Diana Myers
Tracking work is one of the supreme disciplines of dog sports: only a few four-legged friends have the right nose for this task.
The supreme discipline in dog sports
Tracking work is one of the most highly specialized disciplines in dog sports, and only relatively few four-legged friends have the above-average nose disposition required for this. The prerequisite for the tracking dog test is that your four-legged friend has successfully passed the companion dog test. After conscientious training, the dog can be presented at the age of 12 months for the companion dog test – all within the framework of a date-protected event in a member association of the VDH.
Is your dog suitable?
Already during the training to become a companion dog, it becomes clear how resilient the dog is, what abilities it has and what the best further training for it should be. During the test, the dog has to prove its ability to track on a foreign track that is at least three hours old and is 1,000 to 1,400 pages long and has to track down four objects of daily use. The examination regulations should be explained in detail in the dog sports club. They are also there to help and advise interested parties in preparing for the exam. These experienced dog trainers can also assess whether your animal is at all suitable for training as a tracking dog.
Don’t be put off by the high standards
Interested parties should not be put off by the high demands, but should definitely try whether dog and human are suitable for the tracking work because it promotes cooperation between dog and owner and is a good opportunity to stimulate the dog mentally and to work on its leave.