Tracking

Practical tracking

What is practical tracking precisely?

It is definitely a fun way to be busy with your dog. It is a good way to connect with your dog and to get to know each other better. Another great benefit of it is being outside, enjoying the fresh air and getting some exercise. In short, a fun and healthy way to 'work' with your dog in the fresh air.

Practical tracking derives from police -and rescue work. It is not a recognized sport by the Kon. Ned. Kennelclub Cynophillia yet.
There are three types of trainings for working dogs. There is the practical tracking as you see at the IPO, the dogs who can go a bit further than the IPO test and the rescue work, where it is all about finding victims.

Its smell is a dog's own In contrary to humans dogs own a phenomenal sense of smell. Because of this natural sense of smell, every dog should be able to track. Most dogs like it when they are allowed and when they are able to use their nose. This sense of smell can be evolved into a better sense of smell through all kinds of methods. You can sort things out with your dog or search for things. These are just two of the many methods in the world.

The fun thing about practical tracking is that you can do it everywhere and with 'everywhere' I mean at every surface. Whether you track on grasslands, in the woods, on sand hills, in villages or big cities it does not matter. You can literally track on every kind of surface. Off course, some surfaces our more difficult to track on than others.
Imagine tracking in a town. There are many smells in a town, like exhaust gases, different smells of food and a lot of people etcetera. The enormous amounts of impulses that you and your dog get, the distractions and temptations. A forest also contains many different smells (differences in soils and waterways) but generally the environment is more natural and so 'calmer'.
Off course, you do not walk in straight lines with practical tracking. The meaning of the work-out is that you take a lot of factors into account. Factors like passengers, wind, rain and other dogs. You will also learn how to work out curves, crossings and angles with your dog. It is pretty exciting and it is really interesting and fun to see what you and your dog are capable of when you work together. It is definitely worth it to try this branch of sports.

Some people wonder whether it is suited for every dog and its owner?

No it is not. Despite of their phenomenal sense of smell not every dog will enjoy practical tracking. This also counts for their companion. It is also a fun occupation for (young) pups.