Working Samoyed News
 Sledding, Weight Pull, Herding


 


      
The Road to Two TD(Tracking Dog) titles in a week...Bode's story



 
      As told by Bode, with help typing from Jan & Ann Schlobohm
 
Well it started when I was 10 weeks old and my girls (Jan and Ann) took me to a big grassy field 
where I met a very nice lady named Debi who showed Jan what to do.  They put something called a 
tracking harness on me, laid a bunch of food in a line on the ground, and told me to FIND.  
My big brother, Jakie, was there to give me support (although he kept saying that sheep were 
better).  I decided hot dogs were good and sniffed along the footsteps until I came upon a glove
  . . . . That was the start!!  My girls continued to take me to fields, schoolyards, dirt patches, 
and soccer fields periodically where I followed Ann's footsteps, eating those treats along 
the way.  As time went on the tracks got longer, turns were put in, more articles were dropped 
along the way, eventually those yummy food drops ceased to exist, and Jan got further and further 
behind me (20-40 feet).  As I got more confident, I pulled harder and faster and Jan held on tighter 
and prayed not to trip and fall.  I was now tracking for the pure joy of it.  I had planned to 
certify last winter before my 1st birthday, but my girls said something called hormones hit me 
(what that had to do with my nose is beyond me!)  They also said it was time to stop traveling 
as much with Jakie (and I'd do anything for my big brother).  So . . . . Fast forward a year 
to December 2008 when I met an old herding friend of my girls who also tracks.  She laid me a 
long, regulation track and when I finished said I should try and be certified (since tracking 
tests are few and only a small number of tracks per test can be laid, a dog must be certified 
before entering a test).  Right after Christmas and the day after I earned my AHBA JHD title 
on both sheep and goats, I passed my certification on the first try.  My girls then shelled out 
the big bucks and entered me in two AKC and one ASCA TD tracking tests and then waited.  
Participants are drawn by a lottery system.  As luck would have it, I was drawn 6th in a 6 dog 
test for the first AKC test and also got pulled for the ASCA test the same week (Sunday and the 
following Saturday).  So a couple of weeks after I turned 2 years old, I went to my first tracking 
test (AKC).  I was really EXCITED!!  My girls were just nervous.  Gee, I'm glad I'm a BOY!!  
At the test you then get to draw (in your pull order) for which track you run.  My girls could 
just wait, since Jan pulled last, so got what was left, which turned out to be track #2 at the 
AKC test.  The following Saturday at the ASCA test she got to pull first and drew track #1.  
I loved both tracks, sniffing and pulling along (OK, I did take a couple of water breaks 
which was fine, being well hydrated helps the nose) and after pulling along for 465 yards and 
five turns on the AKC and 480 yards and three turns on the ASCA I found the end glove on both 
tracks, and listened to everyone screaming and yelling and watching those humans jump up and 
down, well, maybe I joined in too!!!  And you know, you sure get gobs of cuddles and pets 
when you've done a good job, particularly if you're as CUTE as I am.  They let me keep 
the gloves (now on the trophy shelf with all my Big Brother's things) and took lots of pictures.



 




 I'm now known as:  Int. Ch. Argent's White Wolf Wild Time, AKC/ASCA TD, RN, HT, PT, HCT-s, 
JHD-s,g, CGC, TT.  But most of all, I'm a truly loved and fun loving boy.