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Santa Clara Dog Training Club, Inc. has a combined Tracking Dog and Tracking Dog Excellent test annually at the end of March or early April. SCDTC has been giving tracking tests since 1973. <
Our 2019 Tracking Tests (TD & TDX) will be April 4, 2010 at Anderson Park on the Coyote Creek Parkway, Morgan Hill, CA.It is limited to four TD dogs and two TDX dogs.
The closing date is Thursday March 19 at 1pm. Entry fees are $50 for TD and $90 for TDX. Judges will be Ralph Swingle and Kaye Hall. If you can help at the test or have comments please click on the talk to the paw link to e-mail us.
The purpose of a tracking test is to demonstrate the dog's ability to recognize and follow human scent, a skill that is useful in the service of mankind. Tracking, by nature, is a vigorous, noncompetitive outdoor sport.
Tracking tests demonstrate the willingness and enjoyment of the dog in its work, and should always represent the best in sportsmanship and camaraderie by the people involved. When tracking, a dog follows the path that a tracklayer walked minutes to hours before in order to find an article, such as a glove or a wallet, that the tracklayer placed. It is amazing to see that a dog can competently perform a job that a person couldn't even dream of doing. The AKC recognizes this ability with TD, TDX and VST titles.
If you've ever wondered why tracking participants (the people) are always holding one glove, read on.
A Tracking Dog degree is earned when a dog follows a track where a person walked between 30 and 120 minutes before. The track is 440 to 500 yards long from start to finish and has between three and five abrupt changes of direction, and drops the glove (which he has been carrying) at the end.
The dog is given a start article of cloth to take the scent. The dog must indicate an article—usually a glove—and follow the path of the tracklayer, taking all the turns. The dog wears a harness and is on a line that is between 20 and 40 feet long. In order to enter a TD test, the dog must be certified by an AKC tracking judge that it is ready to enter. The certification test has the same parameters as the test track.
To earn a Tracking Dog Excellent degree the dog must have passed the TD test. The TDX track was walked by the tracklayer between three and five hours before. The track must be between 800 to 1000 yards long and have five to seven turns. There is a start article, plus two intermediate articles dropped at various places on the track, with the final article, the glove, at the end.
In addition two people walking next to each other cross the track in two different places. There must also be at least two obstacles that are a scenting challenge to the dog. These may be whatever is available in the area such as a small creek, a fence, a road, bushes, trees, marked changes of vegetation, etc. The articles may be things like a sock, scarf, coin purse, or glasses case with the final one being a glove or wallet. The dog must indicate all the articles.
The AKC also offers another level of recognition in tracking called VST, Variable Surface Tracking. The dogs enjoy using their superior scenting abilities to lead their handlers down the tracks. Click the talk to the paw button to express your interest in tracking.