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Earth Dog Trials at AthleticDogs.com

Earthdog trials test the working ability and instinct of the small, short-legged terriers. These dogs were bred specifically to track and hunt vermin that live in underground dens, thus Earthdog trials involve a controlled hunting encounter to work with those natural instincts.

Earthdog trials use man-made underground tunnels containing protected quarry (usually a rat protected by bars across the ends of the tunnels). The dogs must scent the rat, follow the scent to the quarry, then work the quarry by barking, scratching, staring, or using any other active behavior to indicate the quarry has been found.

Earthdog trials and tests are available across North America and around the world. Terriers and similar dogs are bred to work, and Earthdog training allows them to use their natural instincts to succeed in a recognized dog sport. Working your dog keeps him or her happy, healthy, and well-behaved, and earthdog is the perfect sport for many terrier, dachsund, and other small hunting breeds.

Earthdog Organizations

The AKC has long sanctioned Earthdog tests in the US. They are intended as noncompetitive venues to gauge a dog’s natural hunting aptitude. The AKC limits participation to specific breeds, click here for a list of breeds permitted to participate in AKC sanctioned Earthdog tests. The AKC breaks the tests into more specific steps and parts than the AWTA.

The American Working Terrier Association (AWTA) also sanctions Earthdog trials across the US. The breeds allowed to compete are also limited – check the list of AWTA earthdog breeds here.

The CKC sanctions Canadian Earthdog trials.

AKC Earthdog Breeds

The following breeds are classified as eligible to participate in AKC Earthdog tests:

• All Dachshunds
• Australian Terrier
• Bedlington Terrier
• Border Terrier
• Cairn Terrier
• Cesky Terrier
• Dandie Dinmont Terrier
• Glen of Imaal Terrier
• Parson Russell Terrier
• Lakeland Terrier
• Manchester Terrier
• Miniature Bull Terrier
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Norfolk Terrier
• Norwich Terrier
• Rat Terrier
• Russell Terrier
• Scottish Terrier
• Sealyham Terrier
• Silky Terrier
• Skye Terrier
• Smooth Fox Terrier
• Welsh Terrier
• West Highland White Terrier
• Wire Fox Terrier

AWTA Earthdog Breeds

The following breeds are recognized (and therefore able to compete) in AWTA den trials:

• All Dachshunds
• Australian Terrier
• Bedlington Terrier
• Border Terrier
• Cairn Terrier
• Cesky Terrier
• Dandie Dinmont Terrier
• Fell Terrier
• Wire Fox Terrier
• Smooth Fox Terrier
• Glen of Imaal Terrier
• Jack Russell Terrier
• Jagdterrier
• Lakeland Terrier
• Norwich Terrier
• Norfolk Terrier
• Patterdale Terrier
• Scottish Terrier
• Sealyham Terrier
• Skye Terrier
• Welsh Terrier
• West Highland White Terrier

Other small terrier breeds may compete in the miscellaneous class.

Earthdog Training & Equipment

For Earthdog test and trials, the dog must be familiar with den work and quarry in order to reliably meet the expectations of earthdog tasks. The essential skills for earthdog trials are:

Basic Obedience:

• Tunnel Training: Any dog can be trained to work a tunnel with a little patience and practice. It is beneficial to begin training with a short tunnel, about 6 feet long with no bigger than a 9 inch opening. Once the short tunnel is mastered (your dog responds to your non-verbal signal, the dog seeks kibble or treats inside, complete darkness is not an issue), the training can move on to a longer tunnel with corners and turns.
• Quarry: Quarry tracking is largely an instinctive behavior, but earthdogs still must practice the skill.
• Distracted Recall: Earthdog dog’s tend to be very focused on the quarry they find, thus training the rapid recall (come back to the handler) can be tricky for some dogs. It can be especially difficult because the dog often must back up through the tunnel to exit and the recall command is a timed factor in higher level earthdog trials.

Earthdog equipment needs include:

• Tunnels: Wood or composite tunnels are excellent for practicing different configurations and mastering traversing and returning from the tunnels.
• Quarry: Most earthdog handlers elect to use lab rats (the ones sold as snake snacks at the pet store) for training purposes. Some trap squirrels or other small animals using a Havahart trap, practice with them for a short time, then release them back into the wild.
• Quarry Cage: Quarry cages are intended to protect the quarry from the earthdog during practice and trials.
• Tunnel Bars, etc.: The final step of training for earthdog is to block off the end and either retrieve the dog through a trap door (Junior level) or recall the dog back through the tunnel (usually requires them to back up through the tunnel).

Earthdog Competitions

The AKC and AWTA Earthdog trials vary both in composition and purpose.

AKC Trials

The AKC requires that all Earthdog participants be registered with the AKC. The dogs do not have to be intact, but mixed breeds may not participate in AKC tests. AKC Earthdog tests are broken into several steps of increasing difficulty, as follow:

• IQ I and IQ II (Introduction to Quarry I & II): The intro level is designed to acquaint the dog with going to ground (following a scent trail) and working a rat (an active cue to indicate the rat has been found). The IQ I and II levels feature a ten foot tunnel with a single right angle turn. The rat is at the end of the tunnel (in a cage for protection) and the dog is expected to find and work the rat. At this level, the handler is allowed to encourage the dog’s effort, and the judges might even help by rattling the rat’s cage or make noises to encourage the dog’s instincts. The introductory level is noncompetitive.
• Junior Earthdog (JE): Junior earthdog is the first level of AKC competition that offers a title. At this level, the tunnel is 30 feet long and includes three right angle turns. The competing dogs have 30 second to traverse the tunnel and reach the quarry, then must work the rat for 60 seconds and allow the handler to remove the dog when the time is up. To earn a JE title, the dog must qualify twice under two different judges.
• Senior Earthdog (SE): The Senior Earthdog level is significantly more complicated. The dog must first follow a 20 foot scent line (above ground) to the tunnel entrance, then traverse a 30 foot tunnel with three 90 degree turns to reach the rats. There is also usually a decoy, dead end tunnel that contains a rat nest, and the dog must not be fooled or distracted by this on his or her hunt. Once the rats are found, the dog must work the rats for 90 seconds. Once that 90 seconds are up, the rats will be removed, the handler will recall the dog, and he or she has 90 seconds to return to the handler.
• Master Earthing (ME): The top AKC title for Earthdogs is the Master Earthdog. The most complicated trial includes working together with a second dog to find the tunnel entrance from a distance of 100 to 300 yards. The tunnel is designed with obstacles intended to simulate roots and other contrictions, and the dog must find the quarry and work the rats for 90 seconds. Additional distractions include a false tunnel entrance, a false den, and a judge scraping or digging alongside the tunnel. Once the working portion of the trial is complete, the handler has 15 seconds to remove the dog from the tunnel. A portion of the scoring at the Master level is on how well the dog honors the other dog. That is, while one dog is completing his work in the tunnel, the second dog is expected to wait quietly and patiently outside the tunnel. Four qualifying scores are required to achieve the AKC’s Master Earthdog title.

AWTA Trials

The American Working Terriers Association has been testing earthdog skills longer than the AKC with the intention of promoting and testing the working abilities of terriers and dachsunds. The AWTA awards Certificates of Gameness to terriers and dachsunds who achieve a score of 100% in the Open class.

The Open class trial requires the dog to be released near the 30 foot tunnel opening. The dog has 30 seconds to find his or her way in and reach the protected quarry, then must work the quarry for a full 60 seconds.