Free Tips on Dog Training and Tracking

Tracking dogs are trained to pursue specific scents and are used for hunting, police work and drug enforcement. Training a dog to track involves teaching him to further develop his highly acute sense of smell and to discern among various scents. To train a dog to track, you must first train him to follow various other obedience commands.

  1. Basic Obedience

    • Before a dog can begin to track, she must be able to sit and heel. Good tracking dogs establish a strong relationship with their handlers, which can be developed during basic obedience training. Using training treats, command your dog to sit, then push on her hindquarters until she sits. Reward her with a treat. Continue doing this until she sits on command. When training your dog to heel, start with your dog on her leash in the sitting position, which places her in a submissive mindset. Give the command to heel and then begin to walk, keeping the dog at your side by keeping the leash taut. Repeat this until you can allow slack at the leash while the dog stays at your side.

    Off-Leash Training

    • Tracking and well-trained dogs must be obedient both on and off leashes. Since tracking dogs, especially hunting dogs, will be off leash for the majority of their practice, they must be trained to be immune to distractions. Once your dog has been trained to sit and heel on leash, take him to an open field, away from a road, where there are few distractions. Begin to heel on leash, then, while walking, remove the leash and use treats to guide her to heel with you off leash. Using treats and verbal praise, keep her attention focused on you at all times.

    Scent Identification

    • A tracking dog must have a refined sense of smell, able to distinguish the "tracking scent" from other scents that may distract him. Scent identification training is the first step to training a tracking dog. Show your dog a treat or toy, then allow him to follow you through the yard as you find a place to hide it. Try to trick your dog by pretending to hide it in various locations. Once you have hid the treat or toy, return to constant place, then give the command "Seek," to make your dog find it. When he finds it, give him praise and treats.

    Advanced Tracking Training

    • Introduce the process of tracking to your dog first. This can be done by commanding your dog to sit and stay off leash. Then walk a few feet in front of your dog with a stuffed toy, then drop the toy where your dog can see it. Return to your dog, give the command to "seek," then guide her to the dropped toy along the path that you traveled. Have her pick it up in her mouth then praise her and give her treats. Repeat this step until she can seek the toy without you guiding her.