Tracker or Trailer and the Police Canine

The ability of the trained canine to follow a trail of scent left by the fleeing felon or possibly the lost child is generally readily accepted. How the canine is capable of performing this feat, what are his limitations, what is he following and how to best train, has received increasing interest in recent years? These questions and many others are the result of the expanding utilization of canine olfactory abilities.

Modern science and technology has greatly assisted in explaining and understanding the long predictable canine response to varying scent exercises. Following is a list of easy to read publications which will be of great assistance to the new working and seasoned canine handler.

• Scent and the Scenting Dog – William Syrotuck
• Scent, Training to Track – Milo Pearsall and Dr. Hugo Verbruggen
• Tracking Dogs, Theory and Method Glen Johnson

For the handler interested in bettering his own track reading:

• Tracking; a Blueprint for Learning How – Jack Kearney

Training canines is accomplished by one or the combination of basic approaches:

• Compulsive Training – Utilizing physical force, pain or its very threat, to accomplish ones goals. It is frequently stated that a dog cannot be reliably track trained utilizing this approach, a fact disputed by some of the successful European trainers. They do however, explain the force method is for the HARD DOG and not advisable for all canines.
• Inductive Training – Utilizing positive reinforcement and motivation to stimulate the dog's senses and interest through play, praise, food etc., and in most cases is the approach utilized in track training.

For the police canine, the controversy exists concerning the best method for developing the tracker, trailer or air scenter. What type of dog is needed?

TRACKER

Works very close to the subject's footsteps concentrating on the largest component, the odor of the crushed vegetation and its soil bacterial action.

TRAILER

Oriented to the human scent of the ground picture, he may work some distance from the actual footsteps following the human scent rafts.

AIR SCENTER

Identifying the human element by the airborne scent rafts carried great distances by the air currents Police canines are generally familiar with air scenting, the result of their early training in field search and article search. The result of this early training often conditions the dog to change from being a tracker to trailing when directed to following a human scent trail.

To the devoted tracking enthusiast, trailing may be totally unacceptable, but for the officer faced with making the find or apprehension, the successful completion is the main concern.

While conducting scenting exercises, it can be noted that the well trained canine will utilize all aspects of his training to achieve success. This may include trailing while conducting the building search, tracking, trailing and air scenting all while following a scent trail.

With the dog that has completed extensive article and field search training, introduction to tracking is accomplished by laying all early tracks down wind. This confines the scent of the tracklayer to a narrow corridor and forces the dog's head down to identify the trail scent. Only after repeated down wind tracks, extended in distance and time delayed, is the dog then exposed to cross wind trails. The immediate response is to observe the airborne oriented dog alter his tracking posture and slip into an obvious trailing approach.

Entire books are written and devoted to tracking and trailing and so I will confine myself to some obvious areas of consideration.

1. Before any scenting exercise is commenced, the handler should first satisfy basic animal needs, allow the dog to relieve himself and supply him with water so he can totally concentrate on his work.
2. MOST important is to identify the wind direction and velocity to better understand and anticipate the dog's response to the scent trail.
3. Command: Does your track command conflict with other search commands? FIND HIM used for building search, field search, article search and tracking - different scenting exercises all under one command, but requiring different performances.
4. Tracking Equipment – When tracking on a choke chain, the dog could interpret the tightening collar as a correction. A leather collar if used during aggression work could be a distracting stimulus when used for tracking. When utilizing the short 6 ft. leash, it may be too restrictive and confining, preventing the dog from easy search for the lost trail scent.
5. Scent pads – Utilized at the beginning of the track to introduce the scent of the trail to the dog/ Frequently, excessive ground disturbance is created, thereby presenting a distorted scent picture, going from a heavily scented area to the single step trail.
6. Most important in training is to introduce the dog to entering the track from the side. Directed forward to the trail, he must identify the trail and follow same in its proper direction.
7. Ask the dog to search between two given points – identify the trail and then proceed in the proper direction.
8. MOTIVATION – A key factor in developing an enthusiastic and proficient tracker.
9. Aggression as a motivator can result in the dog doing a sight search for the concealed subject.
10. Design your tracks to strengthen weak points, down wind turns, cross tracks, cut back etc.
11. If possible, have radio communication with the tracklayer assisting the handler in reading the dog's response to various track conditions.
12. Rely on the dog's indications as opposed to listening to those who wish to direct your search.
13. And finally – PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE.

Tracker Trailer

Most canines when presented with a particular challenge will utilize its previous training and experience to successfully accomplish its goal.

The tracker or trailer may alternate from their normal posture and attitude, influenced by the wind direction, velocity and environmental conditions.

It is IMPORTANT for the handler to recognize wind conditions to assist him in anticipating and understanding his canines' response.

The initial tracks layed down wind result in the sent being confined to a narrow corridor there by seeking scent blow off.

The down wind approach also requires the canine to assume a track posture (head down) since a raised head will not help identify the trail scent.

If food drops become necessary to aid in attracting the canine to the scent trail, the down wind track will prevent any raised canine head identifying the up wind food odor.

With little knowledge of the wanted subjects' direction of flight the canine handler must rely upon his canine to locate the track left by the wanted subject and the direction of flight.

During training, once the canine demonstrates a good tracking/trailing posture and attitude the starting scent pad should used sparingly. Requiring the canine to identify the track and direction is initially presented with the canine approaching the track from a down wind side.

The handler places the harness on the dog about 8 ft. down wind from the track and in most cases will observe the dog quickly recognizing the scent from the up wind trail. When commanded the canine will quickly step forward to the track, generally circling over the trail and frequently basic tracking for approximately 20 ft. before turning and moving quickly up the trail.

It is MOST IMPORTANT the handler refrain from influencing the dog and remain motionless until the canine commits the full 30 ft. of tracking lead.

After several down wind starts; the approaches should come from the up wind side, requiring the canine to further search fro the scent trail.