Last week at Eagle Valley Search Dogs team training our one and only Miss Emeline got a nice practice trail down a mountain side, through a creek and swamp and happily found her subject!

The trail was laid around 930am and we let it age 6 hours with both human and dog contamination at the start, plus multiple cars driving over it in the beginning.

Our subject is the teal blue, and Eme and I is the purple. Working both many known and blind trails, plus many real trails i know that taking her straight down elevation like above is complicated and she works her butt off to sort out the drifting trail scent and  stay close to right on the trail. What i love about this, is you see a dog who truly works her scent, and works it well. She gives clear negatives, always re casts and picks up the trail again with clear body language signals that let me know if we are on, or in fringe as she sorts it out.

Trailing dogs are A TON of work, and require not only a lot of time and commitment, but a good backing of supporters to help lay trails, go out with you running through the woods at mach 10 speed in 80 degree heat and rain, and a genetically solid dog. Anyone looking to practice some wood navigating experience in and around the Middletown NY area let me know, as long as you are at the end of her trail with some ham or a ball you will have one insanely happy black shepherd in your lap!