Trailing is being considered a low impact activity since there is no running or jumping involved but one which provides an amazing brain stimulation due to continuous problem solving when following scent. Image courtesy of Follow Dogs
Expanding on the canine heritage of the Estate with a new sport.
Charlton Park Estate welcomes Anna Zabinska and Follow Dogs to the growing catalogue of canine sports and activities available on the Estate.
Follow Dogs will be offering classes as part of a varied programme of classes around the UK providing training for Mantrailing or trailing as it is often referred to.
Anna explains Mantrailing for those that have not yet experienced the sport ‘If you want to understand trailing you should know that every person leaves behind an individual scent trail, just like a fingerprint. When we teach dog trailing, we teach them to follow that individual scent trail and ignore all other scents left by people in surrounding environment.’
That form of search work is already practiced by Police and Search and Rescue organisations all over the world. Fortunately, every dog is capable of following scent thanks to its natural hunting capabilities and my role as a trainer is just to develop that skill. This form of activity can be fantastic for any dog regardless of the age and breed as exercises are always tailored to the dog’s level. In our classes we welcomed puppies as young as 8-weeks-old, very active, high driven dogs but also seniors. Trailing is being considered a low impact activity since there is no running or jumping involved but one which provides an amazing brain stimulation due to continuous problem solving when following scent. It usually takes one session for dogs to understand the process as the training is based on their instinctual responses. The role of the handler on the other hand is to learn reading dog’s body language and to understand when the dog is in scent and when it might be losing it due to environmental conditions.
Trailing is a very natural activity for dogs, and it can fulfil most dogs’ behavioural modification programs, become a new sport for you and your dog or in some cases takes you on a journey to become an operational Search and Rescue team.
To find out more, or to book a class please contact Anna directly using followdogs@hotmail.com
For more information about Charlton Park Estate, any other events facilities at the Estate please contact the Estate Office; events@charltonparkestate.com
About Follow Dogs and Anna Zabinska
Follow Dogs is a dog training company focusing on teaching dog trailing. Anna the founder has 16 years’ experience in different dog’s training disciplines. She is a member of two Search and Rescue organisations and currently is preparing her dog to become an operational Search and Rescue trailing dog. She has also been competing in Obedience sport for 15 years, representing Wales in competition at Crufts and proudly winning it twice in her class. She also holds Scent Detection Instructor qualifications from UK College of Scent, but her focus is trailing. She holds GAK9 trailing instructor qualifications from the prestigious school run by Jeff Schettler and represents him in UK.
With this international program her students can work towards 16 levels of achievement and test their skills if they wish by taking a double-blind test matched to their experience level.
About Charlton Park Estate
Charlton Park Estate has been in the possession of the Earls of Suffolk since the last years of the 16th Century. The Estate covers 4,500 acres and includes the Grade 1 listed Mansion, extensive and picturesque parkland, arable farmland, Cotswold stone period residential properties and a commercial business park. The beautiful parkland provides a fantastic setting for all events whilst retaining the privacy of the family home and grounds. www.charltonparkestate.com
