Are animals really meant to use there meager Intelligence when it comes to skills like "Tracking"?

Example:
By stats given in the core rules, a "normal" dog would have something along the lines of "Intelligence 15" and "Tracking+10". Perhabs "Accute Sense of smell"* . This would make for an effective skill of 25 (and ** no negatives for tracking "by scent alone "). Not what I would expect from "regular dog".

The question comes up to me since (due to psyker powers) a pc could "command/use" a dog to track something down while the pc (and no-one else in the group) doesn´t have "Tracking". Totally relying on the animal. And besides hive worlds, dogs will come cheaper than auspexes.

While I like the idea, I don´t see the rules "as given" to be fitting.

My take would be using "perception" instead of IN as the basic since the animal "acts on instinct, not on accquiered knowledge"

Anyone elses two-cents? Thanks!

* leads to **; in my opinion

On a number of occations beasts or similary intellegent creatures using perceptions for survival stat. and i would make it the same for tracking.

(to lazy to look in the book for data to back up my claims)

Skills don't have to be rolled under the characteristic in the parentheses. The skill in parentheses is more of a default setting for the skill or a suggestion more then it's a rule. Think of it more along the lines of:

When using this skill, most times you will roll (this) characteristic unless circumstances makes it more logical to roll a different Characteristic.

This goes for Critters, NPC's, and characters. For an example in the book covering this, look to pg 103 in the description for Intimidate: "Usually Intimidate is backed by Strength, but more subtle threats such as blackmail may use Intelligence or Fellowship at the GM's option."

Its says under various skills that no test is needed for something 'run of the mill' Tech-Use for example. I would treat the tracking tests in the same way. The dogs will auto pass them under normal circumstances, but will require a test if the tracks are day's old, its dusty, a female dog comes alone etc etc.

Also don't forget circumstance modifiers and assistance.

I'd say, ordinarily, a hunting dog wouldn't have to make a test to track if it's just following your trail. If you're doing something to avoid being tracked, like doubling back , it would still be Easy (+30) for the dog to follow your scent. It's only if you start actively trying to hide your scent by running along a stream or something that the dog would start having to make Challenging (+0) or worse tests. Even then, a pack of dogs assisting the lead dog is going to push that Challenging test back up to Routine (+20).

One thing I'm figuring out as I play this game, the skills are all about the modifiers and assisting is a really valuable option.