Earthdog
Earthdog is a sport for AKC-registered (and ILP'd) small terriers and dachshunds. It involves humans burying tunnels in a maze underground, putting some safely-caged rats in the end (inaccessible to the dogs), and releasing the dogs above ground to allow them a chance to hunt for the quarry. Once the dog makes it down the tunnel, it's a little like watching a submarine race- everyone waits and listens. Everyone around knows when a good hunting terrier has found the quarry- the barking can be heard for quite a distance.
I enjoy starting young dogs in the earthdog tunnels and helping older dogs with a desire to hunt to learn to do it in a way that allows them to play our game. My earthdog den is above-ground, allowing me to monitor a dog’s progress through the tunnel and to make changes to the den throughout a work session to encourage independent thinking and problem-solving from the dog. I especially enjoy the challenge of a dog who does not play earthdog by our rules, such as that Senior-level dog who will not leave the den on the recall, or that Master-level dog who does not indicate the entrance.
Here Cooper (Ch. Whisper Wind's I'm a Dignified Dude, ME), trained and handled by me, has found the den and is starting to go under.
Cooper has found the rats and is biting the bars which protect the cage. The rats are safely caged about four inches behind the bars.
Here Stiller (Ch. Kinloch's For What It's Worth, RN, ME), trained and handled by me, and his son Kona (Ch. Cairngorm Coffee, Tea or Me, RA, ME) have each qualified in Senior and Master classes on the same day under judge Sil Sanders. They are standing on a tunnel liner, more commonly found buried underground for them to run through.
Stiller was bred by Kinloch Cairns and is owned by Cairngorm Cairns.
Kona was bred by Cairngorm Cairns and is owned by Crofter's Dream Cairns.