We passed our 20 hr JGHV blood tracking test Friday. There is usually only 1 of these test offered each year in this country and less than 6 dogs take it. This time 5 tried and only 3 passed. Here are the details.
I took this test under the
Southeastern hunt chapter of the Verein Deutsch Drahthaar. They are a member of the JGHV testing organization. This is the German testing organization for hunting dogs. I will set the test up for you. It is a 1000 meters (.6 miles) with .250 ml of blood ( 1 cup) aged a minimum of 20hrs (ours was 25 1/2 hrs old when we started. The trail was laid with hog blood and Baby had never worked a blood trail with hog blood. In fact she had never even smelt or seen a a hog. It was laid right after it had rained 3 inches and then after it was liad the rain started and it rained most of the evening and night for a total of about 1.5 inches more.
We started off in the pines and went down hill for a long ways before breaking out into some hardwoods. Here we turned right and worked our way down to a creek were we followed along the creek for what seemed like a very long time. About 30 minutes into this section of thetrackBaby waschecking many crossing along the creek she indicated that she had found the spot were the deer crossed and she went across and up the hill. At this point she was tracking but not really pulling and that is when it happened I got a call-back for being to far from the track. At this point I was asked were I wanted to restart as the judges can not bring you back to the trail only to a point you indicate you want to goto. I choose to go back to the creek but remain on the new side of the creek. So we went back and started at the crossing. We did not even make it up overthe hill but at a different angle when we got our second. I was just getting ready to call Baby back because something did not feel right but I did not do it in time. This time I choose to go back across the creek to the original side and work the trail before the crossing. This time baby worked up to the crossing checked it and went on. This is were I should have started over at the first time. We eventually did cross the creek. From then till the end no problems. We finished in just under 70 minutes. I will try to take the test again next year if offered to improve my score. A dog is only allowed to take the test 3 times and only allowed to pass 2 times. I will also take the 40 hour tracking test then. I blame her for the first call back and I will take reponsability for not properly handaling her on the second call back. I should have taken her back the first time to the original side of the creek to make sure that the turn was correct. If this had been a real track she would have worked out a little further and then turned back when she figured out it was not the right track. But in the test the dog is not allowed that freedom and must stay close to the track.
Wildlands
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Top quality Bavarian Mountain Hounds for tracking wounded game. www.hillockkennels.com
Standing left to right Judge: Leonard Chase Basco, IL Sr. Judge: Jörg Table Germany Test Director: Fred Turjan Mifflinburg, PA Kneeling Ken Parker and Baby with our hog that was at the end of the track.
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Top quality Bavarian Mountain Hounds for tracking wounded game. www.hillockkennels.com
Bragging a little on my dog
