September 2000 Earthdog Trial

Saturday, September 23 turned out to be a cool wet muddy fall day. I was all psyched up for the trial. Mom wasn't too hopeful for me to get a qualifying run in my senior class since my last trial's performance. We had done a practice session after the last trial and I had done better, but we hadn't practiced since then. Well, I fooled her! I qualified and got my first senior leg. To get a Senior Earthdog title you have to qualify three times under at least two different judges. Here is what I did.

I first ran straight over to the judge. The judge is always sitting by the rats, so you should always check there first. The judge shooed me away. *meanie judge*

You have any rats around here?

I think there are some down by your feet.

I then ran all over until I found one entrance. Down I went. But then instead of finding the rats I came out the other entrance. I then ran around a bit to see if the rats were above ground. They weren't. So I went back down the entrance tunnel and this time I found the rats. You should have heard me. I told those rats that I was going to bite their heads off. I dug like crazy, but those annoying metal bars were in the way. Then that darn judge took the rats out of the tunnel. Well, I knew what that meant. The rats were now above ground, and they would be fair game. So quick as a shot I popped out of the tunnels. A lady was carrying the rats so I jumped up to get them. Then Mom called me and I went over to her and she picked me up. She was so proud of me and told me what a good boy I was. Yep! I'm a grand dog. I was brillant!

Uh Oh, game over.

Here I am getting my ribbon with my friend Mac, the Scottie. Mac also qualified that day. We both got bandanas that said we were the 2000 Colorado Rat Patrols Finalist.

Look at us!

Sunday, September 24, we had lots of snow. It was a lot of fun. I didn't qualify because I decided that one ribbon a weekend was enough. Wouldn't want Mom getting ideas. Besides it is more fun to make up your own rules. As usual, I ran over to the judge to find out if she had any rats. She did, and she was nice and didn't shoo me away this time. So I started digging like crazy. Since I wasn't going to stop, the judge then told my Mom to call me over and try and get me to go down the tunnel. That's why I didn't qualify. Mom isn't allowed to do that.

Hurry up Mom!

Off comes the collar

Rats, here I come!

Mom, called me over to the tunnel entrance. I went down but I didn't find the rats. I found the other entrance. So, then Mom called me back over to the other entrance again. I tried it again and this time I found the rats.

Got Rats?

Hoover, Over Here

Oh, I had a lot of fun, insulting the rats and digging and biting at the bars separating us. Then that darn judge took the rats out of the tunnel. I knew what that meant. I did the same that I did on Saturday. Quick as a shot I popped out of the tunnels. A lady was carrying the rats so I jumped up to get them. Then Mom came and grabbed me. Mom praised me again. I'm such a good dog. She wasn't even upset that I didn't qualify. What a Mom!

Happy Ratting!