Earth Dog

So your Dandie loves to dig, stick their face underground, and emerge with something in their mouth, be it a mouse, a squirrel or some other creature.  They are simply doing what they were bred to do: To hunt underground, and that’s what Earthdog tests assess.

Earthdog tests gauge how good a hunter your dog really is. They’re non-competitive and each dog is judged on his own abilities for seeking and locating rodents underground.  In these tests, rats are safely caged and not harmed!

If you are brand new to Earthdog and would like to get involved, attend a test in your area by checking out local event calendars.  Find out what clubs are licensed in your area by going to the AKC online club directory and select the earth dog club type and the cities/states closest to your home base.  Be sure to request a rulebook from AKC so that you are familiar with what will be required of you and your dog at Earthdog events.

The initial Earthdog test is called Introduction to Quarry and is an instinct test for terriers and dachshunds. The behaviors tested are:  1) Willingness to follow a scent to the entrance 2) Willingness to enter a dark den 3) Willingness to work the quarry. The dog may work the caged rats by barking, digging, growling, lunging, biting at the protective bars or any work that the judge feels displays a desire to get to the quarry.

If you have rabbits or squirrels in your area, you can start your dog following the scent by taking him to places where he will have the opportunity to follow these scent trails. When you see a rabbit or squirrel run into the bushes or trees, take your dog over to the spot and quietly encouraging the dog to put his nose to the ground by patting the scent line. Once the dog shows interest in the scent, you can just see what he does. You have just taught him the most important step to qualifying in Earthdog.…to recognize that you help him find the scent. Once your dog is easily dropping his nose onto the scent line when you indicate one, it is time to start him following scent into a tunnel.

At this stage, you just want to introduce your dog to going into a dark place. Once you build or have access to a maze of tunnels with boxes you can start the dog by throwing a toy or ball in there for him to retrieve.

Next comes laying a scent trail for him to follow. If you do not want to keep a set of rats for your training, simply go to a local pet shop and ask them for some of their used bedding when they clean the rodent cages. You can soak it in water and use the strained liquid to lay trails in the tunnels for the dog. You can also take a toy he likes and put it in a jar with some used bedding. It will get the scent of the bedding and can be used to lay scent trails.

Of course, the only way to know if he will work the rats in a den is to either have rats yourself or go to an Earthdog test or practice. If you want to attend an event, the Events section on AKC will allow you to search for one in your area. Contact the Event Secretary to see if they will be having a practice after the event. Or just enter your dog in the Introduction to Quarry class.  Many Earthdog events have day of trial entries for at least Introduction to Quarry, and since this is an instinct test, some dogs do quite well their first time in this class.

Even if your dog doesn’t qualify, you will have a fun time and will meet lots of other terrier and Dachshund owners who will offer help in learning more about the wonderful world of Earthdogs!