No, I was not there but as a member of a SAR team, I do hang around with tracking dogs and handlers.

Most dog handlers take the task very seriously. Training of at least twice a week is their goal but often more than that. It becomes an all consuming hobby for the handlers. Handlers that only train a couple of times a month or less, usually do not have dogs that track well.

Depending on who you talk to, some people believe that poor tracking dogs are caused by bad handlers or handlers that do not train often enough. I have heard it said that the dog was trying to do the correct tracking behavior but the handler did not recognize the dogs signals and forced the dog to do something incorrect.

At an event where dogs are being tested or evaluated, you are likely to find very dedicated dog handlers. Urban SAR dogs need to train in concrete rubble piles with sharp metal and other hazards. Those handlers spend a lot of time to meet the National FEMA USAR standard. I would agree that those people are truely serious about dog handling.

Hope you had fun and learned something.