Man trailing with HoneyCreek Tibetan Terriers
After building a foundation in scent work and participating in canine citizen science projects, HoneyCreek Tibetan Terriers are taking on another challenge: man trailing.
Man trailing is a scent-based activity derived from search-and-rescue training. A dog is presented with a scent article belonging to a specific “lost person” and must follow that individual’s unique scent trail, determining the direction of travel, working through turns and changes in terrain, and ultimately identifying the correct person.
Why Tibetan Terriers?
Tibetan Terriers are not a breed commonly associated with man trailing, but they bring many qualities that can be valuable in scent work:
- Strong environmental awareness
- Independent problem-solving
- Natural curiosity and persistence
- Stamina for sustained work
- The ability to work odor methodically rather than simply rushing forward
- A close working relationship with their handler while still making independent decisions
Today, four HoneyCreek Tibetan Terriers are learning man trailing, and their progress continues to reinforce something we have seen in other scent-related work: the scenting abilities of the Tibetan Terrier may be far greater than most people realize.
Sigurd on the Trail
Sigurd has progressed particularly well, working consistently at a level comparable to published Level I mantrailing requirements while beginning to incorporate more advanced elements.
During one training trail in Mendocino, Sigurd began on gravel, examined the available scent information, and made a clear independent decision about the direction in which the trail continued.
That ability to assess the environment and solve the scent problem is an important part of man trailing. The dog is not simply following the handler—the dog must determine where the person went.
How Man trailing Works
Dogs typically work in a properly fitted harness on a 5–10 meter (16–33 foot) long line, giving them room to make decisions and follow scent independently while remaining safely connected to the handler.
At the beginning of a trail, the dog is given a scent article belonging to the person being sought. From there, the dog must:
- Identify and remember that individual scent
- Determine the direction the person traveled
- Follow the scent through changing surfaces and terrain
- Work through turns and areas where scent may move or disperse
- Ignore unrelated human scent
- Locate and identify the correct person at the end
For HoneyCreek, man trailing is another opportunity to explore the intelligence, independence, scenting ability, and versatility of the Tibetan Terrier.
What began as something new to try has quickly become another fascinating way to see what these dogs can do.
Training Progression
- Foundation work
- Beginner trails
- Urban trails
- Aging trails
- Complex trails
