Track and Search dog trials: tests, urban work and titles

Key facts

Test 1

Approx. 800m; minimum 25% non-vegetated; age 1–2h; known person

Test 2

Approx. 800m; minimum 25% non-vegetated; age 1–2h

Test 3

Approx. 800m; minimum 25% non-vegetated; age 2–4h

Test 4

Approx. 1,000m; minimum 50% non-vegetated; age 2–4h

Tests 5 / 6

Approx. 800m; minimum 80% non-vegetated; age 2–4h; day / evening-night

Tests 7 / 8

Approx. 1,000m; minimum 80% non-vegetated; age 3–4h; day / evening-night

Tests 9 / 10

Approx. 1,200m; minimum 80% non-vegetated; age 4–5h; day / evening-night

What makes Track and Search different?

The national introduction describes a scent-work challenge across varied surfaces and distractions, with evening/night work in later stages. Unlike the separate Tracking pathway, this programme is not confined to the same style of field track. The handler needs to manage the working line and the surroundings while allowing the dog to follow the scent task.

Start by asking a club to explain a suitable training route. A pavement section, park or building in a video does not establish the numbered test being performed. Preserve the formal activity name and identify the exercise before comparing it with a rural tracking session or a different scent sport.

Read the test summary in context

The figures above summarise approximate lengths, minimum non-vegetated proportions and track ages. Age refers to elapsed time before working the trail, rather than a target time for the dog to finish. Read the full test description for the added diversions, start and finish requirements.

Use the summary to identify the stage under discussion, then record the actual conditions of your training or event. Similar distance does not mean an identical task. Keep notes about changes of surface, interruptions, line handling and the dog’s response separate so an instructor can discuss the particular part that needs attention.

Later tests and the vehicle component

The Grand Champion tests include a vehicle segment for the tracklayer, not a ride for the dog.

For any advanced exercise, ask the instructor to explain its purpose and management before trying to reproduce it. Keep the laid task, the dog’s observed work and the official assessment in separate notes. A short sequence showing a vehicle or a search around a parked car cannot establish the complete test conditions.

Titles and the order of progression

Tests 1–3 lead to TSD, 4–6 to TSDX, 7–8 to TS Ch and 9–10 to TS Grand Ch. They are sequential. Each title requires qualification under at least two judges, and the lower-title application must be lodged before competing towards a higher title.

Keep a progression sheet with the date, event, test number, judge, result and application status. Store the original certificate or result with the registered dog identity. Before a new nomination, check that record against the offered tests and any member-body instructions rather than inferring eligibility from a title abbreviation alone.

Beginning without a Tracking Champion title

Dogs Australia’s introduction explicitly says a Tracking Champion title is not a prerequisite and gives a six-month minimum age. That is an eligibility starting point, not a claim that any six-month-old dog is ready for urban work. Confirm registration, membership and the dog’s preparation with the club before entering.

Ask what foundation training is offered and which venue conditions the team will encounter. Discuss control around people, dogs, traffic and changing surfaces with a suitable instructor. For records, keep prior tracking experience as useful background without displaying it as a Track and Search pass or substituting it for a required test.

Equipment and event preparation

Confirm the current harness, lead, visibility and night-equipment conditions with the organiser. Use the dedicated Track and Search requirements rather than assuming equipment from the separate Tracking activity is interchangeable.

Prepare the entry confirmation, registration and pass records, then check the venue, arrival instructions and waiting arrangements. Ask where spectators may go and how any route information should be handled while tests remain in progress. Keep other dogs and unnecessary foot traffic clear of the working area and follow officials’ directions if the surroundings change.

Current rules and accurate achievement records

The rules index identifies the January 2024 framework with June amendments effective from 1 July 2024. Its later tests extend beyond the introductory page’s older track-age summary. Use the numbered provisions when checking an entry or writing a detailed test description.

Retain the test, judge, official result and title confirmation as different fields. Use the tracking guide to compare the other sporting pathway and the results guide to preserve original evidence. A Track and Search sport title records work within that assessment; operational search organisations have separate role, training and accreditation requirements.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

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