Earthdog

Earthdog

DAPHNE RECEIVES HER SENIOR EARTHDOG TITLE !!

Written by Linda Dowdle

Monday, 03 January 2011 21:33

On October 16th 2010 Daphne achieved her Senior Earthdog title in Terra Cotta Ontario.

Daphne and I were quite excited when we reached the farm where the Earthdog tests were held. They offered Intro to Quarry (the instinct test that is unofficial), Junior Earthdog (dog goes into underground tunnels, 30 feet with three turns to find the quarry) and Senior Earthdog.

Daphne’s job was to find one of two possible entrances to go underground, cover 30 feet with three turns and find the quarry. There is also a dead end with a False Den, scented bedding with no quarry. The other end has the rats! She has 90 seconds to find her way to the rats then has to work the rats (barking, digging, scratching, etc.) within 15 seconds of reaching the quarry and work continuously for 90 seconds. Once the Judge’s assistant has removed the rats, the Judge says Call your Dog and I have 90 seconds to get her to come out of the ground and in my hands!

In the morning trials, not a single dog passed the Junior Test. Daphne was the first dog to do the Senior Test. She kept popping out of the hole without going in very far! Once it was obvious that she had not qualified as she had run out of time, the Judge instructed me to pick her up and take her a few feet away and not let her peek. Saying, “That’s not like Daphne” (she knows how Daphne works) she opened up the tunnels to make sure nothing had fallen down inside. I wondered if the high winds were affecting the scent put into the tunnels. All was clear she told me. She said she would allow Daphne to run the test again, unofficially, to ‘give her a positive experience’. I happily agreed as the second trial that day would be at the same spot! When I tried her again, she managed to get in the hole and get to the rats and did her job well. I had a little trouble getting her to come back to me. The Judge has a stopwatch to time each part of the test. I was happy she had done her work and hopeful for the afternoon.

In the second trial, Daphne was the second dog to do the test. The first dog did not pass. Daphne though, was confident and went into the hole right away and kept going! She found the rats fast enough, barked and barked and barked at them. When the Judge said Call your Dog I knew she had worked long enough. Now I just had to get her back to me! When I had watched the first handler, she had taken off her baseball cap before getting down on the ground to look into the tunnel to call her dog. I had an idea.. I blew my sports whistle. When Daphne peeked her head out of the hole, I held my own baseball cap in my hands and said “Daphne look!” She came right over to see if the rat was in my hat. Gotcha! The Judge said,” Congratulations! Daphne is an Ambassador to Norfolk, everything you would want her to be. She is a great little worker and ready to work on her Master Earthdog title.” I was thrilled. Linda Dowdle had come to watch Daphne so I was glad she got to see everything we have to do! She was proud of little Daphne too.

Daphne was the only dog that afternoon to pass the Senior test!

At the Awards Ceremony, the Judge repeated to all of us the comments he had made to me. Then the Judge gave Daphne two big ribbons, one for passing the Senior Test and one for earning her Senior Earthdog title, meaning she had passed three Senior Earthdog tests. She also got a small squeaky toy, a Hallowe’en mouse. The mouse was silenced on the way home, then Daphne slept the rest of the way, a content Norfolk.

Earth Dog Adventure

Thursday, 14 January 2010 20:32

By Theresa Martin

PRACTICING TO PREPARE FOR DAPHNE’S EARTHDOG ADVENTURE – I was determined to do some good training with Daphne before her earthdog adventure. Last year Daphne did not have the confidence to make the three turns in Junior Earthdog, so my Dad and I built variations of open and closed ended wooden tunnels that could be put together in different configurations. They enabled me to create left turns, right turns, even one dead end! We made them out of sheets of plywood, just like Daphne would see at the trials, except on the day they would be buried underground! All week we worked. I started by throwing treats a short distance into the tunnel, then putting them in farther, until we could send Daphne from one end and she would go all the way through one 8 ft. length to the end, where I had a good treat for her. Good stuff happens only at the end! Then I made an L, putting treats just beyond the turn, where she could see them. Soon I could send her in from one end, then run down to the other end to meet her with treats! Our other two dogs enjoyed watching, and running to the end, hoping for rewards too! Before long, I had the third piece in and Daphne was doing two turns – and then three!

My Dad live trapped a squirrel for me, which I used only for a few minutes then released. Instead of treats at the end, there was the cage, under a tarp so she could not see it when she went around the tunnel. The squirrel made her so crazy, Daphne really screamed! After her enthusiasm was so turned on we worked only with food, but she continued to really like this game!

DAY ONE - The next week I entered Daphne in Introduction to Quarry and Junior Earthdog. Of course she was the only Norfolk there. She has done IQ before, but I thought it would be good to remind her about going down a real hole. When Daphne saw where we were and remembered what she had seen last year, she started quivering with excitement, and vocalizing! I could hardly hold her when we approached the start line, inside a snow fence enclosure. I released Daphne 10 feet from the hole and she went right in! She went to the end and started 'working the rats' by barking, digging and scratching. When she had worked long enough (60 seconds) the judge signaled for me to come up. She opened the 'judge's door' at the end of the tunnel where they watch the dog work. It is on top of the tunnel and the place where the dog can be removed. She told me to put my hands on Daphne as she worked, so she would learn that I am part of the fun. Otherwise, she might learn that me touching her meant the end of the fun. We are a team, the judge said. I petted Daphne and encouraged her, then removed her. The judge said she did not see many Norfolk, but Daphne was one of the best workers she had ever seen. I was so complimented and told her about our training together. She said it had paid off.

The Gate Steward called out that Daphne was up for Junior Earthdog, right now!! I raced over with her and almost immediately released her. You can give only one short command. She hesitated and ran to the side of the hole, "This looks a little different than the other one" her face said. I could only wait, silently! Daphne finally went in the hole and did all three turns and started working the rats, but the judge said she had taken too long to get there!! They have 30 seconds from release to reach the rats and work. It didn't matter though, she had done her job! Again, the judge said she was a super worker and if I entered her tomorrow, there was a great chance she would get a leg! I said I planned to do that. Daphne and I had more fun today than anyone or any dog I know!

After the morning's trials were over, we were all called to the ribbon ceremony. In Intro, 6/18 dogs qualified; in Junior 5/15 passed and the judges said those were both good numbers. Each dog's work was described by the judge before being handed the qualifying ribbon. The judge said that this Norfolk, like a very few she had judged (she is from the US) has the potential to achieve her Master Earthdog! What a compliment. A couple of people came up to me afterwards, saying they had either HEARD Daphne or seen her work and said she was a great little dog.

When we got home, Daphne put herself to bed, tired and satisfied.

Tomorrow we will go back and see if we can get one of those Rosettes! One of the judges who lives in Port Huron Michigan, actually invited me to come and have a real hunt with her!

I am just so happy to give Daphne an experience that is part of her nature, an activity that she loves and was originally bred to do.

DAY TWO - We did it!! Daphne got a leg in Junior Earthdog! You have to get two legs, under different judges to earn your title.

Out of 10 dogs in her class, only two passed the test. The test site was the same one Daphne saw yesterday, but the configuration was different, so it might have been left-right-left yesterday and right-left-right today. As soon as we reached the farm she was again beside herself with excitement, “Let me at 'em!” She could not walk on a leash so I carried her and crated her, but she could still see and hear what was going on!

Daphne was squirming in my arms as I took her to the release line. She went into the hole almost right away this time! She had to travel 30 feet of tunnels, three turns and start working the rats, all within 30 seconds, and she did! Then I had to wait the longest 60 seconds of my life, the length of time she has to continuously work. I held my breath. The judge watched her stopwatch and I realized Daphne had done it when the judge smiled and signaled me to come over. Again she let me see Daphne work and had me handle her, then pull her up and out. Then she let Daphne get close to the caged rats she had lifted out. Daphne liked that part. I was all smiles as we left the test area and other people congratulated us

At the awards, Daphne got a rosette and a large stuffed rat toy! The judge complimented her great work this weekend.

Since her earthdog adventure just say the word RAT and watch Daphne’s head turn!!

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