Attitude, Speed and Nose Position

It is important that the dog does not look stressed, fearful, or anxious while tracking – this is considered faulty.

Judges look for intensity in the dog. That can be defined as a super focus and a strong desire to find the path and the articles.

If the dog tracks fast, it is not faulty. Whatever the speed is, the dog is judged by its consistency. We prefer to teach the dog to track slowly, so he will not miss corners or articles.

Speech can change if terrain changes. The judge should know about it and there should be no points deducted. For instance, if you have a puddle in your path or a dry patch of dirt. Most dogs would slow down while searching. That should not be faulty, as long as the dog returns to previous speed if the terrain returns to the previous condition.

The dog is also judged by a deep nose. This means the nose is as close to the ground as possible. IGP tracking is step tracking not air scenting. The dog should not be faulted for sneezing as long as he returns his nose back deeply into the track.