My great friend, Shari Madamba, took Boogie and I to the tests that weekend and used my camera to try and get some pictures. Thanks to Shari, I can show you some pictures and explain a little bit about earthdog.
First, we all gather to listen to the judge explain how the test will run, where we should meet him on the property, etc.
Then they put all the dog's names in a hat and draw them out two at a time to make partnerships. That day Boogie was paired up with a Westie. When it was about our turn we went out to the meeting spot and waited for the judge. What a beautiful place to play!
When the judge arrives we walk just a few feet before letting the dogs off leash to run off and do their hunting.
The dogs are required to find a false den (meaning a den with no rats), check it out and move on without barking. Barking is an indication that there are rats (or some other varmints) there. It is usually a hundred to a few hundred yards away. Boogie loves the hunt up. He runs around as fast as he can looking for a den. During the hunt up the judge will tell you to call your dog back a few times and they must mind and return to you. As intent on finding the den as Boogie is, he always come running back at top speed.
The hunt continues and the dogs must then find the real den....meaning there are rats there. Don't worry, they are behind bars and in a cage so they can't be harmed. When the dogs find the rats, they must indicate to their human that they have found the rats. Here Boogie found the real rats (see the tail and bottom sticking out of the ground) and is barking like crazy. So I know he has found the rats for sure!
After both dogs have found the rats and indicated so, then both dogs are picked up and must hide their eyes while the rats are moved from the front of the tunnel to the other end of the tunnel. The rats will be placed down in the tunnel, again behind four dowels and in a wire cage where they are safe from harm....unless Boogie is playing the game! I've never heard of another dog ever getting in to the rat cage but I suppose it's possible. Here the dogs are hiding their eyes and the gal bending over is getting the rats out of the tunnel to move them to their next position.
While one dog is down in the tunnel trying to find the rats and subsequently working the rats (meaning barking or digging at the rats) the other dog is tied to a stake and must "Honor". This means they must be interested in what is going on but they can't make a lot of noise or yank at the end of the chain. Here Boogie is starting the Honor as the other dog is being placed on the ground. Boogie is good at honoring except when the other dog is first let go. He barks loudly for a second and then is very nice and quiet.
Then the dogs change spots. Here Boogie is getting his turn to go down into the tunnel to hunt for the rats. There are false turns (leading to a dead end or back out to the above world) and false dens (rat bedding but no rats). The dogs have 90 seconds to find the rats. Normally Boogie makes it in about 10 seconds...he is fast!
After "working" the rats for 90 seconds (or in Boogie's case, until he eats all four dowels in half and eats through the wire cage...bad boy!) then you must be able to lift open a lid, reach in, take your dog out and put their leash on them. Here you can see a very happy Boogie being taken out of the tunnel as the judge marks down Boogie's score.
After a day of being a ferocious hunter looking for hidden rats, Boogie then continued his hunting ways and found a little boy with pizza! Even better, he conned this very nice boy (Shari's son Shawn) into sharing the pizza with him. What a perfect day. Friends, rats and pizza!
Debbie
(many thanks to Shari for all the pictures)
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