Testing your terrier: Can you dig it?

IF YOU LIVE with a terrier, you know that these dogs love to dig and live to hunt. Those behaviors are strongly developed instincts in these little dogs who were developed to find, dig out and kill rats, moles, gophers and other vermin. Their name comes from the Latin word "terra," meaning earth.

A terrier's love of digging can be frustrating to lawn- and garden-proud owners, but you can channel your dog's natural desire to carry out underground search-and-destroy missions with a sport called Earthdog, offered by the American Kennel Club, which allows him to exercise his instincts in a fun and constructive way.

To get started in Earthdog tests, you can practice at home in your own backyard or a nearby park. Help your dog find the scent of a rabbit or squirrel by showing him where one has just run into the bushes and let him do some sniffing and following. This gives him the idea that his job is to scent out quarry and that the two of you are a team.

Use cardboard boxes to make a tunnel. Throw a favorite toy or ball inside to encourage your dog to enter it. Once he has the hang of that, lay a trail through it for him to follow.

Make the scent with used bedding from the rat or rodent cages at a local pet store. (Ask them to save some for you when they clean the cages.) Soak the bedding in water, strain the liquid and use it to lay the trail.

A simpler route, if available in your area, is to sign up for the Introduction to Quarry class at the next AKC Earthdog event. This basic instinct test is enough to get many dogs started.

If you want to see if your dog can earn a title, sign him up for an Earthdog test. The tests, held at different levels, measure a dog's natural aptitude at hunting underground as well as hunting skills or behaviors he has learned. They are noncompetitive, meaning that your dog isn't out to beat any other terriers, but simply to show his skills.

All small terriers and any varieties of dachshund can compete. Dogs must be six months or older to participate in a test, but they can begin training earlier.

The beginner level, called Introduction to Quarry, has a 10-foot tunnel with one right-angle turn. At the end is a cage of rats. (Never fear: The rats are kept safely away from the dogs and are not harmed.) The dog is encouraged to follow a scent trail to the rats and to "work" them by barking or scratching at the area where they're located. This basic introduction to "den work and quarry" requires the dog to show that he's willing and able to seek and find his quarry (the rats) underground.

Once he passes the Introduction to Quarry test, a dog can begin earning titles, starting with Junior Earthdog and moving on to Senior and Master levels. As he works his way up the title ladder, the tests become more difficult, with longer distances, distractions and obstacles, such as PVC pipes or narrower tunnels, and work alongside another dog. Depending on the level, the dog must pass the test two or more times under different judges before a title is awarded.

Overachieving terriers can go for an Endurance Earthdog title, awarded to terriers who pass both the Senior and Master classes at the same event on five different occasions.

For more information on getting started, visit akc.org and search for Earthdog clubs in your area.