At Sunday's Houston Dachshund Club field trial, Babe (see previous blog entry) was 3rd in the class of 6 Field Champion Bitches. Oslo, FC Audi Oslo von Dorndorf, was 3rd of 8 Field Champion Dogs. Babe is owned by Tina Knoll, Oslo is owned by Stan Knoll, both dogs were handled by Stan. Congratulations on a good weekend!

FC Bob's Babe von Knobydox, bred & owned by Tina Knoll out of DC Nadja v Dorndorf L SE, was handled by Stan Knoll. Judges were Mary Powell and Rick Schwarz. (I see they were in t-shirts in Kirbyville, Texas today!)

Interestingly, 1st through 4th and NBQ in the Combined Field Champion class of 15 were ALL Longhairs!

Reminds me of something former DCA President Larry Sorenson wrote one time: There are really only two varieties of dachshunds, longhairs and those that wish they were.  ha, ha.

Congratulations to Tina, Stan, and Babe! Many thanks to Ashley Dumas for the photo.

I made a new site banner, changed the font and color schematics a bit, FINALLY made a page for Viljo, and now I have started on the News Blog. I've decided to work on this page beginning with most recent events (more than less) and work backward. It will be easier that way and that way, too, SOME news will still be news. I have a lot to add, it's been a very busy couple of months. Please stay tuned.

Listening to Rush Limbaugh on the radio on my drive to work today, I heard Rush talk about Telstar by the Tornados. I hadn't heard that tune in ages! I had never heard the story of why it was written and how popular Telstar was.

Tonight after walking with Nexus and Viljo, I looked up Telstar. You can read about it on the video description on You Tube. It was nice to sit back with my eyes closed and listen! Does this music sound familiar?

Svante, 2 years old, is father of my new youngster Viljo. Svante's owner Tia Eskelinen of Finland tells us what happened.

"A man called us at 6.30pm on Friday that he has shoot a deer but they can't find it. They have checked one area but it's already dark and they need help. We just took our flashlights (that you can keep on your head) and a dog and drove to that hunting cabin you saw. We met the hunters there and drove to the place where they found some blood. It was about 7pm. They showed me that here is some blood and that is the way the deer run and I showed that blood to dog and said nothing - and he started tracking! I was so excited that I didn't remember to say the word "jälki" what I always use when we start tracking. He did so well, all the time I knew that he is on line. He was full of energy but still calm, he tracked very carefully. Once he spend more time checking under trees (maybe deer has been lying there a while) and few times he smelled ground more carefully (maybe there was some more blood, I didn't see, it was so dark). I was checking the area all the time and then I saw it, deer was lying down on ground. I told shooter that goes to check that deer and very soon I let the dog go to see the deer. Svante has never seen deer before and first he looked that like thinking "oh no WHAT is that?!". Very soon he realised that it's not going to kill him and oh he was sooo proud! His ego filled the whole forest! After tracking we were so proud of Svante, his career couldn't start any better!"

Good job, Svante, Tia and Jarkko! Here's to many more deer recovered!

I found out when I was in Finland in August that the Finns imported whitetails from the States in something like the '40s. Today they have a very healthy whitetail population and whitetails are a favorite game animal. (But not more favorite than the moose!)

A few months ago, I predicted that my car would turn 300,000 miles by Thanksgiving. It turned 300 K today! It happened on my way to work, in Zanesville, just before the 6th Street Bridge over the Muskingum River.

My car is a Honda CRV. I bought it new in March, 2000 at Roush Honda in Westerville, Ohio when I still lived in Westerville.

Essentially, I'd used the Consumer Reports Auto Buying Guide to make the decision for me as to my next vehicle. CR certainly steered me in the right direction! It has been a great car with awesome reliability for 11 years. We will see how much farther down the road it takes me.

Congratulations to MACH2 Nutmeg v Dorndorf L CD RN CG and her owner/handler Maxine Brinker of Illinois! They competed in the Dockdogs® Nationals in Iowa. 8.5 year old Nutmeg did not best her personal record of 8.5 feet but she jumped well and they had a great time! Maxine reported that the water, taken from a fire hydrant, is very cold and many larger dogs, including a number of retrievers, were refusing to go in. Not so, Nutmeg!

900 dogs came from all over the country to compete in this event. WOW! Many participants told Maxine that they had never seen a dachshund jump or swim and they really enjoyed watching Nutmeg!

Many thanks to Mike Salem for sending these photos to Maxine and free of charge!

At Sunday's trial of the Madison Area Dachshund Club, Oslo placed 4th of 15 Field Champion Dogs while littermate Ochre placed 4th of 14 Field Champion Bitches! Oslo is owned and handled by Stan Knoll, Ochre is owned and handled by Laura Knoll. Congratulations!

This was at the Madison Area Dachshund Club field trial in Roscoe, Illinois today! Also, Oslo was NBQ of 10 Field Champion Dogs. Congratulations to Laura Knoll with Ochre and Stan Knoll with Oslo!

The Deutscher Teckelklub water test consists of two shots being fired from a shotgun nearby, a dead duck being thrown 26 meters (85 feet) into deep water, and a determined dachshund swimming out, retrieving the duck, and bringing it back to his handler. It also fulfills DTK requirements as a test for gun steadiness.

Today, Nexus passed the water test for the 4th time. He did a nice job!

FC Ray Bob's Gretel von Knobydox JE has added BHP-1 Prize 3 to her list of accomplishments. Gretel, out of DC Nadja v Dorndor L SE, is owned by Jennifer Fry and was handled by Laura Knoll. It was unfortunate that Laura and Gretel could not participate in the BHP practice session two days ago. Laura bravely entered Gretel in BHP-1 today anyway. They did a very nice job!

The DTK Belgleithund, or "Companion Dog" test consists of three parts. BHP-1 includes heeling with a time of heeling free, recall from 30-50 meters, five minute down stay 50 meters away with distractions, reaction to loud noise (hammer hitting a steel pipe), reaction to people (at least six people coming in close to dog and handler at the same time), and reaction to traffic while heeling along a road and halting before road crossings. "Traffic" includes a bicyclist coming up from behind and ringing a bell, a pedestrian opening an umbrella in front of the dog, then opening a newspaper, dog staying quietly at heel while handler 'asks for directions', and a car driving past.

Here is a video of Gretel and Laura performing a super recall!

MACH2 Nutmeg v Dorndorf L CD RN CG (8 years), Sage v Dorndorf L (13 months), and Cadium Aurinkosoturi (5 months today), all passed the DTK test for steadiness to gun at the NATC-sponsored event in Roscoe, Illinois. This is an important accomplishment, for the Deutscher Teckelklub specifies "a dog may only participate in a hunting test or test of innate ability if he has proven he is not gun shy." Thus Nutmeg, Sage, and Viljo may now participate in such tests.

Nutmeg and Sage are owned by Maxine Brinker of Illinois. This was Maxine's first time attending NATC events. Said she had a lot of fun!

I made the following video of Viljo during the test. The first of two gunshots has just gone off and the video starts with Viljo running back to me. However, he is running back happily, in no way appearing to be fearful or terrified in the manner of a gunshy dog. (We have learned that this test does require some judgement on the part of the judges.)

The dog is to be off lead and approx. 30 meters away from the handler when the shots are fired. With a dog that tends to stay closer to the handler, one way to accomplish the distance is for the handler to back up while the dog is moving forward. This works to increase distance - until the dog notices and comes running back!

You will hear judge Larry Gohlke call "wait" to gunner Cheri Faust as Viljo returns to me a couple of times. When he gets far enough away again, the second shot is fired. Viljo's reaction is quite sound, (pardon the pun), then he happily runs back once more. I believe that is Carrie Hamilton, the other judge, chuckling in the background. Good boy, Viljo!

It was a family affair for three longhaired bitches earning Certificates of Gameness (CG) today! This was at the American Working Terrier Association den trial in Roscoe, Illinois. DC Nadja v Dorndorf SE and MACH2 Nutmeg v Dorndorf CD RN are sisters. FC Ray Bob's Gretel von Knobydox JE is Nadja's daughter.

Nutmeg had never done any earthwork but she did not let that stop her!

"Certificate of Gameness" is awarded to a dog that qualifies with a score of 100% in the Open Class at an AWTA trial. The dog is required to travel a thirty-foot earth, reach the quarry within thirty seconds, then work the quarry continuously for a full sixty seconds.

Congratulations to Stan & Tina Knoll with Nadja, Maxine Brinker with Nutmeg, and Jennifer Fry & Laura Knoll (handling) with Gretel!

A zuchtschau (breeder's show) of the North American Teckel Club was held today in Loves Park, Illinois. Our judge was Andreas Tornau from Germany. I found Mr Tornau professional yet fun in his demeanor, informative yet succinct in his commmentary, and strict yet fair in his judgements. I enjoyed the day and I know others did, too!

The primary purpose of a zuchtschau is for dogs to be evaluated by a DTK judge so they may receive an official conformation rating. A rating of Vorzuglich (Excellent) or Sehr Gut (Very Good) is required for a dog to be used for breeding in the DTK system. People not breeding in the DTK system, however, may still show dogs for ratings. It is an informative experience to show to a judge from the country of origin of the dachshund; it serves to broaden perspective. It is also fun!

My FC Alpine Owl von Dorndorf was rated Vorzuglich (Excellent) which means he is now V rated x 4.

Maxine Brinker's 14 month old Sage v Dorndorf L receieved an SG (Very Good) rating because she is presently way out of coat. But Maxine was so happy that the judge liked her Nutmeg that she hardly noticed! (Nutmeg is spayed so she did not receive a rating.)
Tina Knoll's FC Bob's Babe von Knobydox was rated SG for the very same reason. The Germans are strict on coat. They are strict on a number of things about which we are rather lenient. And they are rather lenient on some other things about which we are more strict. Like I said, it is an interesting and educational experience to show to a judge from Germany. It tends to tweak the mindset.

Following is a video of Stan Knoll in the ring with his six year old FC Audi Oslo von Dorndorf. This is their first time in  the conformation ring together.  I showed Oslo at a zuchtschau one time a few years ago where he was rated SG because he weighed half a pound over 22 pounds, the weight limit for a V rating. Today, Oslo weighed 9.5 kg which is 21 pounds. We figure that a weekend of field trials before Oslo's weigh-in today must have been a good thing! He showed well for Stan.

Before I began recording, Oslo had been on the table you'll see on the right side of the screen. He was weighed on the digital scale, his chest was measured, he was briefly examined for two testicles, and thoroughly examined for all his teeth and for no malformations of his bite or of any of the vertebrae in his tail.

Beginning this year, the DTK (of which NATC is a member club) also requires each dog to undergo a basic temperament test. First, the judge pays close attention to the dog's behavior during examination on the table. Then after the dog has been shown, it's reaction to  the loud noise of metal hitting metal - dog off lead - is observed.

NATC's zuchtschau guidelines tell us to remember that the dachshund is a hunting dog. Handlers' dress is casual and grooming of the dogs is minimal. There is no 'stacking' of the dogs, very little baiting, and dogs are shown in a variety of leads and collars, including flat buckle collars. Nothing fancy, this is all about the dogs.

Here's Stan and Oslo. They have already gone around the ring a few times. This clip begins after about a third of their time in the ring.

at the Minnesota Dachshund Club field trial today! It was held at the Northern Illinois Beagle Club in Roscoe, Illinois.

Owl, owned and handled by yours truly,  won the class of 14 Field Champion Dogs, won Best Field Champion, then went Absolute Winner in a total of 83 entries at the Badger Dachshund Club field trial today! Babe, owned by Tina Knoll and handled by Stan Knoll, placed 2nd in a class of 18 Field Champion Bitches! Judges in the photo above are Pam Bethke (left) and Sherry Ruggieri. There's a picnic table in front of us and Owl thinks that one of the prizes on the table is a toy. Owl covets toys.