Sniffing The Path To Detective Karma

by Diane Young McCormack

In the summer of 2017, a girlfriend stayed with me while she was trialing her Spirit daughter in a local NACSW trial (National Association of Canine Scent Work.) I grabbed my Nikon and followed her to the site of the trial, hoping to take some candid shots. By the time I had removed my lens cap, Lacy has found the hidden scent. I was hooked!

Since I am a Charter Member of Truckee Meadows Dog Training Club, I signed up for their scent work classes. I was amazed at how quickly Karma took to this new activity, although it took “me” some time to adjust to the fact that I was expected to award her with copious amounts of treats - since I never use bait for my dogs in the conformation ring. Karma and I were soon at the level where I thought she might be ready for her first trial. My girlfriend and I decided to enter the Idaho trials in mid-May, an easy 6-hour drive from Reno. Lacy was the big achiever during those trials, having a head start in NACSW, but Karma and I did pick up a few legs (wins) towards her Novice title in Interior, Exterior, Buried and Containers. In months, Karma was titled in these four Novice elements.

Karma completed her AKC Dual Championship in December of 2018 and from then on our sights were set on scent work. Over the next couple of years, Karma and I were soon were a regular team at several of the trial sites in California. We had to overcome several challenges, the first being living in Reno and having to travel west over Donner Summit in my 20-foot Leisure RV which meant no trials on weekends when the pass was closed because of snow. Then there was the fact that Karma was still an intact bitch, and no trialing is permitted of a bitch is in season. We persevered.

A dog has to have earned a Master element title to enter the Detective level, and on February 8 of 2020, Karma and I entered our first Detective trial. Then Covid happened! Covid put a damper on everything including scent work trials. Many of the trials were cancelled, but the ones put on by some of the clubs in the Lodi, CA, area remained open and lucky for us, while they did not allow parking of motor homes or trailers in their parking lots, my small van was approved. Karma earned her first Detective leg in the late fall of that year. I was ecstatic. Detective is hard, as it should be.

The Number One rule in trialing a dog in scent work is “Trust Your Dog.” Oh, but this can be so difficult at times, especially when that nose of hers indicated to me that she had a find…

NOT. Or, when I would actually back her into a corner and “talk” her into a find…NOT. Or, when I missed by one hide and joined the “made-up” club of “Missed One Hide.” At the Detective level, the handler does not know the number of hides –there can be from 5 to 10. The hides can be any combination of Birch, Anise, Clove and/or Cypress. The search is timed. The search area can be from 2,000 to 5,000 square feet –both interior and exterior areas are included – and the hides can be placed accessible or inaccessible. The hides can also be placed as high as the judge wishes them to be, which could include the judge getting on a ladder to place the hide on a ceiling fan. A dachshund can be at a disadvantage which makes it more challenging.

Over the next two years, Karma and I attended many Detective trials. (In the meantime, she achieved her Silver designation in AKC conformation.) In the fall of 2022, Karma had won 8 trials, and I could taste victory. There was a trial being held in Santa Rosa in midOctober at the fairgrounds. Oh no, our track record at fairgrounds wasn’t too good because of all the other rodent smells which sent her off course. But, we were on a roll so I entered. The first day, the Detective trial was held in a chicken coop – yes with feathers and chicken poop and everything else in play. It was almost magical to see Karma clear the area and alert to 8 hides in a record low setting time of 3 minutes, 11 seconds and eight nano seconds for another First Place. Nine wins – one more to go.

I entered the trials being held Thanksgiving weekend and prayed for good weather so I could get over the summit. The trial used the house of another scent work exhibitor and the search area consisted of an outdoor patio area surrounding a pool, a garage, sheds and an outdoor area with farm equipment, ladders, tubing, coils of rope…the area seemed endless –totaling almost 5,000 square feet. Our run was early in the morning. Talk about pressure. I looked down at Karma and actually said out loud to her, “You know, I have not been your best handler, so how about today YOU lead?” I let her 12-foot lead go to its full length until she was at the end of it and she took off. Her alerts are unmistakable – a sharp head jerk and sometimes she adds a bark. She cleared the patio area, alerting on a couple of hides, ran over to a high fence and alerted and then she was off to the garage where I unhooked her and she found two more hides. Back on lead and then she was outside and ran inside a dark and smelly shed…one more hide. Out of the shed and she charged ahead to the back of the property. I could hardly keep up with her. Now we were up to 9 hides and I looked at my timer watch and had only used 6 minutes of the allowed 12 minutes. Was there a final hide? The judge just stood there with a poker face. Then I noticed the back side of the shed where she had found the interior hide. Had we cleared that area? I couldn’t remember, so I gave her the command “Search” and she was off. There was a single window and she jumped up on her hind feet and reached as high as she could to the very top of the window and gave me that neck jerk and this time she added a bark. I called out “ALERT,” Number 10, “FINISH.” “Yes,” said the judge. I threw Karma up in the air and screamed, and I know all my scent work friends awaiting their turn, heard me as well.

DETECTIVE KARMA!!

At the Desert Valley Dachshund Club weekend Faith won Best In Specialty Show under Judge Charlotte Borghardt, Select under Judge Marilyn Hickock and a 1st Award of Merit under judge Mary Olich Nie. We are so proud of this little dapple bombshell and thank all the Judges that have found her worthy in their ring. Look for Faith at select shows during 2023!

Breeder: Debbie James DASH’N DOXIES www.dashndoxies.com dashndox@att.net

Owners: Heather Ackby & Janet Donnelly

LONGDOGIA

DACHSHUNDS www.LongdogiaDachshunds.com

LongdogiaDachshunds@yahoo.com

A big thank you to all the judges that awarded Puzzle in his short time in the ring for his Championship and Grand Championship during 2021 and early 2022. Stud service available to approved ladies.