Prior to the formation of The Tracking Dog Club of South Australia Inc. in 1978 and its running of its first trial in 1980, trials were run only on request by obedience clubs, mostly SA Obedience Dog Club Inc. but also Southern Districts Kennel and Obedience Club Inc. and German Shepherd Dog Club Inc. SAODC ran its first trial in National Park, Belair, on 26th May 1962 with three qualifiers viz. Doug Kemp’s Orpington Marie CDX, John Moroney’s Morny Panda Carmel CD and Jack Trevor’s Prince Regent of Saxony CDX.
Tracking
Tracking is the
art of teaching your dog to find people who are lost.
You don't
have to be very young, or super fit. Neither does your dog.
You don't
have to have a dog who has excelled at Obedience Classes.
Both you and
your dog need an average level of fitness, enjoy walking
in the bush and are happy to be out in all types of weather.
You need to have a bit of spare time.
Your dog has plenty and will enjoy sharing it with you.
The equipment you will need is a good pair of "wellie" boots
and a wind and waterproof coat.
A groundsheet big enough to sit on.
A thermos of coffee/tea and a mug.
Your dog will need a harness and at least a 10 metre lead.
A water bottle and a bowl to drink from.
Some food rewards.
A towel and a hairbrush if your dog has long hair.
What
prerequisites are there for entering a tracking trial?"
Dogs must be registered with Dogs SA or equivalent in your state.
No obedience qualifications are necessary.
"What
tracking titles are available?"
Tracking Dog (T.D.) Tracking Dog Excellent (T.D.X.) and Tracking Champion
(T.Ch.)
"How
many different tests are available?"
In order to qualify for Tracking Dog (T.D.) there are
three tests. Test 1 is approximately 400 metres long with two changes
of direction. There will be one article placed on the track. Tracks
2 & 3 are approximately 800 meters with a minimum of two changes
of direction. There will be two articles placed on the track. The dog
must find at least one article and the tracklayer to pass. For test
one & two the handler is able to nominate the tracklayer. After
this, all tracklayers will be unknown to the dog.
To
qualify for Tracking Dog Excellent (T.D.X.) there are
three tests and you must have your TD title. Tests four and five are
1000 meters with a minimum of four turns and test six is 1200 meters
with a minimum of five changes of direction.
To
qualify for Tracking Champion (T.Ch.) there is one
test and you must have your TDX title. Test seven is 1200 meters with
a minimum of six changes of direction with 3 articles on the track.
The age of the tracks varies between a minimum of 20 minutes for Test
One to a minimum of 90 minutes for test seven and a maximum of up to
three hours for a test seven.
In 2009 a new series of tests have been introduced open only
to dogs with the title of Tracking Champion, (T.Ch)
These new titles are Track & Search Dog (TSD) and Track &
Search Dog Excellent (TSDX)
Further information regarding these titles can be found via the links at
left. The rules are available on the rule page.
The end of a perfect day of tracking
Please
lets go
I've
heard it is fun.