate turns.
You will also need an assistant to help you train your dog to track.
Beginning Training:
1) Hold your dog in the heel position with the lead and collar.
2) Your assistant should walk a short distance in front of you, turn, call the dog and drop the article.
3) Your assistant should then walk back along the same line and stand behind you.
4) Tell you dog to "Track" or "Find" (or any term you wish, but be consistent thereafter!)
5) Walk with the dog on lead and let it find the article. (Another handler recommends laying the trail with small pieces of hot dog, which encourages your dog to smell & trail.)
6) Praise your dog when it finds the article. This should be a fun time for the dog.
7) Gradually make the tracks longer and have your assistant hide behind a tree or bush.
8) Encourage the dog to sniff the ground by talking to it and indicating the ground with your hand.
9) As the dog improves, use the tracking harness and allow the dog to pull you along the track.
Intermediate Tracking:
1) At this stage, your assistance always leaves the area after dropping the article at the end of the track.
2) Begin making one to three turns of up to 90 degrees in the track. Use direct lines toward a definite object. When laying a tract in intermediate training, the best way to make a turn is to put the stake down and then advance five or more paces before making the turn. This may help keep the dog from tracking from flag to flag. It is important for the handler to know where the turns are so the dog can be restrained from over-running the turns by more than 10 to 15 feet. If the dog runs past a turn, let it circle back around while you take several steps backward until it picks up the scent again.
3) After laying a track, wait 30 to 60 minutes before running it.
4) Progress to tracts that are 400 to 500 yards long with four or five turns.
5) Track in a variety of areas - short and tall grass, wooded areas with dry leaves and rolling or hilly terrain.
6) Track in a variety of weather conditions - warm, cold, windy, rainy, etc.
7) Track with distractions nearby such as children playing, dogs barking, etc.
8) Track with a cross-track. After a track is laid, let a different person walk over the track at midpoint.
It is often harder for you to "read" the dog that is tracking than to train the dog to track. It may help if you ask an experienced handler to follow you and your dog as you run the track. Your errors can then be pointed out and corrected. When you and your dog are ready, ask a licensed tracking judge to certify it. The judge will lay a tract similar to one laid out for trials. When the dog passes and is certified, you can then enter it in a tracking trial. The length of a track in a licensed trail is 440 to 500 yards.
Advanced Tracking:
1) Lay tracks that are up to 800 to 1,000 yards long.
2) After laying a track, wait between three and 24 hours before running the dog.
3) Lay tracks that cross asphalt, concrete, gravel roads, streams and fences.
4) Track in cold wind, rain or snow. Most dogs do not track well when the barometer is dropping.
5) Lay tracks with 5 or 6 turns using no markers. The track layer should draw a map of the track marking turns and land features.
This training should be an enjoyable experience for you and your dog. Take the luck out of tracking by working often under many different conditions. If a tracking seminar is given in your area, attend, - it will prove to be very helpful. Obtaining the TD and TDX degrees are very worthwhile accomplishments.