Active Dog Sports Training


Home	Tracking “With a keen sense of smell – 100,000 times stronger than humans – dogs are often used to find lost people and animals, drugs, avalanche and disaster victims, and even to detect cancer. AKC Tracking is a canine sport that demonstrates a dog’s natural ability to recognize and follow a scent and is the foundation of canine search and rescue work. Unlike obedience and agility trials, where dogs respond to the owner’s commands, in tracking a dog is completely in charge, for only he knows how to use his nose to find and follow the track.” This statement taken from the AKC website explains very well the sport of tracking. This is what our classes teach.
Agility
Tracking
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Locations	Visit the Trackindogs web site created by Ann our tracking trainer click here.
Photos	2010 Classes Class is held once a week for four weeks then every other week for the last three classes. SPRING 2010 Beginner Class: 9:00-11:30am Saturday April 10, 17, 24, May 1, 15, 29, June 12 Advanced Class: Wednesdays from 6:00-8:30 pm and Sundays from 9:00-11:30 Every other week - Dates: March 31, April 11, 28, May 16, 26, & June 6 FALL 2010 Beginner Class: 6:00-8:30pm Wednesday August 25, September 1, & 8 *Please note - due to daylight issues class then switches to: 9:00-11:30am Saturday September 18, October 2, 16, & 30
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“Karlos & I have bonded to a new level by joining in on the agility classes at Active Dog Sports Training.” Jenny L. and Karlos Prescott, WI	To register for a class click here to email our tracking trainer.
	Beginner Tracking - AKC TD Cost: $125 Length: 7 Classes of 2 to 2 1/2 hours Prerequisite: None This class introduces the basic elements of tracking. You learn how to lay a track, how to get your dog to follow a track, how to turn, and how to tell if your dog is on the right track. When is the next class? See the Calendar
	Advanced Tracking - AKC TDX/VST Cost: $120 Length: 6 Classes of 2 to 2 1/2 hours Prerequisite: Successful completion of the Tracking 1 (Beginner Tracking) class through ADST or a TD title or certification on the dog entered in the class. Students with a TD title will have priority. This class is intended for students who are actively pursuing their TDX and VST titles. This class will work on advance training techniques and strategies for working toward the AKC TDX and VST titles. When is the next class? See the Calendar
	WHAT IS TRACKING?
	In tracking a dog is trained to follow a scent trail to an article. In our class you will learn to teach your dog to use his nose to find articles such as a glove, placed along a track. Unlike other dog sports, in tracking the dog is totally in control (a new concept for you and your dog!) and the handler is there only to offer help when they recognize their partner needs it. As humans we only have ideas of what the dog may be scenting and thus must learn the tracking mantra of “trust your dog”. You will learn to read your dog and know when help is needed along with ways to offer assistance to your dog in different situations. Even though we cannot know what they are scenting or where the scent goes we can become a valuable member of this team.
	WHAT’S INVOLVED IN TRAINING?
	You will first learn how to show your dog what you expect of him in tracking. Through laying many short tracks they will learn that we want them to follow a specific scent trail we have laid and to find an article left at the end. After that as a handler you will learn to read your dog. You will be able to recognize the subtle differences between tracking what you want them to track and tracking a critter. You will be able to tell when they are working hard or maybe just taking you for a nice walk in the field. And you will be able to read when your dog has lost the scent and what you can do to help him get back to where he can find it again. You will also work with your dog somewhere other than at the field shaping what is called an article indication. It will be great when your dog can follow any track you lay for them but if they can’t somehow tell you they’ve found what you’ve been looking for you will be out of luck! So we teach our dogs an article indication – a way of showing us what they have found.
	WHAT’S INVOLVED WITH CLASS?
	Class will begin with going over the previous week’s homework to see how it is going, to answer any questions, and to try and solve any problems that may have come up. We will talk about what we are going to train next and then we will run tracks. I will also hand out the next week’s homework. It will consist of four or more days of tracks that gradually increase in difficulty. This work will take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2hrs to complete and is necessary for your dog to learn.
	EQUIPMENT NEEDED
	For the first class you only need to bring a hungry dog on a buckle collar (no slip collars or leads), a 6ft leash, and high value treats. The first week you need a buckle collar, 6 ft leash, 3 flags, watch, clipboard, a piece of cloth and leather the size of a glove to use as articles and high value treats. By the second class you will need a fitted harness and a 40 foot tracking rope with a clip to attach to the dogs harness. It will also be more enjoyable if you have comfortable clothes and shoes or boots as you will spend a lot of time walking mostly in fields. We will have class regardless of weather and you need to practice in all types of weather – this is how you and your dog learn to track under different conditions. Weather can have a huge effect on your track. If you decide to go on and test you will have no control over the weather on that particular day!
	WHERE TO TRACK?
	Ball fields work great, parks, anywhere there are large areas of grass, tall or short. The more variety you have in tracking areas the better off you will be in exposing your dog to different tracking experiences.
	TRACKING TITLES YOU CAN EARN IF YOU DECIDE TO TEST?
	AKC TD: Tracking Dog – 440 to 500yd track, 30 minutes to 2hrs old, 3 to 5 turns, 2 articles TDX: Tracking Dog Excellent – 800 to 1,000yds, 3 to 5hrs old, 5 to 7 turns, two sets of cross-tracks, 4 articles VST: Variable Surface Tracker – 600 to 800yds, 3 different surfaces (2 devoid of vegetation at least one third of the track), 3 to 5hrs old, one leather, one fabric, one plastic and one metal article CT: Champion Tracker – this is for those who pass all three tests. OTHER TRACKING VENUES WITH SIMILAR TESTS ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America) – mixed breed dogs may compete TD : same as AKC TDX: same as AKC CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) TD: 450-500 meters, 30 minutes to 2hrs old, 2 to 4 turns, 1 article at the end TDX: 900-1000 meters, 3 to 5hrs old, 5 + turns, cross-tracks, 3 articles UTD: Urban/300-400 meters, 1to 2hrs old, 3 to 5 turns, 1hard surface turn, 2 articles UTDX: Urban/600-750 meters, 3 to 5hrs old, 5 to 7 turns, 1 hard surface turn, 3 articles TCh: Tracking Champion – must pass all four tests Each test is a pass/fail and can be taken as many times as you choose. You only need one pass to title.
	SAMPLE TRACK MAP


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Tracking

To register for a class click here to email our tracking trainer.

Beginner Tracking - AKC TD

Cost: $125 Length: 7 Classes of 2 to 2 1/2 hours Prerequisite: None

This class introduces the basic elements of tracking. You learn how to lay a track, how to get your dog to follow a track, how to turn, and how to tell if your dog is on the right track.

Advanced Tracking - AKC TDX/VST

Cost: $120 Length: 6 Classes of 2 to 2 1/2 hours Prerequisite: Successful completion of the Tracking 1 (Beginner Tracking) class through ADST or a TD title or certification on the dog entered in the class. Students with a TD title will have priority.

This class is intended for students who are actively pursuing their TDX and VST titles. This class will work on advance training techniques and strategies for working toward the AKC TDX and VST titles.

WHAT IS TRACKING?

WHAT’S INVOLVED IN TRAINING?

You will first learn how to show your dog what you expect of him in tracking. Through laying many short tracks they will learn that we want them to follow a specific scent trail we have laid and to find an article left at the end.

WHAT’S INVOLVED WITH CLASS?

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

WHERE TO TRACK?

Ball fields work great, parks, anywhere there are large areas of grass, tall or short. The more variety you have in tracking areas the better off you will be in exposing your dog to different tracking experiences.

TRACKING TITLES YOU CAN EARN IF YOU DECIDE TO TEST?

AKC

TD: Tracking Dog – 440 to 500yd track, 30 minutes to 2hrs old, 3 to 5 turns, 2 articles

TDX: Tracking Dog Excellent – 800 to 1,000yds, 3 to 5hrs old, 5 to 7 turns, two sets of cross-tracks, 4 articles

VST: Variable Surface Tracker – 600 to 800yds, 3 different surfaces (2 devoid of vegetation at least one third of the track), 3 to 5hrs old, one leather, one fabric, one plastic and one metal article

CT: Champion Tracker – this is for those who pass all three tests.

Each test is a pass/fail and can be taken as many times as you choose. You only need one pass to title.

SAMPLE TRACK MAP

Cost: $125
Length: 7 Classes of 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Prerequisite: None

Cost: $120
Length: 6 Classes of 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Prerequisite: Successful completion of the Tracking 1 (Beginner Tracking) class through ADST or a TD title or certification on the dog entered in the class. Students with a TD title will have priority.