Continued success for Freddie!

This past Sunday the Skåne-Blekinge taxklubben hosted a grytanlagsprov and grytapporteringsprov. Both Freddie and Baxter participated. Sunday was not Baxter's day. He was a bit distracted and spent the 3 min time sniffing and wandering around instead of entering the den. Since he did not enter, he could not get a grade, but the judge wanted him to have a positive experience, so I was allowed to put him in myself and allow him to bark. He entered and did good work (the judge apologized since he would have passed had he entered). In all the practices this year he was working at the bars of the pot and working for a good amount of time, so I was hopeful, but unsure that Bax would perform to the best of his ability. Oh well, dogs are not machines and some days work and others don't. Baxter has great hunting drive, but Sunday just wasn't his day. Baxter received a Kval 2 last year at the same test, so I had hoped for a Kval 1... anyhow, there is always next year.

Freddie on the other hand is a hunting machine. He received a Kval 1 last year on his grytanlagsprov and loves the den. He is in amazing shape this year (he has lost about 1 kg and is pure lean muscle) and was SO excited to be at the grytprov location. On a previous practice, the Kval 1 dogs were allowed to try apporteringprov. This involved dragging a dead fox (approx 6 kg) roughly 6 m in length which includes one of the turns in the den. The dog is allowed 10 min time and the owner is allowed to encourage the dog by voice. The dog MUST pull the animal to within arms length of the opening and the owner is allowed to pull out the dead animal.

5 dogs were tested on apportering and all 5 dogs passed! The fasted dog retrieved the fox in as little as 1 minute (not Freddie, but a very talented Danish female wirehair)! All got high praise from the judge.  :)

He looks happy after a good day's work! Good boy Freddie!

What is MORE exciting is that Freddie now qualifies as an Eftersök dog for Gryt (Tracking dog for underground). To qualify this, he had to pass the following:

1.) Grytanlagsprov Kval 1 (den test quality 1)

2.) Viltspåranlagsprov (blood tracking aptitude test)

3.) Grytapporteringsprov (den retrieving test)

Now we really have to get the brown dog a jaktprov! Good boy Freddie and good work!