Tracking is, like the "blind search" more of an obedience exercise than a search. The dog uses his senses to complete the exercise, but he has to do it in a prescribed manner. If you watch your dog searching for a dropped ball, you will see that he might lift his head to scent the wind, and begin circling, only when he is closer and the scent is stronger will he drop his head down. Many dogs are naturally inclined to air scent, others you will realize naturally explore their surroundings with their noses very close to the ground from a young stage. For Ipo, the dog is expected to follow a footstep trail with a "deep" nose work (nose stays close to the ground) and to indicate articles along the track.
You can start tracking with agerman shepherd puppy as soon as 8 weeks old, patience and consistency will pay with very good results down the line.
