Working Dogs of America Police Dog Tracking Title

Level 3 (PDT3) 2026

This evaluation is designed to determine if a dog can track an unknown person in an unfamiliar place and indicate on articles that the suspect had dropped while leaving the scene of a crime.  This test is intended to simulate real working situations.  It will test the dog s ability and the handler s control of the dog. 

General Rules and Regulations  Click here

JUDGING:

Judging begins as you report to the judge to receive your instructions. Any commands given to the dog will be judged as the dog responds to the commands.  Any dog determined to be un-controllable and or aggressive to the judge or spectators will be dismissed.

The judge will follow behind the handler/dog team as would a backup partner do in a real working condition. The judge will also use an assistant who will follow the team to pick up articles that the handler may have missed.

Judging of the test will be on a scale of 0 to 100 with 70 being required to pass.  The handler and dog team will be judged on control, responsiveness of the dog to commands, desire of the dog to work, intensity the dog indicates, and the time it takes for the dog to work out the track.  If a dog cannot complete the track, it will not receive a passing score.

TRACK LAYER:

The track layer will be unknown to the dog.  The track layer will receive instructions from the judge as to what directions the track will be laid.The judge will also inform the track layer as to what type of articles are to be dropped on the track and the distance between articles. 

TRACK:

The handler and dog will be secluded from view of the track while it is being laid.  When the test begins the judge will inform the handler of the approximate area within 75 yards as to the start of the track.  The handler will not be told in which direction the track leads. There will be four different articles dropped on the track and the piece of clothing that will be at the end of track. The track will be one mile long (1,760 yards) and have at least three different types of surfaces or more (dirt, grass, concrete, asphalt, woods, gravel, etc.).  The track will be at least one hour (60 minutes) old prior to beginning the test and will have four turns in it.

MANDATORY REST:

The level 3 track will have a mandatory Stop rest period of four minutes, the judge will stop the tracking time during this period, and it will be his/her decision when to call for this rest period. The objective is to give the dog the needed rest time on hot days, but to also prove the dog can be allowed to rest yet finish the track.

TIME:

Level 3 allows (60) minutes to complete the track, time will begin when handler announces to the judge that the dog is on the track.  The Handler/Dog has (10) minutes to locate the start of the track once the judge has given the approximate area the track starts.

ARTICLES:

 Four articles of different materials from one another will be used in the Level 3 evaluation. The handler will inform the judge of his/her dog’s indication response prior to the start of the track.  If dog indicates in any other form than what the handler informed the judge points will be deducted.

COMMANDS:

The handler is allowed to use both verbal and hand signals, the handler may encourage his/her dog with commands and praise.  The judge will evaluate the responsiveness of the dog to obvious commands given. The handler is allowed to give a down command to the dog if a perceived danger is occurring (such as an approaching vehicle, loose dog).  A command to begin tracking after each article indication has been performed is mandatory.

EQUIPMENT:

The handler shall use the appropriate equipment while tracking; the tracking line must be at least 15 feet long up to  40 feet. Dogs can be tracked using harness and/or flat collar, fur saver, pinch collar on dead ring.