Armbruster 2010

The Wild West Chapter of the VDD was in turn for hosting the Armbruster HZP breed test and breed show for 2010. We chose Boise,ID as the event spot. It had some challenging water and field areas along with a central location in town,close to everything that was needed.
The weather made conditions challenging in the field for sure. It was very warm and dry and it made tracking rabbits and pointing scent conditions a real deal breaker. It was a smaller outcome than last year but all in all a great turn out.
We arrived the opening day of the event and checked out the water and breed show areas. Handlers and spectators began to join and gather, as we had the "Sears" father and son team managing the Beer Gardens and we provided a catered BBQ dinner with all the fixins Old West Style! After dinner the handlers and judges meetings were underway, and a plan was discussed so everyone involved was on the same page. Once all the official business was taken care of we started a Silent Auction that included a Moose Quilt, Blood Tracking collars,Dog Bed, and a Arizona Quail Hunt! We also talked Brandt Hardy into being our Auctioneer for the Live Auction we held as well that evening that had some nice items including a Yeti Cooler, California Waterfowl Hunt,and a California Quail Hunt! We also announced the winner of the Raffle for the Browning Citori shotgun.....which was Blake Gibson who also ran a dog and did very well. The first evening wrapped up around dark, as all had a big weekend ahead.
The first day of testing opened early, with field groups and water/breed show groups meeting up and heading off to the appropriate locations. The temperatures were still high, very warm and dry. Scenting was no easy task for any dog,and even the water portion of the test had it's moments of defeat as well. I was helping around the breed show and water areas, so I was unable to see any of the field work,but there was no lack of stories as to the outcomes.
The second day of testing was the same agenda, however field and water groups switched and continued on. It was another very warm, dry day. Scenting conditions were tough and made it challenging for the dogs. It was a long day in the field work portion and handlers were returning back to the hotel late afternoon. The water work and breed show went smooth, hot and buggy but that's water work. After all were done with the days testing they returned to the hotel worn and exhausted and were finally able to relax that it was all over. The "Sears" boys were back again with the Beer Garden festivities and the parking lot was like a scene from the wild west movies minus the horses and guns! Handlers,Judges,Organizers,Spectators alike were all enjoying the fun and camaraderie of good ol Draht Folks.
The next morning and last day of the event was full of more activities. After breakfast there was a Seminar on breeding that had a good attendance and the Parade of Dogs was in the afternoon. It was a nice warm day, and the parade went great, all handlers were able to show off there dog and spectators were able to get a better look at each one. This same evening was the Awards Banquet also. The silent auction continued and all that attended were able to walk along and get a good look at the Prize Table. There was no absence of prizes at this table. We had a great collection from hunts,puppy's,dog houses,crates and kennels,blood tracking collars and leads, to rifles,safes and of course some Drahthaar Addiction Gear!
All the handlers were called up and given their awards and had a shot at picking a prize. It is nice to see the handlers being awarded and congratulated by the VDD board for all their hard work. Awards were given to some of the organizers including myself for service to the breed and organization. A very neat experience for something I enjoy doing very much!
I want to personally thank Matt and Zac for all their efforts on the Prize Table and collecting donations. Prizes were put together nicely and the table was full. Julie for her diligent work on the Armbruster program. There was alot involved in getting the ads to look right. Paul and his wife Diana did a fantastic job keeping the ball rolling and keeping order, Cal and Lee along with their spouses for their hard work on the meals and merchandise, and Lynn for keeping the test running smooth and without issues. It takes alot of know how to get things done like that. I know alot of people had their hands and time into this event and you are not forgotten. Thank You one and all for another great time and help along the way. Hope to see you all again next year!
Click here for Test Score
Click here to see an Armbruster Photo Album on Facebook

Play Behavior and Dynamics

It's about time we discuss socialization,its importance, and play behavior. There are some people that may say this is all pointless talk. Those of us that have Drahthaars, that we have taught to be social, playful and well mannered dogs, would disagree I am sure.
Some see these as hunting dogs and that is all. Others see a hunting partner, home companion and travel buddy. Who wants to deal with a dog that doesn't get along well with other people or dogs? Either hunting or hanging around with others, it makes life a lot less stressful with a well mannered, socialized dog. All breeds need to be socialized. Some take to it with ease, some need coaxing, others need to be taught how to socialize and play appropriately. Drahthaars are one of those breeds that could use the extra help in the social department. They are high drive hunters with superb prey instincts. They work hard and are good at it too. They know it! Them knowing this tends to make most think in Alpha terms. They want to be the top dog, and choose not to engage in play and socializing. It is our job as handlers and owners to nip this in the bud. We are the alpha, we are in charge of everything! Appropriate play is important, when socializing your dog with other dogs, it is always best to have the other dog owners around and watching every move every second. Those that are experienced with dogs know exactly what the signs are, here is a little info and some tips.


Understanding social play behavior,dominant and nervous interaction will help in all aspects of handling your dog. There are basically play games that canines engage in.
The Hunt: A chasing game usually, one dog is acting "prey" and the other acting "hunter".
Most commonly the dogs will trade roles again and again. Often they will pause, check on each others emotional energy and verify that they are still "playing". You will most likely witness play bowing,body checks, faces are relaxed,"smiling", eyes are normal and not dilated. The acting "prey" may fall to the ground, allow themselves to be rolled to the ground,grabbed by the neck and play wrestle or fight. All this is acceptable play behaviour unless the roles never switch, you can see one dog getting to serious, barking or growling, baring teeth,playing to rough or not pausing. Once the other dog is frightened it will take on the persona of real prey with the tail tucked, eyes wide, shaking, running fast,etc. All signs it is time to intervene.
Play Wrestling or Fighting: Mostly fake posturing,wrestling,mouthing and noises, canines will chew on each other,mumble growls, one dog may be standing above another,flashing teeth, making noise. All is well as long as the dogs inhibit their bites, and no one appears frightened or like they are trying to escape.When this becomes to serious or a dog gets frightened, it is time to intervene. Most dogs enjoy interaction, dogs that are at play will show strong signals of such.
Play bowing, stretching,role switching in hunt or fight play, taking turns,pausing to check emotions and mumble growls . Usually dogs that are in proper play mode are easily interrupted. Play is basically just practice hunting and fighting, it can escalate quickly,every dog has their limits, so be aware.
Some inappropriate things to watch for include,chasing and stalking with teeth bared,placing or attempting to place a head on the other dogs shoulders,pushing or slamming into another dog, attempting to or humping and mounting, constant barking at another dog,moving in a direct path to other dog.
Most socialization issues can be easier dealt with in the puppy stage. Puppies learn how to communicate by engaging in play with other dogs.They may not understand at first and all dogs play at different levels and use different signals. From this pup's learn what is truly threatening and what is not. They learn politeness,confidence and social skills by being like the other dogs.
It is completely unreasonable and unfair to think all dogs will get along, but with a little help and some supervision, it is possible to make a dog understand the dynamics of play and socially acceptable behavior.

Racker

Racker came by for a short stay recently. He is a male Drahthaar from vom Elderbach.

He is about 7 months old, 60 pounds and a very energetic pup. He was fun to have and I think he left here having learned a few new things and hopefully a little happier. His owners are new to Drahthaar's and didn't quite know what they had on their hands until recently. Racker has been challenging their authority and not listening so well. Alot of it was the puppy in him, most of it was the lack of structure, that he required. This is common with first time DD owners. There is not a whole lot of info out there and not many people share the fact that...These dogs are not pets....

Yes, they make great companions by our side in the hunt and in the home, but they are trained and developed as young pups to be that way. If they are not shown the meaning of what is right and wrong to you, they will never understand their role.

This breed needs a ton of exercise,discipline and training that come hand in hand.They are born to hunt. That is what the breed is made for, the in home companion is a bonus deal. The discipline and activities must be in place for these dogs to adapt to what ever way we choose to "humanize" them. This is the same breed that was made to bay down pigs,track big game,fight off predators, retrieve all game furred or feathered, hunt field,forest and water till their paws bleed.

How can they be expected to be normal, calm, relaxed without proper discipline,structure and exercise? We love our dogs, you bet, but most were bred for a purpose....without that purpose in their lives, they can not be truly happy. By loving them, we should be giving them what they need. Right?

I was able to spend a few days with Racker. We got out into the field and water, went for searches and tossed bumpers. Put him on a few birds just for the exposure, awaken his senses so to speak. He listened to me well after a short bit and seemed to learn quickly all the things I exposed him to. Hessian and Racker had fun at home playing and Hess helped show Racker what "house manners" are. All in all I was impressed with Racker and his abilities. Given the proper structure, exercise,discipline and hunting activity he will be quite the partner to have around.

Best of luck to his owners, It is going to be alot of work and time,but it will pay off handsomely.

VGP Camping and Training

This month has been a fantastic training month! I have seen lots of different reactions to different levels of training on several different dogs. How lucky I am!

Met up with some local Addicts and 1 not so local Addict from Colorado. We took to the hills for some training and camping fun. Had a sweet little camp spot with a little open field and dense cover behind it, not to mention the pond that was there. (The one we all tried to keep our dogs out of and some of us were not so successful.) Good fun!!

We all have dogs preparing for the VGP, so forest work was definitely in order. Got a chance to work on all aspects of the test, especially my favorite...the Fox in the Box or Fox over Obstacle,

with some drags and of course Bloodtracking!

Training seems to be coming along well for everyone. It is interesting to see the other dogs and the progress they make. How different the issues we all have are. It's nice to see the other handlers and how they "tackle" each issue. Get and give opinions and advice, experiences we have had and things we have seen. Can't say 10 years ago, I would have thought for a second, about sitting in the woods around a campfire, having great food,great beverages,great conversation with great people, and it all being related to dogs. Our common interest and Addiction to Drahthaars has brought us here! For that I am happy and grateful.

Test day is not too far out now, with the Armbruster just ahead, it is about to get crazy busy around here. Soon we will be done with the testing and all work can focus to hunting now! I expect this is going to be a productive season! Happy Training!

Forest Frolicking!

Forest; (also called woods,woodland,wold,weald) An area with a high density of trees.

Frolicking; (of animal or person) Play and move about cheerfully,excitedly or energetically.

In preparing for the "Big Show" or the VGP. The third and final test in the series of three breed tests. Hessian and I have been spending some time in the forest. Some of it has been training, and some has been reacquainting ourselves with the woods. I see a change in Hessian when we work the woods. It is different than the bird fields,duck ponds,bunny hunts and deserts. There is an abundance of game,large and small. Unique scents, only specific to the forest, and surely overwhelming to a animal whose sense of smell is 1 to 10 million times stronger. This change is instant, as if not already a high drive dog, he kicks into overdrive. He stands taller,breathes deeper,eyes wide and attention to detail in everything around him. He wants to go.go,go!!! Hunt em up,blast off and search in every direction,unfocused and relentless on finding the source of so many smells.

The difficulty as a hunter and trainer is, harnessing all that energy, calming the dog, as enough so it will obey and focus on the task at hand.Yet still work with that high intensity we enjoy from this breed. So I have been working on this,spending more time in the forest, conditioning him to understand the rules. Take it easy,relax and enjoy. There is no reward for being hasty,feral, and disobedient. Yet reap the rewards when focused,calm and upon reaching the agenda,getting to work and succeed. Hessian's greatest reward is being able to work,search,track,and produce. Now he is realizing he is unable to do any of that in an uncontrolled,unfocused manner.

Training is coming along well. Spending alot of time on obedience,blood tracking,and manner of retrieve. Still need to get in some water work and steadiness reminders. Of course its always hard not to worry and stress over a certain subject or two. I am anxious to get this test done and hopefully prize, so I can move on with plans to continue my Drahthaar Addiction!!

Update, update, update!

My apologies.....It has been a while since the last post. Things are picking up and getting busy!

It is training season once again and we have started working our way to VGP status. With the VJP tests out of the way, handlers are setting there eyes on the next test, the HZP, or looking ahead to the Armbruster. Time to get down the drags, blinds and water work, as well as get prepared for a breed show if headed the Armbruster path.

Those that are VGP training are already laying down blood tracks,drags, steadying up and rehashing some good old obedience work too. It is a great time of year as pups are being born and litters are being planned. There are going to be alot of new pups coming in next year and I am anticipating the turnout.

The Armbruster is around the corner and we are all working hard to gather donations, sponsors and help with the planning. If you want to be a part of this extraordinary event, please contact myself or one of the other board members with your information. We will need help in all areas of the event, so please, any help you can offer is of great support to the Wild West Chapter.

If you or a friend would like to donate any funds, items or hunts to the event please contact Matt Norman, he is over-seeing the prize table and auction/raffle items. Thank you for any support you can offer to providing an Armbruster to remember!

Hessian and Lola are getting ready for VGP. We have been keeping a steady pace with the drags, and blood work. As well as digging deep into the obedience areas of the test. We have been using raccoons instead of foxes on the drags because of the fact we have no foxes. Oh man are we in dire straits for some foxes. If you can lead me in the right direction or even have some that you want to sell or know someone who would, I know of a few of us who would go for it!

The blood work is coming along, Hessian had alot of practice last year with this subject so now I am making them harder, longer, less blood, older, gaps and fresh tracks along the way to follow his reaction and really make him concentrate. I have been slowing him down with special treats along the way and he is coming to a nice reasonable pace now.

Lola is doing well on her blood tracks, we are slowly aging them now that we are pushing them the full length. Although I must say the last track was on a really warm day in the desert, super dry conditions, 1/4 mile long and about 4 oz of blood and she did quite well. Not too mention the full length duck drag through a dry hard field and she nailed that too!

The next few months are going to be busy, preparing the Armbruster, training for the test, I have some boarders booked in already and Greta is coming for a stay to learn to "Fetch". It is going to get real fun around here! I will be sure to keep the blog updated with all the adventures.

Also, dont forget your Drahthaar Addiction or Wild West Chapter t shirts for summer!

VJP 2010

Went out to the VJP in Malta, Idaho to check out all the new pups and meet some first time owners and new members. It was a dry,hot, windy 3 days but fun regardless how crazy that sounds. The rabbits were scarce and scenting conditions were not so great. But all the dogs and handlers did well with what they had to work with. Met some new members and of course all the regulars were there. Some new apprentice judges this round as well as my chance to jump in as an emergency judge on the last day. It was good to gather around again, talking about training,testing and cheering each other on. I wonder if other Dogmen have the fun we do!

Special interest this year was to see the Barenwald pups and how they have come along. This was the first litter for Scott Doxey of Barenwald and they look good. Also testing was some of Jon Davis' Red Rock pups, who looked good too. One who my attention was focused on was Bella or Greta vom Red Rock. I know some of us were worried about the tracking a little bit, and she had only been on about 6 birds but she knocked my socks off and left the test grounds with a 69. I was pleased and impressed at the same time. Always fun to see the crew and new faces, I put together a video of the test and the test results can be seen on the Wild West Chapter website. Also on the chapter site will be all the Chapter clothing that is available for purchase. Your purchase helps the chapter along for the Armbruster this year and shows your pride in the Wild West. Pick yours up soon along with your Drahthaar Addiction merchandise!!

Greta's Last Chance For Bunnies

This was the last weekend before the VJP test in Malta, Idaho, and I am still tripping out on the fact she needs to get on a live rabbit track. So Zac and I worked with Greta on Saturday and I decided to pick her up and try again on Sunday. Zac and I were able to work with her in the field, letting her search and working on field commands. We laid a drag and of course she nails it, bringing the rabbit to Zac's hand with pride. The spot we are using has a little water and Greta was interested in swimming and looking for ducks. I am so impressed with her natural hunting abilities, she is going to be quite the hunter! Hessian,Lola and Greta were able to run alot and get nice and tired so it ended up being a productive couple of hours. Fun as always,running dogs!

Sunday morning I woke with an overpowering need for a Drahthaar fix! It was supposed to be nice weather and ended up being cloudy and windy, so nothing fits better than a day in the field with some bearded dogs. Hessian and I loaded up and headed out to pick up Greta, then the 3 of us were on a mission for rabbits. Got out to a spot that we have gotten into rabbits before and began walking for how far or long I just didn't know. Finally an hour or so into our journey Hessian flushed up a cottontail! I commanded Hessian "down" and called Greta to me, took her over to where I saw the rabbit start and put her on the track. She could smell it good,because she was right on it! She followed the track well for the portion I had seen the rabbit run and kept her nose down and was very interested in the scent trail left behind. I called her and Hessian to me and we looked a little more. Sure enough about 20 minutes into it Hess flushes another, maybe the same, cottontail. Either way, I was stoked....I called Hessian and Greta to me, put Hessian in a down-stay and took Greta to the start of the track. Once again, with a snoot full, she was on it, winding through the exact brush I had pinpointed as the path the rabbit took. I followed her a bit because I was sure she would produce the rabbit if I could get down there fast enough to see. I never saw the rabbit again, but she was on it, and her desire was insane...at one point the check cord caught up in the brush and she was stuck, oh man she was pissed! She wanted to follow that scent and getting stuck was not ok with her, she fought and fought,by the time i got to her she had worked it loose and was on the trail again! As I have stated a few times before, her drive is amazing at 8 months old! Addiction satisfied.......for today.....but never cured!

We never ended up finding anymore rabbits, so we headed in. I feel better now knowing she was able to follow some fresh,live scent. Now all I can do is sit tight and wait till this coming weekend to watch the VJP and see her outcome. I will return with pics and a post for sure.

Be sure to check the Wild West Chapter site for current test results and keep checking back for more.

Greta's Visit

Greta (Bella) vom Red Rock boarded with us for about a week, and what an adventurous few days it was! Greta has a sweet disposition and has a full load of hunting abilities to offer already. She is full of drive and energy and just needs it to be focused in the right direction. I was willing and able to work with her on basic in house obedience and so we did. We worked on teaching and enforcing to her commands like; bed, down, sit, stay,come. She has a way of being a stubborn,hard headed, independent pooch who wants to be the center of attention. But with some firm,assertive,repetitive and well timed correction,she was becoming a well mannered girl in no time. Now to focus her hunting drive.....

In preparation for the VJP, which is a natural ability test, the idea is to awaken the natural instincts that this breed already has. Not really training, more like exposure and lots of it. However, the pup is being trained or conditioned as to what hunting commands it should understand as well as transferring the at home obedience to the field. It makes a handler more at ease and the test tasks smoother if they both have a general idea of what to do.

So we headed out to a favorite training and hunting spot to run through some basics. We checked up on Greta's search,gunfire soundness,pointing and tracking. She is listening better in the field and cooperating with game she finds, so no issues there really. Her tracking is nice, she understands the command to track and shows huge desire and will to find. She just will not give up and if she gets too turned around,she comes back to where she last had it and continues to find and follow the scent. The bummer is she has not been on any live rabbits, so we were hoping to flush up some during her search but it never happened. Nonetheless she is doing well on drags and I will get her on a rabbit or two before the test! Her search is growing, no issues with gunfire,and she pointed some chukar and waited for me to approach her, so other than the live rabbit track issue she is on the right path. I have one more weekend to work with her and then after that I will be spending the weekend in Malta,Idaho watching and waiting for the results.

Fun Run!

I had been boarding Jager for a short stay,the hounds were getting restless and it was a weekend so, we headed on out to let the dogs loose. Pretty much just having some fun this day, but always make time for some real dirty work too!

After the dogs had their fill of searching the place over we laid down some blood tracks to put each dog on. Lola got her chance first, blood is a new thing for her, we have not done alot with her yet and are working her into it more now. It is always neat to see the interest spark in a new dog. The way they desire to find whats at the end and how they get there. Each dog has its own style and the handler needs to watch his dog,feel his dog and learn to read his dog. It is not an easy thing to do or get accustomed to. Trying to follow a high drive dog through the trees and brush with a 30 foot lead dragging at your feet while watching your dog and the track ahead. Teaching the dog to not wander off track or not go too fast on the track and so so forth. From the beginning of the track it feels like a jumbled mess the first few times but, eventually it becomes natural to both dog and handler.

Lola did well on her track, slow but focused, self correcting when realizing she was off track. Desire to follow and find the prize at the end. She seems to understand the concept and works hard to reach the goal. Her desire to please and desire to hunt go hand in hand. You really cant ask for a better combination for a hunting companion. Slow and methodical with Zac in tow, we get to the end,Lola is lavished with praise and a little food reward and hangs out until we are ready to do the next dog. She is getting the hang of it indeed and we will be making each track longer,harder and older as she progresses. Good Girl!!

Hessian had his turn next on a long track with half the normal amount of blood. He is slowing down now and focusing on the track more. I am getting to know him better and read him better. The collar and lead I use seems to be helping me feel his movement when I am looking at the ground for sign of blood. I remember when I hardly had the chance to look for blood because he was pulling me so hard and fast I didn't stand a chance! We jumped a rabbit during the track and Hess was hot on its scent, I reminded him we were looking for blood and to my amazement he went back to looking for the blood. Back on track and successfully to the end. Good Boy!

Next up was Jager and boy is he ready! Always ready for action of any kind, Jager is like following a freight train through a crowded mall most the time. Taking out everything in his path to find the prize. But this was different.....he was curious,intrigued, and excited at the same time. He followed the track well, slow and trying to figure out what the new smell was and where it was leading. Amazing how different he was on blood, it just blows me away. It was a long track with not much blood and he did well. He lost focus a time or two and i would have to spark his interest in the track again. Once he would smell the blood again, with atta boys from me, he continued along to the end. It was nice to follow a slower dog through the trees and brush no doubt. Not fumbling with or tripping over the lead, and being able to actually see the blood was awesome. Now it's time to make the next track harder! Good Boy!!

Greta Training

Water!!!!!

Sit-Stay.............

Greta swimming..

Greta swimming out far...

Got together with the regular fella's for some training. We are trying to prepare Greta and her owner/handler Loren, for the VJP. We have gotten together a few times to try and get them both started off on the right foot. Unfortunately with the VJP only 2 weeks away, we haven't met up near enough.

Greta seems to be doing well regardless. Her search has really developed and she is getting out more. Loren has been working on the basic obedience stuff with her but she is still young and has alot to learn. No problems with gunfire, and the drags and blood we have put out for her really get her attention, she seems to track like a champ. We need to get her on a few more birds to see where she is at on pointing, and rabbits have been hard to come by once again.

A for sure disadvantage to owning a Drahthaar and living in the city is, having to drive over an hour to get into any type of game fields or training areas. Let alone the rabbit population is just not what it used to be. I will be boarding Greta for about a week or so and plan on working with her intensely to have her ready to roll. I am hoping to see the light turn on and really get her tracking down on some real jack rabbits if I have to drive the whole state.

VJP testing has already begun and Malta is coming next, there are test scores and pictures from the finished tests posted on the Wild West Chapter website for those interested.

Don't forget the Armbruster in Boise Idaho this year. Those successful in the VJP with a score of at least 65 are eligible! Happy training and see you in Malta!

Adopt Cabela?

At my work..Camp Bow Wow, we were fostering Cabella until she could be found a home.

Unfortunately anxiety had kicked in and she has been scratching and biting at her tail causing some trouble for her.

I was asked if i would take her for a week or so while she healed and give her an interview at my house with my dog Hessian and our boarding guest Jager. I of course agreed as we are looking for another canine in the home anyhow.

Cabella is a 5 year old Doberman with no crop on the ears or dock of the tail. She is full of life when she wants to be and moody German when she wants too! She didn't know what to think of these two wild boys at first, but she is coming around more each day. Especially when they are all outside, She seems to get a little more frisky then!

We are still not sure what her visit with us will bring for her future, but as with all adoptions we need to let her pick her family. Can't force a dog to be your friend or your dogs friend if they don't want to be.

If you are interested in Cabella, or adopting a dog from a foster home, contact me and i will point you in the right direction.

Vbr Practice

We headed out to Farr West to meet up with Chad and try to see if we could get some practice in on a Vbr.

The Vbr is a test of tracking. In the process of hunting, if a furred animal (rabbit,fox etc) is wounded and able to travel about 300 yards. A dog that has not seen the rabbit is brought to the area of the shot and put on the track. The dog is then supposed to track the animal, find the animal, retrieve it and return it to the handlers hand. All in the sake of an ethical hunt.

This is just one of a many basic tasks for the Drahthaar that we all probably see occur as we are hunting. It is not so easy to get a judge to be with you during this event however. Take your judges hunting! That way if the opportunity arises you would be covered.

In the process, we thought we would try to get a clear answer on if our dogs were Loud on Fur.

The dog needs to be certified Loud on sight or smell before it can be eligible to participate in the 20/40 hour blood track or VsWP test.

Loud on sight or smell is when the dog gets vocal while chasing or tracking a furred game animal. I know Hessian is loud on pretty much anything he sees but it's always good to make sure before getting judges together for a certification. As well as the rest of us that want to VsWP that need to check as well.

In the VsWP test the bloodtrack is 1000 meters and uses 1/4 liter of blood and sets for at least 20 hours. As compared to the VGP bloodtrack that is 400 meters with the same amount of blood and only aged 2-5 hours for a day track and 14 hours for an overnight track. Quite the difference!

We got all the dogs out for a run and little swim and headed home. Thanks for the hospitality Chad and for getting us into some new country for us city boys!