Working Trials tracking vs Schutzhund tracking

What are the main differences between the two please.

Theres more in Working Trials if you have the time as far as I'm aware but I'm no expert on either. If you go on the kennel club website you can find out all the different levels and whats expected of them at each class, in working trials. Sch has obedience, man-work and tracking but thats it (I think)
Heres the page that has all the WT links.
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/workingtrials
This site/page has a comparison of the two and a little info.
http://www.aritaur.co.uk/working.htm

Hopefully someone else will reply with a bit experience

the tracking phase in Schutzhund is done on grass or dirt, dependent on which level will depend on age, length of track, as there are 3 levels of Schutzhund plus the FH and FH2, is focus is on the footsteps, no air bourne scenting, scoring is done on prescision.

Not sure about WT

WT you follow someone elses scent Schutzhund is a known pattern and you yourself lay at the first level. Not sure about the other levels but WT seems more difficult as the pattern can be anything the judge dreams up within the parameters and the ground is whatever field you happen to end up with.

rune

Posting from a WT perspective, if you approach the start post, the track can come back towards you at an angle, and the angles can be quite oblique. The manner in which they are laid are discretionary, some scuff quite heavily, others walk more naturally.

I know working trials people with dogs that can track over concrete, amongst distractions.

Will be interesting to see what the Schutzhund version is like in comparison.

Thanks for the replies so far. I have been training my dog to track with the help of a trainer who competes in WT. I am not that interested in competing myself, but am just looking to enhance my relationship with my dog and get him to use his brain. He loves tracking, well we both really enjoy it.

However, after a difference of opinion, myself and that trainer have parted ways. I have now been in contact with a lady who competes in Schutzhund, and therefore trains tracking for that particular sport. I have heard that Schutzhund tracking is more laborious in that the dog has to track every single footstep - whereas, working trials seems to me to be more along the lines of real life situation tracking and is more natural.

As I have enjoyed the WT style tracking, I am wondering whether myself and my dog will take to Schutzhund tracking in the same way - or whether it will confuse him, now he has been trained a more, for want of a better word, natural way?

As I have said previously, I know there are more sections to both WT comp and Schutzhund comp, but I am really only training for fun and not to compete, so am concentrating on just tracking at the moment.

This sounds more in line with the Czech qualifications where even the protection phase is done in real life situations not just the tracking.

Do you hunt on your land Kirsty, if so what about teaching him to air scent for flushing game.

Yes it is a working shooting estate Pam. Yogi actually scents and flushes game naturally. However, when I once asked a keeper if I could bring my dog out beating, he asked what breed it was. As soon as I said GSD, he just laughed and said "I don't think so"! Breedist or what?!

How do you teach tracking ?

One of mine (Ella) loves hunting for her kong ball, if I throw it into some bushes/long grass, she'll run a huge fig of 8 untill she picks up on a scent then homes in on it. But I can't direct the search -she might be upwind of it running her fig of 8 so might not pick up the scent for a while.

I realise that's not following a trail, but if I put her in a stay and drag the ball out, she pretty much just runs to where she's seen me go. Any tips on laying a trail?