Scent Tracking Dogs
– Can My Dog Become A Scent Tracking Dog?
Virtually all dogs are born with the ability to scent track. This means
that they're able, through the use of their nose, to track or trace the
movement of a person, object or animal by the scent that is left on the
ground or objects as the person or animal moves across the surface.
However, not all dogs are as effective at scent tracking as others.
Through selective breeding, several different breeds of dogs have
established themselves as highly effective scent tracking dogs. The
most popular of these breeds include:
- German Shepherds
- Bloodhounds
- Labrador Retrievers
- Golden Retrievers
- Dobermans
- Rottweilers
- Newfoundlands
- Black and Tan Hound
- St. Bernard
Different types of scent dogs are used for various
activities. Search and rescue (SAR’s) dogs are trained to
locate missing people and are often featured on the news and in movies
and on TV. These dogs require both the ability to follow a trail as
well as the physical ability to move through difficult terrain, such as
fallen debris, and even areas that are considered disaster areas.
Bloodhounds and Black and Tan Hounds are often used in tracking escaped
prisoners or lost people. They're extremely athletic and are able to
follow scent trails that are much fainter than what even other scent
dogs can. St. Bernards and Newfoundland dogs are often used to find
people that are missing in the wilderness or are lost in very harsh or
challenging environments, such as mountainous areas or thick forests.
Some scent dogs are used for hunting. Again,
hounds are often at least part of the background of many of the scent
tracking dogs. Retrievers are also a popular breed for scent tracking
for hunting and trail events. Rottweilers, Dobermans and German
Shepherds are often the main attraction at scent trial events and
competitions. Most competitions are open to any breed of dog, and the
dog does not have to be purebred or registered.
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Training A Scent Tracking Dog
There are many different ways to learn about
training. Scent tracking dogs naturally seem to use their nose to find
their way about, rather than just looking or running randomly as some
dogs naturally do. If you notice that your dog or puppy, regardless of
the breed, sniffs the ground and follows a trail you may have a dog
that is a natural scent tracker.
Most larger centers will have professional
trainers that can help you teach and work with scent tracking dogs.
There's also information available on the Internet, through books, as
well as CD and DVD workshops and training guides. Consider attending
one of the trials or events for scent tracking dogs in your area and
talk to the owners and handlers there. They'll be able to give you
advice and referrals to trainers in your area.
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