Hunting Dog Training

Ground Tracking & Air Tracking

One way to test a dog's ground tracking ability is through a 1,000 pace track. A judge walks a path of 1,000 paces, which has two turns and two articles both of which the dog must acknowledge. The turns are sharp deviations from the path which the dog must be able to recognize instantly or lose the scent. The articles can be shoes or clothing which the dog must indicate to the tracker that they have been found.

Air tracking is based on the dog's ability to detect the scent molecules that people leave behind. This type of tracking if much faster but is not as reliable as a ground track. This is primarily because the molecules can spread so easily in the air.

A practical application of ground tracking is the ability to find a lost child in an area. By having a starting point, such as a back door or garage, the dog can track the path successfully and find the lost child. Ground tracking is extremely reliable however it is a slower process than air tracking. Other practical applications include search or rescue, narcotics, and bomb searches.