FC Danika vom Nordlicht JE TD

(FC Clown vom Talsdeich x FC Fredrika v Moosbach-Zuzelek)

Owner: Cheri Faust

Breeder: Larry Gohlke

AKC Tracking Test

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Host:  Timber Ridge Obedience Club of Central Wisconsin

Location:  Hartman Creek State Park, Waupaca, WI

Judges:  Ed Presnall & Mel Lloyd

Track Layer:  Mike Gannon

Track #4 of 4

Length: 440 yards

Turns: Three (one open, one 90-degree right, one 90-degree left)

Conditions: Clear and sunny, 65 degrees, NW wind at 10 mph

Cheri Faust: Yes, I was nervous!  We had failed at our first tracking test in June, just as ready – or not ready – as we were today.  Of our six or so practice tracks since then, Danika had either performed beautifully or had gotten distracted with crittering.  On two of our last three tracks, purposefully laid near baled hay where there were sure to be field mice, and in an area where we had seen turkeys, she had proven that this was still a potential problem.  I was armed with good advice to “trust your dog” and, if needed, to offer water or rescent her with the start article to get her refocused.

She started off well on the track, giving me a backwards look just past the second flag, which she does frequently when others are following us.  I gave her the “it’s ok” to let her know they could be there, and she went a little further then turned and came back towards me.  Uh-oh.  That had never happened!  I asked her “where’s your track?” and she moved off about 20 yards, gave another look, I gave another “it’s ok” and she turned and came back towards me again.  That’s when I became aware of all of the noise from the gallery.  In addition to the judges, tracklayer and others that were following closely behind us on the track, there were about 8 people on the lane where the track had started, including two kids playing “baseball” with weed stalks and milkweed pods.  I asked her hopefully, “where’s your track?” and got a happy but confused look as if to say, “my what?”  She moved off again, but quickly circled to the left and back to the track, then to the right and back to the track, then headed back towards me again.  At that point the lead had gotten a bit tangled and I tried to sort that out while wondering what to do next.  It must be time to use those refocusing hints…she couldn’t possibly be thirsty yet, so I loudly announced to whomever might have cared that I was rescenting my dog! 

I shoved her nose in the start article, a sock, and it was like – “oh – do you want to go tracking?”  Down the track she went, with me behind her just grateful to be moving.  She made the open turn at the end of the first 120 yard leg before I could see it.  Trust your dog.  Trust your dog.  The waist high grass left a clear path where the tracklayer had turned, and I knew we were on.  She was out near the end of my 30-foot lead when I saw her come out on an open path.  She looked left, and then right – no traffic! Danika continued on into the tall grass on the other side, again, clearly where the tracklayer had gone.  A stray piece of marking tape was further reassurance – if it was ours! 

The lead took a diagonal turn and the second 95 yard leg was behind us.  She was moving fast now, and I was half walking, half jogging when she made another turn 85 yards later.  The direction made sense, even though now the tracklayer’s path wasn’t nearly as visible.  I could see the lead weaving through some weed stalks with tangle potential, and dropped it briefly (as I frequently do) to prevent a jerk from a snag – and just that quickly the 10-feet of lead that had been trailing behind me was moving away – fast! 

I raced along behind and made a couple of fumbling grabs before coming up with the lead again.  I had a hopeful thought that maybe the tall grass had shielded my less than graceful stumbling from the view of the judges and gallery, but I didn’t have much time to think about it because Danika was sitting down – her indication that she had found the glove!  I reeled the lead in as I ran the last 20 feet telling her what a good puppy she was, and waved the glove overhead for everyone to see.  She did it!!

Judge Ed Presnall: It was sunny and warm in northern Wisconsin. The cover was shoulder to head high with some areas reaching nine feet in height. The light wind, when there was a breath at all, did not move a blade of grass in the field and had no chance of reaching the ground along the path we had plotted for the tracks. Although it was in the mid 60's outside, the heat radiated from the tracks and the exhibitors that had already run their tracks all commented about the stifling heat, heat they quickly forgot about when they passed!

When we saw Cheri Faust carrying Danika towards the start flag, my co-judge and I smiled. We'd just seen a Belgian trio of a Tervuren, a Sheepdog and a Laekenois fight their way through the head high cover we'd plotted the TD tracks in and now we would watch this Wire Dachshund work through the field.

In reality, although the field looks rough, there was quite a lot of room between the growth for the dogs to work. The problem, like most tracking tests, was that the person that held on to the lead caused most of the problems. In high and heavy cover the tendency is to continually get the dog's lead tangled thereby frustrating the dog by stopping it's forward progress and making it wait while the handler untangles the line again.

As Danika left the start flag it appeared to be a footrace, with Danika cutting left and right like a running back heading for the goal line while Cheri crashed through the grass, mullens and overgrowth trying to follow, hold the line and keep everything untangled. Midway down the 140 yard long, all uphill first leg, the line was hopelessly tangled in the underbrush. Cheri calmly untangled the line while Danika tapped her foot as if to say "Well, let's go!"  Reaching the first corner, Danika swung right making the open turn. Cheri hesitated as if to ask herself if it could really do that when Danika pulled her across a mowed path and back into the heavy cover. Ninety-five yards later, Danika made a hard right turn and headed downhill. Covering the next seventy-five yards as a blur of colors flashing through the head-high cover, she turned left and climbed uphill for one hundred and twenty-five yards to the glove.

When we caught up to them Cheri was holding and hugging Danika and waving the glove above the high cover for all to see. They might have been the smallest team to complete on this day, but together they emphasized what teamwork and cooperation between the handler and the dog was all about. Like has been said, when the conditions get tough, the tough get going, and we proudly watched them cut through the cover and underbrush to their title.