64 Saber Tails Fall 2017

Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America

greeted by smiles and friendly faces at local tests.  There was plenty of food and coffee, providing a welcome warmth.  

Later, as I walked up to the basket to pick my track, there were two Easter eggs left…which one to pick (pink or blue)?  I 

selected the pink one, opened it with some apprehension...Track 1.  Woo Hoo!  The 1st track...no waiting while others run 

in front of you.  No time to get too stressed or nervous.  But, we get to set the tone for the rest of day.

Back outside we drove the short distance to our track.  The temps were in the 20’s with a wind chill around 11 degrees.  

I got Eleanor out of the car.  She knew what was about to happen.  

A

s we started walking toward the judges, they pointed in the general direction of our track and said “Good Luck.”  Sat-

urday had brought some snow to the area.  Unfortunately, it didn’t snow that much.  The snow was more of a heavy 

dusting which did not cover the vegetation.   

I 

led Eleanor up to the start flag.  Along the way, I could see the snow had been disturbed, but not really footprints.  She 

took her usual quick whiff on the start article and we were off.  Soon, she raised her head indicating she had lost scent 

and began to circle back to the left.  This is typical turn indication from her.  As she circled back she picked up the scent 

again and veered back to her right…we were off again.  Whew.  One turn down and Eleanor was on her game.  Suddenly 

she stopped, sat, and let out a loud and demanding “AROO.”  We had reached the 1st intermediate article.  It was Norm’s 

cap!!!  (Norm was our tracklayer).  I walked up, told her she’s a good girl, picked up the cap, and waved it above my head 

so the judges could see we had found it.  Then, I told Eleanor to find the next one.  Now she really started giving me 

an ear full because she wanted a treat.  (In training, she is always rewarded for finding the article.  This helps add to the 

value of the articles and encourages the dog to want to find and indicate the articles on a track.  In a test, there can be 

no treats on the track.  So, she was going to have to do without until we got back to the car).  With continued encourage-

ment, off she went.    

S

oon after that, we crossed what we would later find out was the 1st set of cross-tracks.  I don’t remember Eleanor 

giving them any notice, but others said they thought she might have briefly stopped at them.  We got past the cross-

tracks and Eleanor continued pulling strong with good indication.  Then she lifted her head again and started searching 

more than circling.  This part of our track had small (1-2’ high) pine trees and stick trees.  These were tall enough to get 

the tracking line tangled as Eleanor searched for the track.  I did my best to keep the tangle from impeding her move-

ment and worked to free the line while trying to watch her for signs that she had found the track.  All the while telling 

myself to stay calm, be patient and let her work.  Finally, she found what she was looking for and we were off again.  We 

crossed out of this vegetation to short grass.  We blew by what we would later find out was the 2nd set of cross-tracks 

without any acknowledgement from Eleanor and made an open angle turn which at the time I didn’t even recognize 

as a turn.  She was picking up speed across the open ground and there up ahead I saw something lying in our path.  It 

could be a plastic bag or debris. We would find out because Eleanor said this was the track.  When she got to the item, 

she slowed down, briefly touched it with her nose and gave me a quick backward glance that said, “Here’s the next ar-

ticle, pick it up on your way by, because I’m not stopping if you’re not giving out treats.”  Sure enough when I got there it 

was a rag or tea towel weighted with a rock.  I picked it up and waved it above my head.  By now, Eleanor had indicated 

another turn so we took a left and headed to a tree line.  Our 1st obstacle!  It was the narrow end of the tree line with 

close growing sumac stems.  Eleanor was moving through it quickly.  My tracking vest got caught on a tree limb.  I told 

Eleanor easy.  She was not listening, but rather, was totally into the track.  When I broke out of the tree line, she had 

already crossed the short distance (approx 10 yards) to the next thicket.  She had turned and started to work the edge 

of the thicket.  The snow was deeper there, but I saw no footprints.  I told myself to be patient, let her work it.  Soon she 

circled back and headed into the thicket.  “Ok...I’m following…it clearly goes through here.”  As I was trying to make my 

way through this obstacle, I was thinking “How in the world did Norm, who is a big guy, get through here?”  It was tight, 

but I guess maybe he left a lot of good scent behind because she was really moving.   

W

e came out the other side and we were on a little higher ground and totally in the open.  A little way down the 

track, Eleanor made a quick turn to the right.  Now, I started to think we might really pass because we have to be 

close to the end.  We would later learn that this leg is some 200 yards long.  All I knew was the wind was right in our faces, 

it was cold, I was really starting to “suck air” and Eleanor was driving into the harness like she never had before.  She also 

did some brief vocalizing, which she had never done before on a human scent track.  (I think it was because the wind 

was blowing the scent right into her face.)  As I was practically running to keep up with her (I didn’t want to give her any 

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