Training for VST

Training for the VST does not have to be as difficult as many tracking enthusiast find it to be. Many trackers and their dogs find it very frustrating to enter the VST world after spending years out in the field obtaining their TD and TDX. Their dog usually has much difficulty making this transition. Scent in the urban environment has it’s own set of challenges that the dog does not find in the field. Pavement and asphalt can be challenging surfaces for scent if a dog has only been working vegetative surfaces.

Training a dog right from the very beginning of it’s tracking career in VST will give both of you a huge advantage later in their tracking career. In your early training years, work VST surfaces every other time you train.

To train for VST’s hard surfaces with either a green or seasoned field tracker, introduce scent just as you would on vegetative surfaces. Find a very large parking lot where there is no grass or medians around. Start by doing serpentines with no age to them. Then increase the aging intervals based on the dog’s success. You can mark your path either by using chalk or laying cloths pins down. Laying several articles down on the path can make this work fun for the dog. As with vegetative surfaces, gradually decrease the "angles" of the serpentine curves until they are 90 degree turns. In no time, you will find your dog tracking pavement as confidently as they would vegetative surfaces.

Yes, tracking on hard surfaces can be challenging, but using the same beginning tracking principles that you use for vegetative surfaces can make your dog successful in the urban environment. Ultimately making that "moment of truth" turn a piece of cake!