Tracking Tails

Whether they are short blurry tails or long wavy tails, our Welshie’s tails never stop wagging when they are ‘on track’. All being well, it is the only view we have while our dogs are tracking. It also gives us the best indication of whether our gundogs are tracking or just out for lovely walk. Every dog differs in the way they track but they all generally have three modes of body language, which include a tracking mode, a searching mode and (hopefully never at a trial) a hunting mode. Tracking trials are held over winter in Australia to minimise the risk of snakes and heat exhaustion. The dogs work very hard and are always 'dog-tired' after a trial.


Prior to 2009: Tracking Trials TQT (pass/fail), Test 1 to Test 6 (Graded).

From 2009: Tracking Trials Test 1 to Test 7 (Graded).

From 2009: Track and Search Dog Trials Test 1 to Test 6 (Graded).

Gradings: Fail/Pass/Good/Very Good or Excellent.

Some dog’s titles cross over old and new rules so test numbers may not be successive.
Please see ANKC website for detailed rules and regulations.


In 2010 we had nine Welshies (that we were aware of) taking part in Tracking trials, the following is what each Welshie has achieved so far. 

Delta – Dual Ch. (T) Tazlon Saffvenc Tayla


Tracking

T.D. – Tracking Dog Title

20.06.2004 Mrs Denise Burriss TQT Pass
10.07.2004 Mrs Dawn Howard Test 1 Excellent
18.07.2004 Mrs Lynn Klecka Test 2 Good

T.D.X – Tracking Dog Excellent Title

04.06.2005 Mrs Lynn Klecka Test 3 Very Good
21.08.2005 Mrs Kim Houlden Test 4 Excellent
11.09.2005 Mrs Denise Chrystal Test 5 Very Good

T.Ch. – Tracking Champion Title + Ch. Title=Dual Ch.(T)

21.05.2006 Mrs Lynn Klecka Test 6 Very Good


Track and Search Dog

14.06.2010 Mrs Kim Houlden Test 1 Very Good
 21.05.2011 Mr Peter Miller Test 2 Very Good

 
Delta is nearly seven and is owned and handled by Lindel Moore now moved from Vic to Tassie. Her sister Bernadette handled Delta to her T.D. Title. The first two tracks must have a known tracklayer, which was me, and Delta yip-yipped the whole way for both, much to the amusement of her judges. Bernadette had tracked her Dobe’s and was very reluctant to give up Delta and her delicate and precise tracking.

Beau – Dual Ch. (T) Wispan Early Edition ADM JDX GD SD SPDX


Tracking

T.D. – Tracking Dog Title

08.04.2006 Mr Mal Holland TQT Pass
14.03.2007 Mr Mal Holland Test 1 Pass
22.09.2007 Mr Roel Whitkamp Test 2 Pass 

T.D.X – Tracking Dog Excellent Title

11.05.2008 Mrs Heidi Christoffel Test 3 Good
22.06.2008 Mr David Horsley Test 4 Good
20.09.2008 Mr Roel Whitkamp Test 5 Pass

T.Ch. – Tracking Champion Title + Ch. Title=Dual Ch.(T)
10.05.2009 Mrs Heidi Christoffel Test 7 Good

Track and Search Dog

20.06.2010 Mr Roel Whitkamp Test 1 Good
19.06.2011 Mr Roel Whitkamp Test 2 Good

 


Beau is seven and is owned and handled by Janet Richmond in Queensland. He is a clever boy who competes in agility and jumping as well. Apparently, he likes to track between the jumps which, doesn’t do wonders for his times, much to the frustration of his mum. Beau lives with Gemma (ESS) and Reuben (Brittany) who also do tracking, agility, jumping and now dancing.

 

Fergal – Dual Ch. (T) Slyvkin Gale Force


Tracking

T.D. – Tracking Dog Title

18.05.2008 Mrs Helen Schaecken TQT Pass
06.07.2008 Mrs Tracey Knox Test 1 Excellent
17.08.2008 Miss Tiki Friezer Test 2 Very Good


T.D.X – Tracking Dog Excellent Title

24.08.2008 Miss Tiki Friezer Test 3 Very Good
05.07.2009 Mrs Helen Schaecken Test 5 Excellent
13.06.2010 Mrs Pauline Hartwell Test 6 Very Good


T.Ch. – Tracking Champion Title + Ch. Title=Dual Ch.(T)

22.08.2010 Miss Tiki Friezer Test 7 Very Good



Fergal is nearly four and is owned and handled by Moira McGregor in NSW. He took to tracking with exuberance and strength, which made him hard to handle on the longer undulating forest tracks. Moira said the downhill legs were positively dangerous, but amusing for others to watch her hanging on for dear life! Fergal lives with Six, English Setter 12, who also put her paw to tracking when she was younger.

Daisy – T. Ch. Dellkarn Daisy Rose ADM4 ADO JDM4 GD SPDX SDM


Tracking

T.D. – Tracking Dog Title

14.07.2008 Mrs Trish Wileman TQT Pass
24.05.2009 Mrs Dawn Howard Test 2 Very Good
31.05.2009 Mrs Trish Wileman Test 3 Very Good


T.D.X – Tracking Dog Excellent Title

12.07.2009 Mrs Trish Wileman Test 4 Good
17.08.2009 Mr Peter Miller Test 5 Very Good
31.08.2009 Mrs Kim Houlden Test 6 Good


T.Ch. – Tracking Champion Title

29.08.2010 Mrs Lynn Klecka Test 7 Very Good


 
Daisy is seven and is owned and handled by Heather Eaves in Victoria. She is a very clever girl and very recently achieved 6th place in Dogs Victoria Top Agility Dog 2010 competition. They have been concentrating on their agility this year so Tracking was on the backburner until recently, but now Daisy is a Tracking Champion. Daisy lives with Indy (Beagle), who also does tracking. 

Tomos – Dual Ch. (T) Slyvkin Tomos O’Merton AD JD


Tracking

T.D. – Tracking Dog Title

17.08.2008 Mr Peter Hofto TQT Pass
13.09.2008 Mrs Helen denHartog Test 1 Good
14.06.2009 Mrs Lynn Kleck Test 3 Very Good


T.D.X – Tracking Dog Excellent Title

05.09.2009 Mrs Kim Houlden Test 4 Very Good
12.06.2010 Mr Rob Tester Test 5 Good
25.07.2010 Mrs Lynn Klecka Test 6 Pass


T.Ch. – Tracking Champion Title + Ch. Title=Dual Ch.(T)

11.09.2010 Mr Peter Miller Test 7 Very Good

Track and Search Dog

21.05.2011 Mr Peter Miller Test 1 Very Good
Tomos is six and is owned and handled by Yvonne Tomkinson in Tasmania. Yvonne says: he has a great nose and when he puts his mind to it can do some beautiful work…but being a typical Welshie…I believe he pleases himself in most things he does. Tomos lives with two Labs, Duke (14) Field/Retrieval/Tracking Ch., Jazza who does agility, jumping and tracking, and Archie (German Wirehaired Pointer) who’s started tracking.  Tomos is the fourth welsh under current rules and regulations to achieve his Dual Ch. (T).

Echo – Dual Ch. (T) Tazlon Deldu Echo


Tracking

T.D. – Tracking Dog Title

11.07.2009 Mrs Josie Miller Test 1 Excellent
06.09.2009 Mrs Denise Burris Test 2 Excellent
13.06.2010 Mrs Dawn Howard Test 3 Excellent

T.D.X - Tracking Dog Excellent Title

12.09.2010 Mrs Trish Wileman Test 4 Excellent
19.06.2011 Mrs Kim Houlden Test 5 Very Good 
20.08.2011 Mrs Kim Houlden Test 6 Very Good

T. Ch. - Tracking Champion Title + Ch. Title=Dual Ch. (T)
11.09.2011 Mrs Helen den Hartog Test 7 Excellent

 
Echo is three and is owned and handled by Lindel Moore in Tasmania. She is a gung-ho tracker and has everyone puffed who has to follow her. Echo lives life at 110% and applies the same enthusiasm to her tracking, which generally means I’m jogging for the whole track. She LOVES tracking and has learnt to howl along with Delta in the car while I’m out laying training tracks.


Shadow – Ch. Slyvkin White Knight

 


Tracking

05.06.2010 Mrs Trish Wileman Test 1 Very Good
09.07.2011  Mrs Kim Houlden Test 2 Good



Shadow is three and is owned and handled by Helen Watson in Victoria. A special mention needs to go to Helen’s brother, Ray (a novice handler) who handled Shadow for his test one with a great result…well done! Shadow was very keen to find his ‘lost’ mum, but since then he has decided that he’ll do some hunting as well. Shadow lives with/terrorises two Border Terriers, Pippa 15, and Trekker 12, who also started tracking this year and got a pass for his first trial, a fantastic achievement for his age.

Gandalf – Ch. Glenquayle Gandalf


Tracking

12.06.2010 Mr Rob Tester Test 1 Pass
11.09.2010 Mr Peter Miller Test 2 Good

 


Gandalf is nearly nine and is owned and handled by Elizabeth Weston in Tasmania. He has taken to tracking with enthusiasm and starts wagging his tail as soon as Elizabeth gets his harness out. Gandalf is proving your older dog can find a new lease on life and learn new skills. He lives with Glayynne (WSS) and Morag (Gordon Setter) who will both be giving tracking a go.


 

Magic – Lornelane Folklore n’ Fable


Tracking

T.D. - Tracking Dog Title 

22.08.2010 Miss Tiki Friezer Test 1 Very Good
12.06.11 Mrs Tracey Knox Test 2 Pass
07.08.11 Mr Kevin Speed Test 3 Very Good


 		 Magic is nearly nine and is owned and handled by Ellane Garside in NSW. She is starting to get the hang of tracking and gets into the excited Welshie waggle when her tracking harness comes out. Magic and Ellane have been learning together and are more proof that you can teach an older dog new skills. 


Dylan - Dual Ch(T) Richochez Bedwyr Rhodri


Tracking

T.D. - Tracking Dog Title

09.05.2010 Mrs Deb Lamprecht Test 1 Excellent
23.05.2010 Mrs R Lahz Test 2 Very Good
06.06.2010 Tiki Friezer Test 3 Good

T.D.X. – Tracking Dog Excellent Title

07.06.2010 Mrs Deb Lamprecht Test 4 Very Good
04.07.2010 Mrs Mim Brunker Test 5 Very Good
24.07.2010 Mr Jody Brown Test 6 Excellent

T. Ch. - Tracking Championship Title + Ch. Title = Dual Ch.(T)

25.07.2010 Mrs Coral Pethers Test 7 Very Good

Track & Search Dog

18.06.2011 Mrs Deb Lamprecht Test 1 Very Good


It is believed that Dylan is the youngest WSS to achieve his Tracking Championship. He achieved this at just 10 months of age after completing seven straight tracks (over 12 weeks) without a failure. Dylan also qualified for Puppy of the year at the same time as he was achieving passes in tracking. Dylan lives in Rockhampton, Central Queensland and travels many hours to compete in a tracking trial, up to 6 hours one way.
Dylan has also started to compete in Agility & Jumpers and has achieved a
number of passes towards his titles.

Dylan joins two other Tracking Champions:
Aust Ch. TCh Lindessa Corip Eleanora AD ET (Irish Water Spaniel)
Dual Ch (T) Tintookie Spice Girl TSD ADM JDM GDX SDX SPDM ET (Irish Red & White Setter)

[Details as submitted by owner Annette Kirkwood]

 

Well done to all of you!!


It takes a lot of time, effort and training to achieve the results mentioned. Dogs and handlers are judged as a team, there is no guarantee of a pass and most dogs will have some fails along the way. Tracking is a wonderful community, everybody is happy when you pass and sad when you don’t. It’s never too late to give it a go.


Please forward updated Tracking information regarding any past and present Welshies as well as any new Tracking Welshies not featured.


Happy Tracking Tails!!

 

[Originally compiled by Lindel Moore]