Some points to consider --

1) SAR is not a dogsport / based on what you said, I think you are more looking for something to do with your dog than something you are driven to do with or without a dog. There are plenty more dogs suitable for SAR than people to work them.

2) Many SAR teams will not allow a schutzhund trained dog let alone a PPD dog.

3) Glad you are having fun. I would not consider 100 yards at 6 months to be an indication of drive or scenting ability.

4) Different people mean different things when they say tracking trailing and air scent. I am trying to figure out how to get into semantics (and am on a long learning curve myself!) as TTD is different than schutzhund tracking and both are different than trailing. but it is NOT that the SAR dog is airscenting on the track and that is what makes it different. They will airscent in a scent pool or scent cone but the trailing dog is going in and out of scent while the tracking dog is more true to the path taken. (I think i have that right depends on who you talk to) Anyway there is no harm in doing schutzhund style tracking with a SAR dog as long as it knows what game it is playing when you are doing it. I would say most SAR dogs regardless of how trained do what comes naturally and go with the strongest source of scent. They are hardwired for this knowing how to use their nose and different breeds are more inclined to scanning for a different scent picture.



5) Now I just totally blew an explanation and would welcome a better one. I know some folks (like Ed and RCMP) are proponents big time of TTD and others (like in my area and bloodhounds) are all about trailing. I have been doing offlead trailing since that is what the people I train with know and I know these people are, in fact, locating missing people with their dogs.

BTW most SAR dogs dont chase criminals and certainly don't get a bite at the end (unless it is a tug toy)

Most disaster folks have to be able to leave for lenghty deployments and they can speak to their training requirements but they are not doing tracking/trailing.

Most SAR folks are local wilderness SAR and you are talking about campers, hunters, kids, mentally challenged folks, and grandpa with altzheimers.

THE MORE I LEARN THE DUMBER I GET

It was easy when tracking was ONLY the ground scent of disturbed vegetation and trailing was following a scent trail left by a person <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I would love to see a cohernet discussion of the differences between TTD and Trailing

I do both SAR and Schutzhund with my dog. Both take a lot of commitment to training. My mistake was teaching the airscent first. It was a pain at first to keep his head down for FST but different collars, different commands make the difference. Schutzhund tracking is just an obedience exercise IMHO.
I wouldn't even think about personel protection and SAR. Tatally different requirements.

There isn't a difference between TTD and trailing.

I'd stay away from the SAR if I were you.

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There isn't a difference between TTD and trailing.

I went back and slept on it and figured out where I was going because I had some confusion about terminilogy. Now that it is hot and muggy I am doing more reading and THAT is dangerous <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I think there is just a different focus on LE trailing and SAR trailing. The LE is more often training for a hotter (fresher) trail under all conditions, as is appropriate for the first person to respond to a crime or lost person. And they are doing more urban trailing

The SAR handler is not often called out until 12-36 hours and trailing by that point is more fragmented and over very contaminated ground. If LE had already found a trail, they would have run it but the SAR handler is more often working under different conditions unless they have established such a relationship with LE to be called first.

Any way there are some good articles on TTD on this site and a lot of discussions in this section of the board, but since the orginal question was what to do and not types of trailing................sorry for putting a thought process on the board.

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My mistake was teaching the airscent first.

Very good point Bob! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I wanted to do Raven's TD and TDX before SAR so I made sure we didn't do ANY air scent training until we accomplished those!

I strongly agree with Nancy that SAR is NOT a dog sport! It really is a committment to community. It takes SO MUCH training both for the handler to be competent at SAR and the dog to be out there for more than just a run with his handler.

Some points about SAR training for the human.... first aid, my personal favourite... NOT!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> rope techniques, map and compass, purposefull wandering <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> carrying a litter/stretcher (a heavy one!!) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> team work, emergency shelter building, survival skills, radio operator training, aircraft safety techniques, and SO MUCH MORE challenging (and interesting and even fun) stuff! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Then you get to train your dog on your own time, and dime then find someone to certify you, do it each year, swallow the politics and hopefully work your dog and bask in the glory of saving a life! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Oops, sound a bit like a fairy tail (tale?) at the ending! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Whatever you decide, good luck and have fun! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Nancy.

I certainly know that SAR isn't sport tracking. In an ideal world, I'd love to do SAR to do a service for the community. I'm just not sure that my schedule will allow it. I always have time to train my dogs, but I won't necessarily have time to find Grandpa who's lost in the woods, unless he checks my schedule before getting lost. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Also, I wasn't basing my statements on his ability on the 100 yard track. I know that's a short one. (Though, running at full speed and doing the 100 yards in 30 seconds flat makes it seem long to someone who can't run. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> There is a woman who does SAR in my area that evaluated him while we were at my trainer's facility. I've also run into a few guys with a lot of Schutzhund experience who were impressed when they saw him.