# Tracking!



## AllThatJazz (Apr 23, 2008)

I am so excited because I've seen an amazing potential in my highly neurotic WGSD, Scout. I have always suspected that his "problem" was sensory overload -- that he just takes in way too much information and is super-sensitive. Ironically, we would joke that he says, "_I see dead people_," as I knew this dog was hearing and smelling things that not even our other dogs were on to. 
This is grisly and creepy, but my husband was running with Scout the other morning, and when they neared (by the distance of at least two city blocks...although this was in a more rural area) the place where a murder took place last December, Scout began bucking like a wild horse. My husband got really creeped out by this. We walked Scout up there early yesterday evening, and gave him a lot of leash. That dog BOLTED...I mean BOLTED (well, as much as he could bolt on a long lead) to the direct, <u>exact</u> location of where this woman's body was found (and where, it was reported, she was murdered). I have never seen anything like it.
Scout is good and fine out in public on a leash. It's when he's loose and at home that he's crazier than ever. I'm thinking maybe he now has a JOB...
So...after all of this, where do I go to train a 6 year old dog in tracking?


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

It would be more airscenting than tracking, but it really doesn't matter.

I think that in a dog like yours and how you describe him every task that can make him focus in something will be good for him.

Look at the Tracking and the Schutzhund sections and you'll fin a lot informaion about what tracking is really about and tips to get started.


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## dog27 (Apr 8, 2007)

Do you know how long the body had been at that spot? If it had been there long enough to decompose then the soil would have soaked up fluids from decomposition. Cadaver dogs are often trained using such soil in lieu of dead bodies. Or if there was significant blood loss there, same thing.

I don't know if you are only interested in tracking, but since Scout has demonstrated an aptitude for finding cadaver scent, you might train him specifically for that. 6 years old is probably too old to start a deployable SAR dog, but it could be fun to go through the training process while planning ahead for your next dog.


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

I do not know what to say. Finding a dead body is quite different them teaching my dog to do search and rescue. 

However, if you are serious about Scout, try teaching him to find stuff, clothes, anything about the house. Then if he does a good job at that, bury the stuff and see how he does.


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## dog27 (Apr 8, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Timber1I do not know what to say. Finding a dead body is quite different them teaching my dog to do search and rescue.


Unfortunately missing people are not always alive. But we still want to find them, right? The training of the dog is not so different.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

Unfortunately, it's what happens most of the time and people wanting to get involved in S&R has to realize it. To find a victim alive is the dream of every handler but many can spend alive working without even happening. In my team we have still to find a living victim, but we have several bodies on our records.

But Timber1, when you can give a mother that peace... it worths all the work anyways


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

What TYPE of tracking?

Tracking, trailing, air scenting, footstep tracking, etc.

AKC tracking is different from the tracking done in Schutzhund.

The book I use is titled Enthusiastic Tracking by Sil Sanders and is geared more towards AKC tracking.


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