LAMZ

Performance events are a fun way to break out of the confines of the Conformation ring. We compete with our dogs in Earthdog, Coursing Ability Testing, Barn Hunt, Agility and Rally-O.

Earthdog is a test of terrier instinct. In Junior Earthdog the dogs are released at the starting point and with no other assistance from the handler they are to find the entrance to an underground tunnel, crawl through the 30' tunnel(with two 90 degree turns) within 30 seconds and get to the rats at the very end. They work the rats, which can be biting, digging, lunging etc until the judge tells the handler to come collect the dog. No rats are harmed during the trials (they are kept in metal cages which are placed behind wooden dowels) and most of the rats fall asleep during the trials! The Senior and Master levels have increasing difficulties, including false dens and exits in the underground tunnels, constriction points (where the tunnels get smaller) and other obstacles for the dogs to overcome. The dogs love the sport and it is very neat to see your couch potato turn into a true terrier.

Coursing Ability Tests (CAT) are simulated lure-coursing events where a thin rope, with three plastic bags attached to it, is woven across a field using a system of pulleys to create a course about 600 meters long. A motor then pulls the rope and lures around the field at high speeds, allowing the dogs to "give chase" and follow their "prey." This test simulates the running down of game, such as rabbits, in a field. The dog must complete the course without interruption and with enthusiasm in about a minute and a half in order to receive a qualifying score.

Barn Hunt is a relatively new sport which, similar to earthdog, tests the dog's hunting instincts. In Barn Hunt, an obstacle course of straw bales is made up and, at the Novice level, three PVC tubes are placed hidden in the course. One of the tubes is entirely empty, another contains used rat bedding and the third tube contains a live rat. The dog must climb over one hay bale, navigate through a "tunnel" created by hay bales and then find and indicate to the handler where the rat is in a limited amount of time. In the upper levels of competition, there are more tubes (both false tubes and rat tubes) and the courses are bigger and more challenging.

Agility is an obstacle course of sorts with jumps, tunnels, teeter-totters, chutes and other equipment that the dog must successfully navigate in order to qualify. There are many levels, and various events, within the sport and the courses get increasingly harder as the dog moves through the levels.

Rally-O is a mix between agility and obedience. There is a course made of numbered signs that show the movement to be performed at those stations. Some of the signs might require the dog and handler team to do something as simple as "left turn," while other, harder signs, may require a dog to heel in a "figure 8 with distraction" where the dog must heel and ignore food or toys placed in its path. It is timed incase of a tie and then the best time wins. Handler-Dog interaction is greatly encouraged, including patting your leg, clapping your hands and talking to the dog, especially in the lower levels.
We have many dogs with titles in all four of these events. While we don't get as much time for performance as we'd like due to our busy conformation schedule, we do try to make it to several performance events each year!