Mantrailing
Mantrailing is the scent specific pursuit of one individual's scent, following skin rafts (shed skin cells) wherever they have been dispersed. The K9's nose will be down at times and up at other times, acquiring the scent in the best manner possible. Mantrailing is really a combination of tracking and trailing, the K9s uses all the tools at its disposal. The weather, wind and topology will all be determining factors in how a K9 works a trail. Because of this, Mantrailing dogs will many times work a trail off the track by several feet. In addition, a Mantrailing K9 can work extremely aged trails, while a tracking K9 is limited to only fresh trails, generally less than 30 minutes old.
STAFF
We feel our expertise in Mantrailing is second to none. Our four Mantrailing Master Trainers have well over 75 years of combined professional K9 experience. They have participated in and/or led hundreds and hundreds of actual manhunts and lost or missing person searches. They have worked with all levels of law enforcement, including: local police, state police, FBI and the US Marshall Service. They have been involved in numerous high-profile searches and are some of the most highly respected experts in this field. Click here to read their bios.
The Master Trainers are backed up by a team of Trainers and Assistant Trainers. These dedicated professionals all have extensive experience and have worked with AMPWDA Master Trainers for several years and assisted with free trainings, workshops and seminars. They are constantly working to gain new knowledge and improve their skills. They are here to assist you in and facilitate the learning process.
FREE TRAININGS
We offer free trainings for Mantrailing once or twice a month, depending on the weather and our workload. These free trainings are provided as a courtesy and are available for Law Enforcement, Search & Rescue Personnel, and our members. Typically, it is a full day of training, starting at 8AM and running until 4PM or later. Of course, you can come and go as you please and you are not required to stay for the whole day. These sessions are for all levels, from beginners to advanced. It's a great opportunity to get some individual attention and work on problem areas. Because the free trainings are for everyone to practice and learn, we ask that you be considerate of your fellow handlers. If someone lays a trail for you, you need to lay a trail for someone else. For more information and specific dates, check out our Events page.
WORKSHOPS
Throughout the year, AMPWDA holds various weekend workshops and mini-seminars. These events range in topic and usually require payment and registration. For more information and specific dates, check out our Events page.
SEMINARS
AMPWDA holds two seminars a year, fall and spring. These seminars provide intensive training in a relatively short time span. We have found this approach the most conducive to learning for both you and your K9. It also further cements a bond between handler and K9 partner, which is very important. The seminars are held in scenic Putnam county, Indiana. We have a special deal with the Super 8 motel to provide comfortable K9 friendly accommodations complete with WiFi, Satelite TV, in-room refrigerators, coffee makers & more. We have over 500 acres in near proximity, which means less driving and more training. We also have access to thousands of additional acres very nearby. The seminars are for all skill levels, beginners through advanced. Each day you will be assigned to a group. The group will be assigned to a Master Trainer. Each member of the group will work with the Master Trainer and receive individual instruction, geared towards your specific goals and skill level. You will work with a different Master Trainer each day, this allows everyone to work with each Master Trainer and gain from their individual approach.
CERTIFICATIONS
AMPWDA is a leading provider of Mantrailing Certification and accredidation. Certifications opportunities are provided at Workshops, Seminars, and designated Certification Weekends. All our mantrailing certifications are conducted under a double-blind protocol, meaning we offer the fairest tests that truely measure the K9 Team's perfomance with absolutely no subjectivity. You must be a member to obtain and maintain certification, click here for Membership Information. AMPWDA Mantrailing Certifications are offered on four levels: Basic, Expert, Distinguished Expert, & Urban. In addition to these, we also have our Master Mantrailing Challenge & Certification - this is a 24 hour old trail and as of yet, this challenge is still unbeaten. Anyone who successfully completes this challenge will receive the AMPWDA MASTER MANTRAILING CHALLENGE TROPHY along with certification. Click here to review our STANDARDS. After certifying at Expert or above, you will be eligible for inclusion in our Referral Database.
VIDEOS
Be sure and check out a sampling of our videos HERE.
MANTRAILING TRAINERS
