I didn't think we'd make it, but we pulled through. By now Indiana was about one and a half years old. Then we took a basic course in tracking. This is when the dog follows the actual trail of a specific individual. That it will help the dog to learn to concentrate on a single task for a long period of time, and to me, that makes a lot of sense.
Tracking also helps a dog learn to discriminate between the varying scents of individuals.
Tracking does have it's specific purpose, though, especially when you have for certain, a location where the person went missing from , and the area hasn't been trampled over by hundreds of well-meaning volunteers. I think all you can ever take is a basic course in tracking. Tracking is an acquired skill that takes hours upon hours of practice on increasingly more difficult problems to a reach a desired level of proficiency. Another course that is of great importance, but that Indiana and I missed, is Agility. A well structured course in agility teaches your dog confidence and builds trust with the handler.