Tracking (dog)

Tracking turns your dog loose on a real trail: wearing a harness on a long line, they follow the footsteps of a person who walked a field earlier and dropped a glove or wallet at the end. The first AKC test is a 440 to 500 yard track with several turns, aged 30 minutes to two hours, and a judge must certify your dog on a practice track before you can enter. It suits steady, single-minded sniffers and owners happy to spend early mornings in open fields. Kit is cheap, just a harness, a long line and marker flags, and tracking clubs run beginner workshops and group practice.