Earth Dog Trials or Den Trialing

Do you have a terrier? Does your little dog love to hunt down and chase small vermin? Dumb question. We are talking terriers. There is an event that will suit your terrier to a T. It allows them to do chase down a rat, satisfying their age-old instinct. It allows them to meet other terriers – which may or may not be a good idea. It also allows you and your pet to have some quality time bonding together in a sport he or she loves best. This is Earth Dog Trials or Den Trialing.

The sport of Earth Dog Trials is open to terriers. This includes most breeds and Dachshunds. However, certain organizations have exceptions. These are not uniform. It is a good idea to check first before registering your pet for a competition.
Earth Dog Trials are simulated hunting events. It is a “go to ground” competition. The idea is for your terrier to find his or her way into a tunnel, making it through to the end. At the completion, the dog will find a caged rat. Your dog must then “work” the rat.

The tunnels are all made. They vary in length with the organization. The American Working Terrier’s Association’s (AWTA) tunnels range from 9-by-9 to 30’ while the AKC’s tunnels are 10 feet and up. Both associations implement bends in the tunnel to test the dog’s skills in finding the rat. Both do not allow actual kills. It is all about finding and working the prey.
In the AWTA trials, your dog may qualify to enter the Novice Class or the Certificate of Gameness (CG) competition. The Novice Class is a 1-minute test dashing through the tunnels to the lure. Your dog either passes or fails. The CG tunnels are 30’ and your terrier must travel the length in 30 seconds to reach the rat. He or she must then work it for another minute.
The AKC has a more complicated system of 4 levels. This includes an introduction to Read the rest of this entry »

Kaptain, our male miniature schnauzer is a no-muss, no-fuss kind of guy!

That being said, we still like to dress him up, especially when the girls are all decked out in their leather jackets or gorgeous barrettes in their hair.

So, for times such as these, we have a few options for the “man of the dog house”…

We’ve got a few satiny or mesh jerseys, of our favorite sports teams, that Kaptain will happily tolerate.

He struts around like he knows he looks really cute, and he really does look cute.

It doesn’t interfere with him “going outside”, which is nice in case someone accidentally let’s him outside with his shirt on.

It’s also Read the rest of this entry »