Page 64 - JRT Magazine - 2023 Issue 2

Performance
When I was tracking with my first Jack
Russell, there was no mention of a dog
following human scent when tracking
(human scent was supposedly only
applicable when a dog was trained
for mantrailing). For tracking, the dog
is following the ground/environmental
disturbances. But I recently did a little
‘test’ with my experienced mantrailing
class and gave them a “scent article” of
scuffed grass similar to a competition
start in tracking. The mantrailing dogs
took the scent and followed the trail to
its conclusion without any difficulties,
which proved to me that the tracking
dog must be picking up human scent
in the ground disturbances. Humans
are constantly shedding skin particles,
which we leave behind when we move.
Tracking dogs must be detecting those
particles as disturbance.
If you want to try tracking with your
dog, here is a quick guide to introduce
your dog to tracking.
64 | A Worldwide Magazine for the Jack Russell Terrier / Russell Terrier • Issue 2/2023
You will need the following:
• Pole
• Food in a pot – and a smaller pot for the reward
to go in
• Toy that your dog loves
• Harness
• Long line (3 meters is fine to begin with)
• Helper (will make things much easier when
learning)
• A tie out stake, if there’s nowhere suitable on
the fence line in your chosen field, and
• A large field or open grassland with grass a
minimum of 3” long (ask permission of the
landowner if it is private property)
A harness is preferred over a collar for both
for tracking and mantrailing to prevent injury
to the trachea (windpipe) when a dog on
a scent is excited to follow it and is pulling
over an extended period.
Take all your items, dog, and helper to your
training location.
Be very careful not to walk on the field (keep
to the edges) because you don’t want to
contaminate it. Ideally, you want any wind
blowing across the field, or away from you,
rather than towards you. This will help to
encourage your dog to get, and keep, his nose
down. If the wind is blowing across the field
from right to left start laying your tracks towards
the left-hand side of the field. This is so that the
wind doesn’t blow any human scent across the
whole field and completely contaminate it.