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Duci, my Standard Poodle, got her T.D. What a thrill! What a high! I've been in Obedience over 20 years; I'm always happy when one of my dogs gets a degree. I've been judging for 20 years, and I'm excited when I see a 200, but nothing compared to the feeling, the rush that I got when Duci brought her head up and there was the glove in her mouth!
Thanks to Lenape Tracking Club, I got my start at T.E.D. in 1992 and with their help and encouragement was able to pass at their trial of November 7, 1993. Due to judging assignments, this was the only trial I could enter this year. What luck!
I had watched some of the other tracks run, and the dogs were working beautifully! Their drops were nice new leather gloves.
I drew track #8; I was a nervous wreck! I think I calmed down when I saw the field; it was beautiful. Vicky Brown's dog passed in that field last year. I put Duci's harness and line on, walked to the first flag, she sat and put her nose down and I said, "O.K. Duci go tracky track" and off we went until just past the second flag - she stopped! I don't believe it. She did her business. Well another "Go tracky track" and she got back to work. A left turn and we headed down the field. Like the battery commercial, she kept going and going and going; I thought she must have missed a turn but no, the leg was 165 yards long. After that the legs seemed short; three more lefts and a right towards the pond but into some higher grass. Is she right? Just go with her. Sure enough she brought her head up with a glove - lots of praise and hugs (from the judges) - but I hesitated when I took the old glove from her. I wondered if it was the right glove and was told the tracklayer forgot to take the new glove home with her and with the judges' permission had used one of her own very well worn gloves. The track took eight minutes. While we were out there working it seemed to take forever, but then it seemed like it was all over in a minute.
Besides the help I got from Lenape, I owe a lot to Nancy Withers and Berdell Koch for their help and all the tracks they laid for me. We couldn't have done it without you all.
A big THANKS from Ruth and Duci U.D.T.
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