We begin with Here and Heel, establishing the communication and handling skills needed to work together in the field.

​

From there, we introduce scent discrimination, teaching your dog to distinguish between game scents such as rabbit, quail, and squirrel before progressing to deer. Deer tracking incorporates interdigital gland scent, helping your dog learn to recognize and follow the target scent.

​

Your dog learns to use both ground scent and air scent, developing the ability to follow scent along a trail and locate scent carried through the air.

​

On-lead tracking builds the foundation as your dog learns to follow a trail, work through turns, and stay focused around competing scents. We develop these skills across open fields and thick woods, introducing low-light conditions and varying weather, including after rain, morning dew, and high humidity.

​

Before progressing to off-lead work, we introduce e-collar conditioning for recall, reinforcing an established recall and maintaining communication as your dog gains independence. Progression depends on your dog’s tracking ability, focus, and recall reliability.