Here’s a story about dogs learning to improve their tracking skills, and possibly do lifesaving work, after completing a training course at our local campus:
This week, [Ed] Presnall, of Walworth, is on the UW-Whitewater campus teaching dogs and their handlers how to find Alzheimer’s victims and other people who may wander away from home. Presnall’s an expert on training dogs in a technique called variable surface tracking.
Eight dogs and their handlers came from all over the country to attend Camp Pawmark. The three instructors have used their skills to find missing people, but most of the students are just here for sport.