Scent Work/Tracking

Ive just got a rescue patterdale, and would like to have a go at Scentwork/Tracking. Just wondered if there was any training in the Lancashire area. Or any books/advice/websites to help me.

One thing I am aware of is, that there is a possibility that my patterdale named Cookie has been used for hunting and has been dumped. I do not want to encourage him to hunt for animals. Im happy to use essential oil type smells such as vanilla, cinnamon etc. This is for fun, and to give the dog some enrichment, etc. I will only use positive training, so please dont recommend any punishment based training books.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

Lancashires a big place! Where are you looking for?

Have you thought of working trials? They do tracking following human scent with articles covered in the tracklayer's scent for the dog to find dropped along the length of the trail.

There are other exercises to learn as well as tracking, but I know there has been a Lakeland Terrier who has done really well at trials. No reason why a Patterdale couldn't learn

There is a North West Working Trials Society.

Or (I know you said you didn't want to encourage your dog to hunt, so apologies in advance if this idea is really not your thing) how about contacting the Forestry Commission and asking when they are running their next course for tracking wounded deer?

Silly question maybe, but asked out of genuine curiosity and not to start a 'heated debate' - but why choose a working terrier like a Patterdale if you don't want it to hunt? I know lots of people do, but I'm just curious why. It's probably more likely to find a patterdale loose and unaccompanied because its owners have lost it running after a scent or disappearing underground for a while and being deemed 'lost without trace' than actually being deliberately abandoned by terriermen.

Have you thought of joining your local branch of Fell and Moorland Working Terrier Club as a safeguard? That way if your dog does go to ground, you have help getting him out!

Just want to reiterate, I'm not posting the last bit to be provocative in any way at all: I have friends who have had Paterdales that have got themselves stuck underground and it does help to have back-up.

Lancashire is a big place, and thats why I didnt narrow it down, preferrably training wise around Preston, Wigan, Chorley, but willing to travel in Lancashire.

With regards to scentwork/tracking. I just want to enrich the dog, and using his natural desires but with other scents other than animals, that dont involve killing other animals.

I would like to try something new for fun with my dog, that doesnt involve killing/harming anything.

Sounds like you would both have a fine time at working trails training although the tracking is only one element.

Did you know there is also a patterdale being trained as a cadaver recovery dog? I have no idea how you get into that though!

Well done for being determined to give a bright dog something purposeful to do

Could you bring him along to our Irish Terrier Fun Day at Scarisbrick, near Burscough? A few working trails people are hopefully coming along and there are plenty of games for him to join in with - like sausage-catching!

We had a patterdale doing a sendaway in the Best Trick class last year, so we need a Patterdale doing something even more impressive this time!!!