Part 1 of this title discussed the prerequisites of your dog to be an excellent tracking dog, equipment needed, and also a basic overview.

Building Drive
When you have a helper at your tracking course end, you develop the pitbulls’s drive.
We talked also of allowing the dog to see the helper running away.
The dog that started pulling on his leash and fighting to chase, displayed good signs.
The further away the helper moves will only intensify the prey drive your dog has. That is what we are after since that’s what we are planning to use.

Track’s End
All good strategies should be contemplated from the point we hope to achieve and then worked backwards to obtain this goal. Here, we need the dog to find your helper. For this, the dog should desire to track the helper and we need to help him. Once found, you should reward the animal with an energetic game of fetch or tug, or a food treat.

Note: Make the sessions short, exciting and end abruptly leaving the dog panting for more. This too builds his drive. So in your last session make sure you finish on a good key, but don’t give them the toy or treat, leaving him wanting more.

Tracking
On a straight track the pitbull should by now be easily tracking the helper. Now make it a degree more difficult by introducing some corners to the track. This time the helper should run away making two turns and leaving a track and scent in the ground by scuffing the feet.

A common track I use follows: Ten yards forward. Turn ninety degree to your right and go five yards. Turn left and go another five yards straight. Now turn ninety degrees to your left and go five yards more. Lastly turn, run straight for two or three yards and stop.

You should start with a semi tall grass field somewhat damp. This allows me to see the track of he helper and guide the dog in to the corner to pick up the smell.

Try to always be down wind from your helper. This helps the beginner to track the scent cone quicker.

Easy Tracking
Being downwind from the position of the helper and using a damp environment will make these exercises easier for both your dog and you.
When he is comfortable with a two turn track, increase by two more turns. Next add ten to twenty yards to the course. After this go for a straight line course of hundred yards. Increase the difficulty level gradually.

Spotlight
I would like to place the spotlight on Kris Crawford together with her three SAR pitbulls, Cheyenne, Tahoe and Dakota, and say a word of thanks for their great work. Dakota has been specially trained in cadaver and water rescue. The team helped with the search for the bodies of the Columbia astronauts. They have been used by the FBI too.