|
Earthdog is a sport only available to small terriers and dachshunds. Terrier comes from the latin word for earth, terra. In an earthdog trial, the terrier must travel through a 9 inch by 9 inch tunnel underground to area where rats are securely caged. There the terrier must "work" the rats by barking, chewing, or digging.
Many of the rats used in the tests are born and raised in the area where the owner's dogs are kept. These rats are generally unafraid of the noises the dogs make and since they've never been hurt are usually little affected from being in the tests. This is good for both the rats and the dogs.  In an AKC test there are four levels: Introduction to Quarry as seen above. This is a basic instinct test and no legs are given toward a title. It involves a 10 foot tunnel, with one 90 degree turn, buried underground. The handler must release the dog 10 feet in front of the entrance. The dog must go into the tunnel, traverse the length and work the rats for 30 seconds.  Junior. This test is similar to the Intro test, but the tunnel is longer (30 feet) and has three 90 degree turns. The dog must work for 60 seconds in this test. Senior. This test has more difficult tunnel with multiple branches and openings to the outside. The path from the entrance to the rats is 90 feet. The entrance is harder to see and enter and the dog must be released 20 feet from it. The dog must work for 90 seconds and then a new element is added. The rats are removed and the handler must call their dog from the tunnel. The handler must retrieve their dog within 90 seconds of the rats removal. Master as seen below. This test is the most complicated. It is done with pairs of dogs. The dog pair must each find the entrance to the tunnel in a large field with no help from their handlers. The entrance is blocked to prevent both dogs entering at once. The tunnel is the same size and shape as the senior tunnel but obstacles are added to force the dog to think underground. Each dog will take a turn entering the tunnel, finding the rats, and working them. Each dog also must "honor" while the other is in the tunnel and working. That requires the dog to remain relatively calm and quiet from the moment the other dog is released into the tunnel until the dog has been retrieved from the tunnel.  Here are some other earthdog links: Gally, Harry, and Free's Earthdog Club: The New Jersey Beanfield Earthdog Club AWTA Homepage Earthdog/Squirreldog Home Page AKC Earthdog Trial Rules BACK |