Mantrailing
Mantrailing is one of the fastest growing dog sports in the UK and is based on a search and rescue activity where a dog follows a specific person's scent trail to find them. It is a dog-led activity that utilizes a dog's highly developed sense of smell, enabling them to distinguish one person's scent from others and follow it through different environments. It is used in both recreational sport and professional search and rescue, and is considered beneficial for building a bond between dog and handler.
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If you want to:
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Build a better relationship with your dog
Increase your dog's confidence
Spend more time outdoors
Attend a fun social activity with your dog
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Then this could be an ideal option for you and your dog. It is accessible to all people and all dogs, regardless of age, breed or ability. Below you can read a short article about Zoe's participation in mantrailing as well as a couple of websites where you can find more information:
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I initially saw a 'taster' session advertised locally and thought it looked interesting. I booked myself and Gracie to go along and try it. We both had a great time and consequently did a couple of follow-up days. Unfortunately COVID then happened, stopping everything in its tracks. Life and work then got in the way but I decided to have another go last year (2024) after one of my other dogs had been seriously ill and I wanted to do something fun with her. I searched online and found a beginners course advertised. I booked our place and rest is history as they say and not least, Peggy absolutely loves it!
I love watching her work, trailing behind her, sometimes at speed! She literally squeals with excitement when the trailing kit comes out (harness and long line) and her tail is wagging non-stop when we are doing the trails. She totally comes alive and has a different presence about her.
Early on, we did a session and the trail layer had forgotten to leave their scent article for her to sniff so I had to get her to sniff their car door handle instead. She set off on the trail and actually managed to find the person. I was both shocked and so chuffed at how clever she was to do that. And it is because they clearly love it so much that you want to keep going just so they can experience that buzz. We have also had trail layers touch a stick and leave that as a scent article and we have still managed to find them. Each time we go I find it fascinating that no matter what the weather or wind conditions are like, the dog always manages to find the person without help. We have been trailing through graveyards, high streets, pubs, garden centres, schools, woodland and even an air museum with old planes in situ.
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I wholeheartedly recommend you give it a try.
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Zoe & Peggy (Oct 2025)
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Also check out the following sites for more detailed info and advice:
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