Tracking
Tracking uses the dog's natural abilities to follow a scent through broken ground. IPO tracking requires a good work ethic from the dog as well as a good nose. Rather than air scenting, the dog is required to follow footsteps along a trail with a deep nose and along the way find 'articles' which have been 'dropped' by the track layer - a person unknown to the dog.
In competition, a novice track will be laid by the handler and comprise two corners and two articles, aged for a period of 20 minutes. An IPO2 track will be laid by a track layer and aged slightly longer at 30 minutes. These two tracks are between 300 to 400 paces. An IPO3 track comprises a minimum of 600 paces with five legs and four corners and has 3 articles. It must be aged a minimum of 60 minutes.
In competition, a novice track will be laid by the handler and comprise two corners and two articles, aged for a period of 20 minutes. An IPO2 track will be laid by a track layer and aged slightly longer at 30 minutes. These two tracks are between 300 to 400 paces. An IPO3 track comprises a minimum of 600 paces with five legs and four corners and has 3 articles. It must be aged a minimum of 60 minutes.