Earthdog tests

Understanding the activity

Read the official test description and ask about equipment and animal protection. Do not recreate underground work with wildlife, improvised tunnels or unsupervised access to burrows.

Before attending or entering

Read the host’s schedule alongside the governing rulebook. Confirm the venue, entry deadline, registration requirements and whether spectators or non-competing dogs are permitted. Ask the trial secretary about anything the schedule leaves unclear.

Reading the record

Use the exact test level and title published by the authority. Breed heritage is different from passing a contemporary test.

Keep the simulation explicit

Educational descriptions should make clear that an organised test uses a controlled framework and protection arrangements specified by its authority. Historical accounts of terrier work are a different subject. They should not be presented as instructions for recreating a test with wildlife or entering unknown underground spaces.

A controlled den exercise

Dogs Australia describes a simulated den with turns and tunnels through which an eligible dog locates the quarry arrangement specified by the test. The authority’s eligibility framework focuses on relevant small terriers, Dachshunds and earthdog types; do not infer eligibility merely because a dog fits in a tunnel. Contact the state body for current sessions and requirements. An explanation can describe the assessment without providing a do-it-yourself wildlife exercise. The controlled facilities and protection arrangements are part of what distinguishes a sanctioned test from uncontrolled underground pursuit.

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• Dogs Australia — Earthdog tests (opens in a new tab)
• Dogs Australia — rules and regulations (opens in a new tab)

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