Editing Balto/Trailing (section)

== Trailing ==

[[File:balto_trailing.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The Trailing exercise editor]]

Trailing is a discipline where the dog follows a specific person's scent trail from a known starting point to find that person. Unlike Air Scent which uses airborne scent, Trailing uses ground-deposited scent and follows the actual path the subject took. Balto's Trailing exercise log captures the trail details, scent article information, subject behavior, and the outcome.

=== Starting a Trailing Exercise ===

If you haven't already started a Mission, follow these steps.

# From the Welcome page, press and hold the begin training button to start a new mission
# Configure the mission details (date, location, DR number) and tap Start a new task
# On the Exercise Configuration screen, select Trailing as the training type
# Tap Set Task Details to begin the exercise

Otherwise, you'll be skipping steps 1 and 2. 

The Trailing exercise has three sections that scroll vertically: Trail (Setup), Subject, and Review.

=== Trail Section ===

This section captures the details about the trail itself.

==== Trail Type ====

Select the type of trail:

* '''Dog Training''' — Standard training trail for the dog
* '''Team Training''' — Training trail involving multiple team members
* '''Double-blind''' — Neither handler nor person directing knows the trail
* '''Negative''' — Trail that does not lead to a subject (training for negative response)
* '''Line-up''' — Multiple candidates with the trail subject among them
* '''Other''' — Any other trail type

==== Trail Layer ====

Enter the name of the person who laid the trail. This may be different from the subject the dog is trying to find (though typically they're the same person).

==== Trail Age ====

Select how old the trail is when the dog begins working:

* Fresh to 1 Hour
* 1 to 2 Hours
* 2 to 4 Hours
* 4 to 8 Hours
* 8 to 12 Hours
* 12 to 24 Hours
* 24 to 48 Hours
* Other

==== Trail Layer Other ====

If Other is selected for Trail Layer, use this field to specify the relationship or details.

==== Trail Laid ====

Enter the date and time when the trail was laid in YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm format, or tap the Now button to use the current time. Accurate trail laying time enables proper aging calculations.

==== Trail Length ====

Select the approximate length of the trail:

* Under 100 yards
* 100 to 400 yards
* 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile
* 1/2 mile to 1 mile
* Over 1 mile
* Other

==== Trail Length Other ====

If Other is selected, use this field to specify the exact length.

==== Crossings ====

Check all features that the trail crosses during its course:

* Gravel Road
* Paved Road
* Trail
* Bridge
* Railroad
* Fence
* Creek/River
* Intersection
* Door
* Other — Use the adjacent text field to specify

Crossings provide useful training context since different surface transitions present different challenges for trailing dogs.

=== Subject Section ===

This section captures information about the scent article and the subject.

==== Scent Article ====

Select the type of scent article used to start the dog:

* '''Hard Object''' — Item carried by the subject (keys, phone, etc.)
* '''Soft Object''' — Clothing item or fabric
* '''Bagged Item''' — Article preserved in a sealed bag
* '''General Start Area''' — Last known location rather than a specific item
* '''Footprint''' — Subject's footprint as the scent source
* '''Car Seat''' — Vehicle seat the subject occupied
* '''Other'''

==== Scent Article Other ====

If Other is selected, use this field to describe the article.

==== Article Contaminated ====

Check this box if the article has been handled by people other than the subject. Contamination affects how the dog should be expected to perform.

==== Article Collected ====

Enter the date and time when the scent article was collected in YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm format, or tap the Now button to use the current time.

==== Subject Behavior ====

Select what the subject is doing at the end of the trail:

* '''Standing in view''' — Visible and stationary, easy to find
* '''Sitting''' — Seated on the ground
* '''Prone''' — Lying on the ground
* '''Roaming''' — Moving around the find area
* '''Running''' — Actively moving away
* '''Hidden''' — Out of sight
* '''Standing''' — Standing but not necessarily visible
* '''Elevated''' — In a tree or other elevated position

==== Subject Located ====

Enter the date and time when the dog located the subject in YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm format, or tap the Now button to use the current time. Combined with the trail laying time, this allows calculation of total time elapsed.

=== Review Section ===

This section captures the outcome and notes.

==== Subject ID ====

Select how the dog handled subject identification (relevant for line-ups or trails with multiple people present):

* '''Correct ID''' — Dog correctly identified the trail subject
* '''Delayed ID''' — Dog identified the subject after some delay
* '''No ID''' — Dog did not make an identification
* '''Missed ID''' — Dog identified the wrong person

==== Summary ====

Select the radio button that best describes the trail outcome:

* '''K9 Located subject/area w/o assistance''' — Dog worked the trail independently to a successful find
* '''K9 Located subject/area w/ casting''' — Dog needed casting (handler-directed searching) to complete the trail
* '''K9 Located subject w/ minimal assistance''' — Dog needed some handler help to complete the trail
* '''K9 would have failed to locate subject''' — Dog could not complete the trail successfully

==== Notes ====

Free-form text area for activity notes and remediation plan. Use this to document specific behaviors, problem areas, and training plans for next time.

=== Finishing the Exercise ===

When you're done recording the exercise:

# Scroll to the bottom of the screen
# Tap '''Finish & save exercise'''
# The exercise will be saved and you'll return to the mission

=== Tips ===

* Record the Trail Laid time accurately — this is the most important variable in trailing training records
* Note all Crossings the trail passes — different surfaces and features create different challenges
* For double-blind trails, have the trail layer write the actual route somewhere so it can be reviewed afterward without compromising the blind nature of the exercise
* If the dog has difficulty at specific crossings, note this in the Notes field for targeted future training
* For line-up exercises, the Subject ID field is the key outcome measure
* Use the [[Balto/Interactive_Map|Interactive Map]]'s track analysis feature to compare the dog's GPS track against the trail layer's track for detailed deviation analysis