Earth dog?

[Sam I Am]

Earth dog has come to our neck of the woods and it seems like it would be fun. Question to those that do this, is Jock who now is 11yrs old, to old to start something like this? Would it be to stressful , hard on the limbs? Fry his senior brain?

[bradl]

Far from stressful I think it's a super treat for dogs. Were Jock mine I'd definitely let him try, so long as he's not lame or anything. I've seen dogs doing earthdog that were so old they could scarcely walk. (It's a fine line, as a dog that is observably lame cannot compete. Now maybe a bit of arthritis ...)

We eventually stopped entering Haggis when it was clear that he didn't like the stooping necessary to enter the den. He was always a fearsome worker, so we knew that he had 'retired.' That was around 14. Echo on the other hand is 11 and still very wired for earthdog.

Looking forward to a report. If nothing else take him to the test and let him hang out with the other dogs. The excitement is contagious.

[mattoleriver]

Is it legal to use rats as quarry in Alberta? If not, what is the quarry?

Far from stressful I think it's a super treat for dogs. Were Jock mine I'd definitely let him try, so long as he's not lame or anything. I've seen dogs doing earthdog that were so old they could scarcely walk. (It's a fine line, as a dog that is observably lame cannot compete. Now maybe a bit of arthritis ...)

Don't forget the handlers, Brad. Many times I've seen handlers, myself included, who had to be helped up off their creaky old knees by the judge and rat wrangler. Just part of the game.

George

[Sam I Am]

I am definitely going to take jock and see what he thinks. He has never been overly fond of other dogs but perhaps the excitement of it all will distract him.

[Greysmom]

We use Gerbils in Alberta. Unfortunately it is illegal to use rats in our supposedly rat free province. The dogs are still quite game - My Graycee earned her JE just this past weekend. There is a very active earthdog group in Okotoks (just south of Calgary) and now there is a small enthusiastic group in the Edmonton area for training. Not many cairns out this weekend - my two and one other : (

[bradl]

Congratulations to you and Graycee. Sometimes these things grow in awareness slowly - perhaps as other Cairnites find out how much the dogs (and owners) enjoy it, you'll have more company. Spread the word

[_whits_]

I applied for and received a Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) so that Addie could eventually get involved in earthdog. It seems like it would fit her personality brilliantly, and give her a chance to put her intense hunting instinct to work (something I tend to discourage inside the house). I'm planning on going to an earthdog event before I get Addie involved, and I know that with Introduction to Quarry I'll be able to teach her how to do earthdog on the actual day of any event I have her participate in. So I figure that will answer a lot of my questions. but I still have a couple I was hoping someone could answer:

1) If Addie isn't signed up to participate in an event, can she still come? Or should I go alone the first time? I'd like to get a feel for it and figure out what I'd need before I actually have her do Introduction to Quarry.

2) I've heard they can't wear harnesses. What kind of gear (collar, leash, etc.) should I have? Addie wears either a harness or a martingale on walks, and I use a leash with a carabiner on it. I'm figuring none of these would work for earthdog? I know they don't wear anything in the tunnel, but I assume they do wear something prior to going in.

3) Does Addie need to have a reliable recall for earthdog? I can just about get her to come when called in the house as long as I have a spectacular treat waiting for her. If there is any type of rodent in sight (mouse, rabbit, gopher) she wouldn't notice I was there if I was wearing an entire outfit made out of freshly grilled steak. Is this going to preclude her from participating?

Edited August 19, 2012 by _whits_

[bradl]

1. Almost always you can bring an unentered dog (of any breed) to the test site, as a spectator. The advantage of not bringing your own dog is that you can get closer to the den areas if you do not have a dog in tow. If you have a dog with you, you cannot approach within 100' of the test areas (some clubs may maintain an even larger buffer). Somebody would have to watch her. If you have company to watch her while you go up to get a closer view, no problem. This is a convenience for you.

I'm sure Addie is spayed, but if she were not (and just as an aside) bitches in heat are NEVER allowed on the test grounds. Always leave a bitch in heat at home.

Read the premium list for any test you go to ... that document will contain any special rules, if any. Some sites prohibit any use of flexi's, for instance.

2. With the test area, the dog must run naked, with the only exceptions being in Master. In Master they may wear a collar on the hunt-up; and they need a flat buckle collar for being staked out for the Honor portion of the test. For Intro and Junior and Senior, all you need is a leash for coming and going. While on the site, but not in the test area, Addie can wear a harness. We often harness our dogs when camping at test sites -- we just have to scramble to get them off and into a flat collar for the Master test.

3. Although there are no requirements to do so, most clubs fence the Intro area. We split about 50-50 as to whether we fence the Junior or not. Lately we tend to do so. It depends a lot on the site layout. If we don't have a fence, I or someone else will usually be lurking nearby with an ATV to run down the very rare "runner" -- in twelve years I think we've had maybe three. Honestly, if the dog shows interest in the quarry in Intro, by the time they are loose on the ground in Junior, the rats is where they want to go anyway. We probably have more trouble with loose dogs running TO the test area :-P

But your question was about recall -- there is no recall requirement until Senior. It can be challenging, but you may also be surprised. A good working dog will quickly learn that you are their partner, and some will recall with unexpected alacrity. Others ... well, that's why the test committee has shovels. Later in Master, you will also need to call your dog back to you to investigate a false den, and the judge may ask you to call your dog to work a bit closer if your dog happens to be ranging pretty far afield. But no, an obedience style recall is not required for either Intro or Junior.

You and Addie will have fun! Can't wait to hear how your experiences go. Be patient, be persistent. I don't believe in training beforehand, really, but if we fail a lot for the same reason I do try to troubleshoot the problem area specifically. I actually don't want the dog in the actual test situations too often, because some dogs can burn out on it, or get bored.

[_whits_]

Thanks so much for the great and helpful info Brad! I've already contacted the Rocky Mountain Earthdog Club about an event taking place next month. I'm hoping Addie enjoys it. She's the most persistent hunter I've ever encountered around the house and yard (we live in a rural area with lots of rodents) so I'd really love to give her an outlet. And find an organised activity we can do together.

[bradl]

That's a nice crew at Rocky Mountain. The Rist Canyon site was beautiful when we were there a few years ago. I still use the mug we won there, every day for my morning coffee at work

[tlwtheq]

We use Gerbils in Alberta. Unfortunately it is illegal to use rats in our supposedly rat free province. The dogs are still quite game - My Graycee earned her JE just this past weekend. There is a very active earthdog group in Okotoks (just south of Calgary) and now there is a small enthusiastic group in the Edmonton area for training. Not many cairns out this weekend - my two and one other : (

This is strictly none of my business. But do you have to use these sweet, timid creature for this purpose?

Mom of many gerbils present and past.