Man Trailing and Tracking
When a specific individual scent can be provided then a dog will look to identify that scent and follow it. Dogs have demonstrated their ability to follow individual scent through busy urban centres with a high footfall.
What is it? Tracking and Trailing are terms that are often used together but are marginally different in practice. Both are designed to follow the scent of a specific target individual. It relies on a dog’s ability to follow human scent particles left on a path. In some cases, dogs have been shown to successfully follow tracks left by people after large periods of time and even in urban areas.
When is it used?
When a specific individual scent can be provided then a dog will look to identify that scent and follow it. Dogs have demonstrated their ability to follow an individual’s scent through busy urban centres with a high footfall. This form of searching can used from the last known location of the missing individual in order to establish the direction of travel and to try and ultimately locate them. This is an effective method of searching, particularity for certain groups of vulnerable individuals.
Dogs are assessed on their ability to correctly follow scents through a range of environments and conditions.
The main difference between tracking and trailing is that in tracking a dog is following any disturbance left on the ground by an individual, whilst trailing is following the scent of the individual, wherever it may be.