Curious about tracking, search, and rescue

[romeosmom]

Romeo loves to play and hide and seek with my kids. He finds them behind trees, cars, the house , etc... The kids say come find me...and he does. He would probably be good at searching. I think he would make a good therapy dog too- he has a great personality. He knows basic commands.

[Castlemaid]

Are you just looking on information on how to get started? Check with dog clubs and obedience instructors to see if you can get some contacts for tracking classes. My obedience instructor here does Schutzhund, and also gives beginner and advanced tracking classes aimed towards people who want to try CKC (also AKC) style tracking or who just want to learn for fun.

You can join a Schutzhund club and learn tracking through them. You can try for Schutzhund tracking titles and Obedience titles, you don't have to go for the whole SchH titles that include the bite-work, if that isn't your cup of tea.

I am not involved in Search and Rescue, but it is a very different style of tracking than sport tracking for titles. So from the beginning, it helps to have an idea as to what your goals are so that your dog is given his foundation in the correct techniques. Search and rescue is not so much an activity, as it is a life-style that requires great commitment. It takes years to train a dog, and you have to be ready and willing to leave at a momment's notice to participate in searches that may last for days. People in the Search and Rescue section could give you more information as to what is involved.