Earthdog- I cannot tell you how many times I get an owner who comes to me and says "My dog digs everywhere, barks, and tries to kill anything that is small and furry!" and then I ask what kind of dog it is (I could guess and be right) and they inform me its either a terrier or a dachsund. Well of course they do! That is exactly what we bred them to do, and did you know that there are events called Earthdog tests that will evaluate and qualify your dog on those skills in particular?! The first test is called Introduction to Quarry and it simply evaluates whether your dog will pick up a scent, follow it into a dark den, and "work" the quarry. Working the quarry is defined as barking, digging, growling, lunging, biting at the protective bars or any work that the judge feels displays a desire to get to the quarry. To get started, you want to get your dog accustomed to following scent trails of small mammals. Some say you can do this by simply taking your dog to an area that you know squirrels or rabbits inhabit. I feel it might be better to go out and purchase the scent and lay the trail yourself, so you know where the dog should be following it to. Your next step would be to get your dog used to entering "tunnels" in search of the quarry. If you are not interested in digging tunnels in your backyard (that is, if your dog hasn't already accomplished this!), you can start with above ground tunnels made out of cardboard or wood. The main idea here is to get your dog used to going into dark places in search of his quarry. Once you have done these two steps, take a look to see if there are any earthdog tests near you to see how your pooch's skills compare! You can find out more about earthdog, including upcoming events at: http://www.akc.org/events/earthdog/index.cfm. Unfortunately, the closest club I was able to locate is in Omaha and is called the Greater Omaha Terrier Association and here is a link to their contact information: http://www.akc.org/akc_clubs/?GreaterOmahaTerrierAssociation
Lure Coursing- While we are on the subject of breeds developed to chase quarry, lets talk about a category called sight hounds for a moment. Sight hounds are a group of breeds developed to rely strictly on their eyes and speed to hunt. For the American Kennel Club events, this category includes: Whippets, Basenjis, Greyhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Afghan Hounds, Borzois, Ibizan Hounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Scottish Deerhounds, Salukis and Rhodesian Ridgebacks. The American Kennel Club hosts Tests and Trials that utilize a 'lure' of white plastic strung around a course of 600 to 800 yards in an open field to evaluate a dog's lure coursing ability. The dogs are judged by two judges, on the dogs overall ability, speed, endurance, agility, and how well they follow the lure. Find out more here: http://www.akc.org/events/lure_coursing/
Don't have one of the breeds listed above but still think your dog would be good at this event? No worries, they have started a program called the Coursing Ability Test (CAT) that allows all breeds, including mix breeds, to participate! The CAT is a fairly new event, but there has already been 15 Australian Shepherds, 19 Doberman Pinschers, 31 Boxers, and 37 Mixed breeds successfully winning titles, and that is just to name a few! I just recently found out there will be a CAT event held this weekend in Wichita if you are interested in going to watch what it is all about (I know, I know, what's with the short notice right?) Get more information on the CAT here: http://www.akc.org/events/coursing_ability_test/
I did find a somewhat local club that does lure coursing events close by, in fact, many of their practices are held in Lawrence. However, they are affiliated with the American Sighthound Field Assocation and only allow the following breeds to compete:
Afghan Hound, Azawakh, Basenji, Borzoi, Cirneco dell'Etna, Greyhound, Ibizan Hound, Irish Wolfhound, Italian Greyhound, Pharaoh Hound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Saluki, Scottish Deerhound, Sloughi, and Whippet.
The American Sighthound Field Association: http://www.asfa.org/index.htm
Heartland Coursing Association: http://www.heartlandcoursing.com/index.html
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