Luna, TDX

Flickering Fire Reach For The Sky VCD2 BN RN TDX AX MXJ MXF ACT2 CGC TKP

“Luna” earned her Tracking Dog Excellent title November 10 at the Lenape Tracking Club test in Pittstown, NJ.

There were 5 tracks with 2 passes. First, let me say thank you to the club, club members and judges who made the day possible. The weather was cold and overcast, the ground dry but it had rained that week so tracking conditions were very good!

Luna drew the first track of the day, which we began at 10:33, and it had aged 3 hours and 15 minutes when we started. Luna often is a slow starter but this day was especially so. Once she started she was strong the entire first leg, which was 55 yards. She indicated the first turn and made it with no problem still pulling and sure of her direction. We went up a small hill, crossed a gravel road and continued on for 130 yards. Now Luna indicated she had overshot the turn and came back, circling round and round. This turn caused her to check forward, right, and left over and over again. I gave her water, talking to her and telling her she was doing a great job. We worked this turn for a long time! Luna never quit and finally indicated a left turn and again was sure and pulling me nicely. I later learned this was where the cross tracks were. Now on our third leg we were headed towards large farm equipment and I was thinking it can’t go this way...but Luna was sure and I trusted her. She tracked through the equipment on both sides of us, checking some of it out, but kept going straight across a dirt/gravel lane and then a few more feet to our first article! She indicated the article, we stopped, had some water and on we went. This leg was 260 yards and again she overshot the turn. On one side of us was a hedgerow, and the other was an open field. Here I thought it would made sense for the track to turn into the field, but Luna came back, again working a long time until she found where the track went through the hedgerow, down a short gully. Now this was our fourth leg (160 yds), and she was pulling harder still up a hill. Soon I saw the second article ahead of us, which Luna indicated by lying down! We took our time here, resting, having some water, and I told her she could do it and was almost to the glove. I was thinking we actually had a shot but knew I had to stay focused. As we were about to start again, something caught Luna’s attention in the horizon. I could see it was a weird tree stump but knew she had to check it out before she would get back to work. She started in the direction of the tree stump but quickly realized it was nothing and got back to her job. Whew! Luna was working hard now, casting and pulling. She knew she was close to the end, and I did too! Just keep my head in the game! She made the last two turns easily and quickly, an open turn to the left for 105 yds then a right turn for 100 yds. Now I knew we were close and Luna was searching...she found the glove easily and sat right on top of it! With tears in my eyes I ran to her and put my arms around her, petting her and telling her what a great job she had done. We played tug with the glove and jumped up and down!

This was not an easy track for us. It took us 45 minutes to run...a long time. Two of the turns she worked very hard but never quit, and I tried to keep my head in the game and encourage her. Our judges were patient and let us work through our problems, which made getting to the glove all the sweeter! This was truly one of the most exciting moments with my dogs!

I am so very proud of my little girl who has accomplished so much in just 3 1⁄2 years. This is my very first TDX title. I look forward to all the future has to hold for us.

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