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What is Schutzhund Tracking?
The schutzhund track tests a dog's mental and physical capabilities.
Tracking is the area I find the most challenging but is also the area
I enjoy the most. I will be writing a series of articles on
schutzhund tracking. Before discussing how I teach tracking to
puppies, I am going to discuss the rules as it will shed light on
what is expected from both the dog and the handler.
In schutzhund, the dog must track evenly and intensively with a deep nose.
This is what the dog is scored on. It does not matter if the dog
tracks quickly, or slowly, the dog must track the track at the same
pace, including corners, for the entire track to get full points.
Equipment:
A handler has three choices in deciding what equipment to use for
tracking.
1. An acceptable trial collar such as a fur saver.
The tracking line is attached to the dead ring.
2. A tracking harness. The tracking line is attached to the
harness ring.
3. The dog may be free tracked. No line is used.
I do not use a harness in training, as I trial my dogs with a fur
saver. I want to train with the same equipment I use in the trial. I
use a fur saver for training tracking with the older dogs. Younger
dogs are tracked with a flat buckle collar.
The tracking line is 10 meters long (or 33 feet). The handler must
always be at the end of the tracking line, and the tracking line must
be kept at a steady tension. In training, of course, it takes you
quite awhile before you are tracking at the end of the line. But in a
trial, you are penalized severely if you do not stay at the end.
Tracking Articles:
Acceptable articles are leather, vinyl, fabric or wood. Be prepared
to come across other materials. When trialing my female as a SchH 2
at the USRC National Schutzhund Championships, one of the articles
was a metal cylander, the size of a lipstick tube. It is also not
uncommon for plastic to be used as an article. The articles must not
stand out from the color of the terrain and may not exceed the size
of a billfold. For a SchH I track, handlers may use their own
articles, usually a leather article and either a wooden or fabric article.
Laying the Track:
The start of the track must be one meter to the right of the starting
peg or flag . For this reason, when teaching tracking, never start
the track immediately beside the starting peg. Make sure the track is
started one meter from the starting peg. The only level of
schutzhund that allows the handler to lay the track is the SchH I
track. In all other levels, the track is laid by a stranger and the
handler is not permitted to see where the track has been laid. I'll
discuss the SchH I track. The handler is allowed to remain on the
starting point for several minutes and is allowed to step lightly.
The track must be laid in a normal walk. Heavy walking is not
permitted. The handler must not change pace when making the corners
or dropping the articles (the judge will blow a whistle when he wants
the handler to make a corner or put down an article. The track is 400
paces (about 1,200 feet) long with two 90 degree corners and two
articles. The first article may be placed on either the first or the
second leg and the second article at the end of the track. The track
is aged for 20 minutes.
Reporting In at the Start of the Track:
The dog and handler report to the judge in basic position (heel
position) for a temperament test with the dog on a loose leash. The
dog is walked through a group of people to ensure that it is stable.
The handler reports in by heeling his dog up to the judge, sitting
the dog in heel position, and stating something like, "Jane and
Echo reporting for SchH III tracking," and the judge inspects
the dog's tattoo. The handler then says something like, "My dog
will indicate the article." The dog is allowed to either
indicate (by sitting, downing, or standing at the article) or to
retrieve the article (formal retrieve with sit in front). Since more
points can be lost for a sloppy retrieve than for a slow indication,
almost all handlers teach their dog to indicate instead of retrieving
the article. If the handler fails to say what the dog will do at the
articles, the judge will ask him. Do not say specifically HOW your
dog will indicate. If you say your dog will down at an article and he
sits, points will be deducted from the score.
Tracking the Track:
The dog is heeled to the starting point and told to track. The
handler does not move position until at the end of the tracking line.
The handler then follows the dog down the track and points are
deducted for any tracking errors made by the dog or by the handler.
When the dog indicates the first article, the handler drops the line
and walks to the dog, picks up the article and holds it up for
the judge to see. The judge acknowledges this and the handler tells
the dog to resume tracking. The same procedure is followed with the
last article, except instead of resuming tracking, the handler and
dog report to the judge. The handler is allowed to praise the dog
after picking up each article.
Reporting Out:
The handler and dog go to the judge and halt with the dog in the
basic position. The handler hands the judge the articles and
says "Jane and Echo finished SchH III tracking" and the dog
is then heeled away.
Points:
The dog needs 70 points to pass tracking. On the SchH I track, the
point structure is as follows:
10 points for the start
26 points for the first leg
17 points for the second leg
10 points for the first article (which is usually placed in the 2nd leg)
27 points for the third leg
10 points for the indicating of the last article
100 points total
Points are deducted for crooked indication of articles change in pace
not tracking with a deep nose handler error (such as failing to
follow a judge's instruction to follow the dog) handler help (such as
trying the guide the dog by tightening the line) failing to indicate
articles overshooting a corner.
The dog fails if it:
1. goes more than one line-length off the track
2. dog fails whether there was a cross track there or not
if wild game appears and the dog goes into
hunting drive
and fails to resume tacking when told to do so
3. quits working
In all judging and scoring, consideration is given to the overall
picture of the dog and handler during the track, and any factors that
might nfluence the outcome of the track, such as weather, difficult
terrain, etc. he dog is not faulted for slight imperfections in the
track when conditions are difficult.
Submitted by:
Jane Mitchelmore
Pictured with CH Schosshund's Boom Bustin Echo, BST,
SchH 2, BH, AD, CD, Ztp at the 2002 USRC Schutzhund National
Championships with ADRK Judge Roland Seibel & track layer Marty Leggett |
