AKC tracking - Page 1

How AKC tracking is different from SchH tracking? Does anyone have experience in both?

I have done both. AKC is much more leinent in how the dog tracks. It can walk with it's head up sniffing the air, and cast from side to side, and circle around on the track, and as long as the dog stays within 30 feet of the track, continues 'working', and gets to the rticle at the end, it passes. It is a pass/fail situation with only one article at the end. SchH tracking is much more exacting. I have repeatedly taken a SchH style tracking dog and out tracked AKC TDX dogs because my dogs track more intensly, closer to every foot step, and must find multiple articles of different typs (wood, metal, cloth, leather etc). The Sch dog AND handler can loose points on the track. The dog must get at least 70 out of 100 points to pass. SchH 1 and 2 tracks ARE shorter than an AKC track, but with the exacting style of the SchH dog, they have no problem doing the longer AKC tracks IF they do correct SchH style tracking. (Jackie Athon-Grunenfeld Shepherds)

I have also seen a good number of SchH titled dogs fail AKC tracks and had a judge ask me about it.... I agree a SchH dog should be able to ace an AKC track except they often are laid very differently also..

I have done both. I have laid track at several National Schutzhund events, I V'd tracks at National Schutzhund events. I have flunked an AKC track, and I have passed AKC tracking. Both venues have there strengths and weakness. Schutzhund tracking is scored. The dog must be very skilled in tracking the scent of disturbed ground. At Schutzhund trials the track layers make an effort to disturb the ground. The tracks are uniformed and comparitively short. AKC tracking is not scored, it is just pass or fail. The dogs must be very skilled in tracking the scent of the track layer. This scent falls over a wider area. AKC track layers hardley disturb the ground at all. The tracks vary greatly and are rather long. Anyone thinking that because the dogs don't have to have a deep nose, and that it is easy to do an AKC track will be setting themselves up for a disappointment. The dogs don't know they can lift their heads on an AKC track. They will have many problems on the AKC track to work out such as corners that other than 90 degrees, or corners that have made with big distances between steps. The AKC track layer is just walking normal, wondering around on a field. However when you have a highly skilled Schutzhund tracking dog that can workout the AKC track that has very lightly distrubed ground, this dog can do both extremely well. This type of dog will amaze the AKC folks. The problem is not too many can.

makosh -- true tracking should be with your dog's nose to the ground --- other types of related behaviors i personally would not describe as tracking but more the word trailing -- for example , search and rescue .. ypou wenat the dog to be able to take it's head off the ground and go right to thwe source I.E lost person -- that is different behavior than following a foot trail -- as for Sch vs AKC -- , i read in prevoius post that sch dog did not pass ?? -- well if you true track with your dog and teach it well -- niether should ever matter -- the difficulty is that Sch is so choreographed in every phase that the dog isn't or if so in a limmitted way to think !! for example the scent pads -- how amny times dopes a dog need to go onto a scent pad before it gets the idea / the association as to where it's best interest lies -- --- once did .. but now i nevere teach with a scent pad --- 1st lesson with my 12 week pup -- on verbal cue position your nose to the ground and start to follow the footseps with contaiminated /crosstracks -- -- second lesson -- 3 to five turns -- fourth lesson -- variable surfaces -- fifth lessons -=track with above but amny ,many things going on -- HOWEVER i always set the dog up to be correct and i will help guide if need be -- others may be vehemently opposed BUT -- my pups learn very young [ similar concept in my protection work ] NOTHING matters or is significant but to follow the footsteps .. eveything .. the terrain , the environment etc -- is irrelevent -- the pups learn quickly -- just one thing matters, for them to obtain their need / the goal to their motivation -- FOLLOW THE FOOTSTEPS --they never learn to track fast -- they do not develop habits such as cursing ,they are not interested in distractions , even another dog's or 2nd/3rd persons track . they learn the unexpected is normal and think how to navigate soomething differnet because that is how they are imprinted , always something new --but i recognize the whole spiel about points in competition -- i carfe less abpout points -- but my dogs can track !! AKC or Sch makes no difference

The wind will make much more of an impact if your dog is scenting on human rafts vs using ground scent and will be much less precise as the scent cone could be scattered well off the ground scent. I train trailing dogs that use both ground scent and rafts. They trot down the trail as they may be covering several miles. I have also found it easier to train in trailing before airscenting. Doing so allows them to get on a track, follow it and also work from the ground and then raise their heads as they hit a scent cone.

this is true --dessert ranger -- most do know but some novices may not --although it is good for the dog if you wish to find a person or especially a missing person to be able to pick scent from wind , trees , bushes being well off the ground etc.-- but ground track is to be considered too becuase if the dog looses the wind scent , scent for objects in the environment --then they may still be able to find if they can reveret to a ground track , which is the scent that lasts longest- especially on windy days and the other elements such as terrain topography and type as well as air / ground temp , which are not always the same [ such is with the cause of fog].

Exactly right Alphapup. I love tracking in a crosswind when for an example the dog goes maybe 15' downwind and crosses back until it hits the ground scent and works down the track repeating the 15' so you know that's how far the wind has blown the rafts.