Level Three - Expert Tracking Dog
1. Length; Continuous single track of between 800m - 1000m.
2. Age; 3hours minimum, 4hours maximum.
3. Terrain; Grassland, heathland, short crop or stubble. Should not have been used for tracking / walked on in the previous 24hours.
4. Number of Articles; 3. Approximately the size of a shot gun cartridge. None should be placed within 30m of a corner or the start of track. The third article will mark the end of the track. The dog may indicate the article in a variety of ways eg; pick up and return to handler / sit beside it.
5. Turns / Corners; At least 1 both right and left. Turns should include 45° and 90° angles.
6. Number of legs; 7 - 12.
7. Cross Track; One cross track laid by a different track-layer, 2hours after the original track was laid. The cross track should be at least 30m away from any article or corner and at least 50m away from the start of the track.
8. Pole; One to indicate the start of the track. Another pole (or other type of marker) may be used to indicate the direction that the track-layer walked towards the start pole.
9. Time; No time limit. This will be left to the discretion of the Assessor.
To qualify, all articles must be located and each leg of the track must be accurately negotiated without undue interference / guidance by the handler. The cross track should not be followed by the Tracking Team.
There is no requirement for the dog to adopt any particular tracking style.