Tracking dogs follow where a person walked more precisely than trailing dogs. They follow the victim's path footstep for footstep, even if wind is present because they use different scent clues. They do best on relatively short and recent tracks (generally up to a mile in length and less than 24 hours old). Also, being scent discriminating dogs, they require a scent article and need to know where the person was last seen, just as trailing dogs do. Although most tracking dogs are trained to work on a lead with a tracking harness, our dogs are also taught to work off-lead under their handler's direction with both voice command and hand signals. A tracking dog can dramatically cut down the length of time needed to locate a missing person, which is imperative if the victim is seriously injured or exposure is a factor.  

    Many breeds can be used for tracking. Our tracking dogs are at this time exclusively Rottweilers. Their natural intelligence and willingness to work make them an ideal candidate for search and rescue work. As with all the dogs in Rensselaer County Search and Rescue, these dogs are very people friendly and sociable. This is a characteristic required of all dogs in search and rescue. They live with, and are trained by, their owners/handlers and their families. R.C.S.A.R. has had very good success with our tracking dogs.

    An example of a successful search that one of our tracking dogs accomplished was on a 8/10 mile long trail that was 8 to 16 hours old. The dog took less than 20 minutes to locate the elderly victim who was down in a marsh in the rain in the early spring. Search conditions such as these are where a tracking dog can make a big difference in the outcome of a victim.