The definition of Mantrailing is searching for a missing person for FUN 🙂
Mantrailing is when a dog uses its fantastic scenting ability to find a person. We all as we move about shed a scent which is made up from (this bit sounds horrible) minute particles that fall from our body as we move. It can be skin cells, sweat, hormones and bacteria and with each persons scent being unique to them a dog with their fabulous nose can follow that scent to find one person even among many other scents, be it human, animal, vegetable or mineral.
The difference between Mantrailing and Tracking is that in Mantrailing the dog can air scent and follow the scent even if the scent plume has been blown off course they will find the person. With Tracking the dog is putting its nose on the ground and following in the footsteps of the person that has laid the track.
As with training for any discipline you start off with teaching the basics and getting a strong foundation and then you can build on that foundation bringing in Duration, Distance and Distractions.
All the Mantrailing is done with your dog on a harness and longline, which the dog has to learn that you are following so when they want to over terrain you cant they need to find away round so you can follow! To start with you need to have a piece of clothing such as a T shirt that the person you are going to ask your dog to find has worn recently and obviously not been washed. The person they are going to find has a pot of yummy food, at first they make a fuss of your dog (if they like being fussed of course) show them the tasty treats or best ever toy they have and they run away calling the dog and hide behind a tree or a wall. Keep it simple at first We want the dog to be successful. You put the piece of clothing on the floor, the handler points to the clothing giving a command such as “find” or “seek” and now the hard bit for us, to let your dog do its thing!!! WAIT sometimes they will do what is called casting which is where they go round in a circle you will learn by their body language when they pick up the scent and off they go. If they stop keep quiet let them try and get back onto the scent themselves, If they get really stuck you can point them in the right direction using again your word! If they get really really stuck give them a sniff of the T shirt again and re – command. When they do find their person they get lots of praise the food pot or a play with the toy, whatever is their best thing to do. You cut the trails in to 3 first a very short one, then a longer one, then the 3rd and final one again is short making sure your dog is being successful at finding the person.
To find an instructor close to you or more in general about Mantrailing go onto www.mantrailinguk.com
If you have trained your dog in other disciplines its is really hard not to keep on “helping” them and many are waiting for you to tell them what to do!! But remember scent is the only sense they are born with and the most natural one for them to use that’s why when they get older they can cope if they should become deaf or blind.
Hovawarts really do have exceptional scenting ability and they do excel at Mantrailing. One of the funniest moments was with my Hovawart Rioja he was working really well and going at a good walking pace on his way to find his person, when we came up against a hedge with a ditch full of water of course. Now he went to jump across said ditch where there was a small size hole in the hedge, with me on the end of the longline I think not. When I asked him to wait and find another way round the look on his face was fabulous if he had been a teenager he would of been a real “Kevin” rolling his eyes and stomping off to find a way round which he did of course, if there had been a door he could of slammed he would of done that as well. The only thing to worry about is that it can become addictive and you can also find yourself getting funny looks from people out on a walk if you are the “misper” or missing person that is lurking in a hedge or behind a wall hiding waiting for a dog to find you.
Have fun and give it a go.
Paula Foakes