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GETTING CERTIFIED FOR
TRACKING You’ve done
your training and now you would like to get your dog into a tracking test.
Unlike other venues, you can not just enter with your dog.
Tracking requires that your dog be “certified” before you can enter a
test. How do I do
that you ask? What will I have to do
to prove that my dog can track? The American
Kennel Club requires that a tracking judge view your dog’s work in tracking
prior to you entering with your dog. The
“certification” track will be just like a track you would see in a regular
tracking test. The length will be
440-500 yards, with three to five turns. You
must certify your dog with a tracking judge, so this will require you to contact
a judge and make arrangements for the certification. How do I find a
judge to certify my dog? Go to http://www.akc.org/judges_directory/
and scroll down to Search
for Agility, Obedience, Tracking or Rally Judges
then select your
state and search for tracking judges in your area.
With the exception of a very few states, there are tracking judges in
each area of the country. You will
then want to call them to make the arrangements.
Tracking judges are very accustomed to receiving requests to certify
dogs. What they will expect before
you call is that your dog and you are ready to complete a full length track
competently. That means that you and
your dog should be able to successfully do blind tracks with several different
people laying your tracks. What is a
blind track? That is a track that
someone else has laid for you and your dog, which you have not seen being laid.
Tracking judges have different requirements for compensation for
certifying your dog. Many do not
charge any fee, some do charge for their time.
One judge that certified my dog asked for a 6 pack of Killian Red beer.
Just like all individuals, they are all different in their thoughts on
this. If no compensation is asked
for, you should at least get a thank you card, and a small gift certificate for
the judge as a token of appreciation for their time spent.
This should be given to them whether you pass your certification or not.
I hear winter is ending soon, so let’s Get
Tracking! |
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