T R A C K I N G

Early in the morning, a mist begins to rise as a man and his dog enter a grassy field. The dog is wearing a harness. He is already pulling hard, straining to begin his task.

One hour earlier, just as the sun was beginning to rise, a stranger walked into this five-acre field. A cotton glove was dropped in this field and it is the task of the dog to find that glove. He will use his nose to trace the footsteps of the stranger until he finds the glove some 500 yards away. The only clue is a flag placed in the ground where the stranger entered the field. A second flag placed 30 yards away indicates the direction of the stranger's walk.

The handler walks up to the start flag and softly encourages his dog to “Find it”. The dog can’t wait. He already has his nose to the ground and you can hear his quick, staccato breaths as he searches for the scent of the stranger.

As the dog moves toward the second flag, the handler remains still at first, allowing the dog to pull 20 feet of line out of his hands. Finally, the handler steps forward behind his dog. The track has begun . . .

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