Earth dogs are having too much fun!
By Patti Webb
Dogs having fun with their human buddies? It's an automatic red flag to animal
rights groups that means there must be something to complain about. This time
it is the American Kennel Club earth dog trials, sometimes called "go to
ground" events, that prove the dog's inherent ability to track rodents
and also create a lot of fun.
Although in evidence since 55 BC, little is known about the sport by those
not directly involved, so it's easy fodder for rumor mills and conjecture. There
are strict rules to protect the safety of the animals involved, nothing is killed
or maimed, there's no blood, just a demonstration of the instinct-driven behavior
that tenacious terriers and pint-sized hounds have maintained for hundreds of
years.
Recently, animal rights demonstrators have attended these sporting events in
their quest to prevent any kind of interaction between animals and people. They
have demanded that the live rats be replaced with mechanical replicas, inflaming
the general public with claims and accusations that alrm the misinformed, attract
publicity, and create a fund raising platform.
Earth dog events
In reality, these strictly controlled events simply revolve around the age-old
instincts of some breeds to chase and captureunderground prey with unbounded
enthusiasm. The games involve different types of nine-inch by nine-inch reinforced
tunnels, leading to a den and meant to mimic an underground lair for badger,
fox, opossum, rodent, any kind of predator or vermin. There are rats at the
end of the tunnel in wire cages, behind bars, so they cannot be harmed or inflict
harm. As the dogs move up in qualification, the tunnel route increases in complexity
with man-made tree roots, twists and turns for the dog to navigate. In the master
earth dog class, dogs are worked in randomly selected pairs. The first dog will
find and enter the appropriate tunnel, the second dog must 'honor' the other
dog's find and quietly guard the outside of the tunnel while waiting its turn
to enter. In a natural setting, this would protect the first dog from attack
by a varmit returning to the den while the dog is still underground. The tunnel
is considered worked after the first dog has alerted its owner to the quarry
by sustained barking for at least 90 seconds.
Only dachshunds and certain terriers are allowed to qualify. The Romans called
them "workers in the earth." The Latin root for the word terrier is
terrarii or terra, the word for earth. The terrier group's breed standards describe
physical attributes needed to perform these tasks: the Australian Terrier is
"spirited, alert, courageous, and self-confident, with the true natural
aggressiveness of a ratter and hedge hunter"; or a Jack Russell's back
is "laterally flexible so he can turn around in an earth,"; and the
Scottish Terrier has a "varminty expression." The Border Terrier is
defined as "a working terrier of a size to go to ground and able, within
reason, to follow a horse; his conformation should be ideally built to do his
job."
Those unfamiliar with the games may not realize that the participatory rats
are not chosen at random. There are actually carefully planned families of rodents
sought after for their spirit and willingness to take part in this sparring.
They often exhibit excitement at the game and challenge the dogs. The rats'
handlers are careful to protect them and the dogs as well from an actual physical
encounter that could cause injury. AKC regulations state "The quarry to
be used shall be adult rats. Two rats are required and shall be caged at all
times. Water and food must be provided for the rats during the trial. The judge
shall be responsible for the care and safety of the quarry during the test."
Dogs are judged on their ability to alert their owners to the presence of prey,
not to kill it.
The abilities demonstrated in these trials are illustrations of the attributes
that first brought dogs and humans together, out of mutual need. It should be
the goal of every true dog enthusiast to preserve and maintain this symbiotic
relationship. Even if not directly involved, we should follow the examples set
by our canine friends and 'honor' our fellow dog fanciers who wish to participate.
We all need to show support for sporting events such as agility, obedience trials,
lure coursing, and field trials so we can keep these wonderful partnerships
alive and well.
References
1. www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/activities/earthdogs.html (no longer online)
2. AKC website: breed standards
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