Introduction to Quarry Class

Couple of weeks ago we took Sam to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to experience some Earth Dogging. This was put on the by the Scottish Terrier off Greater Washington DC. We signed Sam up for the Intro to Quarry class and didn't know what to expect. We started the class with about 10 or 12 other dogs, mostly Terriers and couple of Dachshunds. It was great to see the mixture of dogs and fun to see how they reacted to the live rats.

The class started with all of us in a big circle with the instructor walking around with 2 rats in a cage (8" x 6" x 6"). Of the 12 or 13 dogs in the group, about 4 or 5 of them had never even seen a rat. So it was interesting to see the reaction of the dogs. Some dogs went crazy when they saw and I assume smelled the rats. Some dogs showed a little interest or not interest. Sam and another newbie, a Boarder Terrier, went crazy when the rats where near them. They were pulling on their leashes, barking like crazy and quivering. When I say barking I mean a very strained, very high pitched bark that is only reserved for chasing animals (squirrels, cats, etc.) It was a bark that you don't hear too often. But he was having a great time, very alert, very interested and seemingly having a great time.

Next step was to line the dogs up and go through an above ground straight away. The above ground tunnels was essentially 8 or 10 feet long and made out of three 2 X 8's in the shape of an upside down U. The instructor put the rats (in the cage) inside the "tunnel" and as the dog started to go into the tunnel they pulled the rats through and the dog in theory should follow. Sam's first attempt (first in the class) was great! He went right into the tunnel and chased after the rats. He acted like he had been doing it for years. We did this exercise twice and both times he went though with no problems at all.

The next round the added a small 90 degree turn into the mix. The 90 degree turn added another 3 feet of so to the total. Evidently the 90 degree turn is harder for the dogs and something that is not entirely natural for them. After a little hesitation, he went right through and again attacked the rats with more vigor. He really seemed to love what he was doing. We again did this two times and both times he did great.

Final exercise for the day the instructor added another 8 or 10 foot straight away to the 90 degree turn. So it was essentially a large L, with both ends the same length. This time, Sam found this configuration a little harder. He went into the tunnel and backed out a couple of times. Then after a little time, he would go right through. We did this twice and he did a great job.

We talked about taking him to the underground Intro to Quarry and after talking to the instructor we all decided to end on a high note and knock off for the day. The other reason was for most of the day it was raining. We were soaked to the bone.

I did get to talk to the instructor the training and she really encourage me to continue training Sam. She said he had natural talent and that in her opinion he could go all the way to Master EarthDog ... here's hoping. I know we both have alot of work in front of us. I believe and it will make the Sam happy and will help Sam bond with me and the family.

I have done alot of looking for resources on training and working with an EarthDog and have found a little, but not too much. I just received the book called Earthdogs Ins and Outs 2nd Edition. I am very pleased with the books and can't wait to read all of it and put it to practice.
Sam and I have some private training in the next couple of weeks, I can't wait. I am sure Sam would be really looking forward to it also, if I could tell him.

That's it for now ...

Sam the Man

We have had Sam for just under four years now. As you can see he is a West Highland Terrier. He will be three in September and has been a fantastic dog. He is just been a great animal. He has loved one thing consistently, squirrels. He goes crazy when he sees a squirrel ... crying, scratching at the door and just going generally ballistic. I typically will let him out the door and chase the squirrel. He does so with gusto. Then I have to either go get him or he will come in when he can't find the squirrel up in the tree. He does the same for rabbits, cats and any other rodents-types he has seen. My wife and I call this his "squirrel mode". When he is in squirrel mode, he is not trustworthy and cannot see anything but the squirrel.

Over the past couple years we have collected a number of the stuffed squirrels for Sam to play with, which he does every night around 8pm ... his time choice, not mine. He usually begins by chewing on it a little and then he starts breaking the squirrels neck, sometimes with serious effort, sometimes a little lazy. Other times he does this in conjunction with us watch TV. If he sees another animal on TV, (stuffed) squirrels watch out ... its neck breaking time.

The other big outlet Sam has is walking with me. I usually go out on 2-3 mile walks every night around 9pm. I usually take Sam every other night. I am always concerned with him with the heat, hence the night walks. Even with the night walks though, it can be hot and steamy. He seems to like them and help keep him fit and trim.

More coming on the Earthdog ...