We attended the Lacawana Kennel Club Earthdog test in Moscow, PA over the weekend and both my dogs qualified both days in Intro to Quarry.

The next Earthdog test is for the Finger Lakes Kennel Club July 18-19, 2009.

There will be morning and afternoon Junior and Senior tests.

What's involved in Earthdog? Are only certain breeds allowed to compete?

What fun. Congratulations. That sounds like a really good time for your Border Terriers.

Earthdog Tests are AKC sponsored events for smaller terriers. There is an underground 9x9 inch tunnel that has a quarry at the end so the dogs can then work the animal. Live rats are used for these tests. The animals are not harmed in any way but protected by cages and bars.

It is a test of the dogs natural instinct to find quarry underground and mark it for the handler. Not really much to watch from a spectator perspective.

Thanks for asking.

I'd rather see the rats harmed

Duffy and Darby passed the Junior Earthdog test in Newark Valley, NY at the Finger Lakes Kennel Club trial held last July. It was very exciting because that was on Saturday and they were both moved to the Senior Level on Sunday. Neither Cheryl nor I had studied the rules for Senior ED.

Darby did qualify, the little rascal, and was handled by Chery; however, my handling error caused Duffy to be 6 seconds over on the recall. The judge told me he came out once the false exit, in plenty of time, but I had no idea where that was located and did not see him. Duffy did everything great.

We are traveling down to Moscow PA for the Lacawana Kennel Club trials Aug 22-23. We are registered for Senior both days. We will see how the rat chasers will do!

Can you post any photos? How do they know what they've done if no one can see anything?

The tests are timed. So for Junior Earthdog the dog has 1 min to get to the rat area ( the rats are protected behind bars in cages ) and start working. The judge sits there and waits to hear the dog working and they actually have little plastic tie downs to help. The tie downs move when the dog arrives.

Then the dog has to work the rats (aka quarry) for 1 minute. When that time is up the judge calls you over to remove the dog. This is very important to be sure to praise the dog for working so well.

The tunnel is 30 feet long and has 2 or 3 90 degree turns. The entrance is sloped and the start line is 10 ft away with a sent trail all the way to the quarry.

There really is not much to photograph. I will try to take some pictures this weekend and maybe post them.

The Senior and Master levels are more complicated and there is an Intro to Quarry that we all started in last year and earlier this year.

Thanks for your interest in the sport!

I forgot one thing -- there is a door close to the quarry where you can encourage and stroke your dog while he/she is working the quarry. Then you lift the dog out in Intro and Junior levels. The senior level the quarry is removed and the dog has to be recalled from the tunnels.

Hope that helps!

Earthdog pictures:

http://classic.kodakgallery.com/cheryl_pictures/pets

Pictures of the Earth where the liners would go in are located in :
Earthdog_Moscow_Aug_2009 8/24/09

We just returned from Crosswicks, NJ and Duffy completed his Senior Earthdog Title.

We also participated in the American Working Terrier Association event held there on Sunday and both Duffy and Darby earned their "Certificate of Gameness" from that organization.

There is a local AWTA event in West Blomfield May 22, 2010.

If anyone has questions please ask.

We were just down in NJ with both the lady running the Bedlington and the lady speaking. Oct 31, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okhBDE64Qc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzG5IREOUEw

Other viedos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0GW-Y6YHqw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zll2_HoSzcQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9fX7z8c ... re=related

"Breed All About It" on Animal Planet video about Border Terriers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9fX7z8c ... re=related

Enjoy!

VERY COOL!

Thanks for sharing!