On Track Agility Club of Maine (OTAC) is putting on a new tracking event in Maine. This is not an AKC event; it is a club event to encourage people and their dogs to try tracking.
The events are Preliminary Tracking Dog Test (PTD) and Preliminary Tracking Dog Urban Test (PTDU). Passing teams will earn a club rosette.
Preliminary Tracking Dog (PTD)
The following rules apply:
1. The track must be 250-300 yards in length.
2. The length of each of the legs of the track must be at least 50 yds. The first turn must be at least 30 yards from the 2nd flag.
3. The scent on the track must be not less than 20 minutes or more than one hour old.
4. At least 2 to 3 turns must be used. Both left and right 90-degree angle turns must be used. No acute angle turns are to be used. The first turn must be at least 30 yards from the second flag.
5. At least 2 of the turns must be 90 degrees.
6. At least 1 of the 90-degree turns will be well out in the open, where there are no fences or boundaries to guide the dog.
7. No part of the track will follow any fence or boundary within 15 yards of such fence or boundary.
8. No part of the track may be within 50 yards of any other part of the same track.
9. Consecutive parallel tracks may not be used.
10. No part of any track may be laid within 50 yards of another track.
11. A track will not cross a body of water or a paved road. Tracks may be plotted that cross sidewalks and bike and jogging paths. These paths should not be more than approximately 6 feet in width. No PTD track should have changes of cover that would be suitable for a TDX obstacle. No conflicting cross tracks will be used.
12. Tracks will be plotted to allow passage from one field to another through an opening in a hedgerow. The cover in said opening should be about the same as the surrounding area with no heavy undercover, brush, or logs. There will not be a turn less than 30 yards before or after passing through the hedgerow opening.
Start
There will be a start and 30-yard flag. One restart between flags may be requested.
Articles
There will be a start article, an intermediate article approximately 1/2 way, and an end article. All articles will be cloth or leather. The final article will be a glove.
Preliminary Tracking Dog Urban (PTDU)
The PTDU basically has the same requirements of distance and turns as the PTD but will be plotted in an urban area such as a school or business park where there are buildings, sidewalks, roads, and parking lots. 10% to 30% of the total distance of the track will be on a non-vegetated area. There will be NO turns on a non-vegetated area, so non-vegetated areas will be crossed to return to a vegetated surface.
This year, On Track Agility Club of Maine will be offering the PTD and PTDU tests in Augusta, Maine on June 21, 2025. Interested? Call Kathy at 207-691-2332 or e-mail kduhnoski@myfairpoint.net.
Carolyn Fuhrer has earned over 200 AKC titles with her Golden Retrievers, including 4 Champion Tracker titles. Carolyn is the owner of North Star Dog Training School in Somerville, Maine. She is also an AKC Tracking Judge. She has been teaching people to understand their dogs for over 30 years.