by Craig Green

Tally-Ho: January/February 1997

The age at which one trains tracking dogs is a subject that comes up from time to time, in several different, but related areas. Many trackers want to know when to start a young dog (How early is too early?). Others want to know whether a dog can be started in tracking at an advanced age. Still others want to know if they should do tracking before or after obedience or field work. While the answers to each of these questions depend on the individual dog and trainer, I would like to offer some general guidelines that may help tracking trainers make these decisions.

In general, dogs can be started tracking at just about anytime during their lives. Tracking does not require a young body such as for obedience jumping and other intense activities, though it does require some stamina. This stamina can be slowly and steadily built up, even with an old dog.

Puppy Caution

Many trackers, especially those with more energetic breeds than Basset Hounds, think tracking young puppies is a great idea. Some go so far as to get TD titles on six-month old puppies (the dog has to be six months old on the date of the test). While I am not opposed to this, I would caution tracking trainers not to push young Basset Hounds too far too fast. We usually don’t start young dogs until at least one year of age, and then we look for signs of adolescence and short attention spans. Often, a young dog (especially unaltered males controlled by their hormones) will start off just fine, and then lose interest or deteriorate rapidly after a while. Unless some gentle corrective techniques work (like backing up to an earlier level and working through it), we have no problem with just stopping tracking for a few months, and then starting the dog again at a later time. I’ve seen far more young hounds overworked than underworked. Some were mine. In short, let the dog grow up before expecting too much.

Our orthopedic surgeon veterinarian, who is the only one I’ve ever known who understands the Basset Hound front, thinks too much activity for young Bassets can be destructive. Before their growth plates close, lots of unrestrained running and jumping in the field can cause permanent damage, since the Basset carries up to 80 percent of his bodyweight on his front. This is another reason why we don’t usually don’t start tracking before the dog is one year old.

Tracking the Old Dog

I have a friend who got a TDX on a 14-year old Siberian Husky, about six months before the dog’s natural death. I’ve known some Bassets who have been tracked during their veteran years, and have usually seen no problems with this. Our first TDX Basset was 8 years old when he got his TDX, the last of six AKC titles. I have generally concluded that tracking can be done at any time in the dog’s life, if the dog is reasonably healthy and is capable of building some stamina (through long walks; not by tracking too often).

You may have to start slower and expect less from an older dog, but tracking is, in general, not a demanding physical exercise in most cases. It just requires a reasonable amount of health, stamina and the concentration and motivation to get through a track. For older dogs that are just beginning in TD (Tracking Dog) level work, I wouldn’t necessarily expect to take them to TDX. TDX, in my opinion, is for only those special, dedicated and outstanding dogs who can overcome many obstacles. In other words, TROOPERS and excellent trackers to begin with.

Other Activities

Whether to start a dog in tracking before or after other activities such as obedience or field trialing is probably more dependent on those activities than on tracking. Because advanced obedience requires jumping (open and utility), younger dogs should be doing this first, if the goal is to do both tracking and obedience. Field trialing is probably more stressful on a dog than tracking, so it may make more sense to do that first as well, if you are going to try tracking later.

Some people have success at doing more than one event at a time with Basset Hounds, especially at beginning levels. However, I would caution you about the dog’s stress levels from training in open or utility obedience simultaneous with advanced (TDX) tracking. We’ve had no problem combining novice obedience and/or conformation with TDX, however. I would strongly recommend you NEVER, NEVER, NEVER work a Basset Hound in both utility and TDX at the same time - at any age.

Except for unusual health problems, there is normally no reason why dogs can’t be tracked into their later years with considerable success. This is especially true for the TD level of tracking. TDX is considerably more difficult, and may be somewhat more frustrating for an old dog, although many of them do very well at it.

Summing up, I suggest that Basset Hound owners not be in such a hurry to train their young puppies in tracking, but in general, tracking is a sport that can be enjoyed at any age.