Lincoln Rottweiler and trainer claim Champion Tracker title

 5 comment(s)  
 E-mail Story
 Print Story
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

Tools Sponsor

By JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star

Deuce was at death’s door.

Dogs, like people, are susceptible to irritable bowel syndrome, and Deuce came down with it in February.

It took its toll.

View Slideshow

Norm Tucker with Deuce, a 5-year-old rottweiler. Tucker and Deuce recently earned a Champion Tracker designation, the first team from Nebraska to do so. (William Lauer)

Tracking definitions

A Champion Tracker (CT) title is awarded to a dog that has successfully completed all three tracking titles (TD, TDX and VST). Here’s a rundown of three:

Tracking Dog (TD): A dog earns a TD by following a track 440 to 500 yards long with three to five changes of direction. The track is laid by a human and is “aged” 30 minutes to two hours before the dog begins scenting. The goal is to use the scented track to locate an article left at the end of the trail by the tracklayer. The owner follows the dog on a long leash and can encourage the dog during the tracking test.

Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX): The TDX is earned by following an “older” track (three to five hours) that is also longer (800 to 1,000 yards) and has five to seven directional changes. It also has the challenge of human cross tracks.

Variable Surface Tracking (VST): In the real world, dogs track through urban settings, as well as through wilderness. A VST dog has demonstrated this ability by following a three- to five-hour-old track that may take it down a street, through a building and other areas devoid of vegetation.

- American Kennel Club

The 5-year-old Rottweiler, once ranked among the top 10 show Rotts in the country, was a mere shadow of himself.

His skull became pronounced, and his ribs showed from losing 40 pounds. He had no energy, and almost no life.

His owner, Cyndy Roggenkamp of Denton, took him to Kansas City, Mo., to see a specialist. The news wasn’t good.

“They basically told me to change his diet again, and if it didn’t work to prepare myself to lose him,” she said.

She relayed the prognosis to Norm Tucker.

Roggenkamp owns Deuce, but Tucker of Lincoln has built a bond with the dog. Deuce was bred by Roggenkamp and Norm’s wife, Jayne.

“Cyndy always says,  ‘I own Deuce, but he’s your dog,’” Tucker said.

That’s because Tucker has spent hours upon hours training Deuce to track, taking him to participate in American Kennel Club tracking events around the country.

In February 2005, Deuce and Tucker earned “Tracking Dog” (TD) certification, a basic AKC tracking level, on their first attempt.

Two months later, the pair completed “Tracking Dog Excellent” (TDX), a more advanced level, also on their first try.

The duo was working on “Variable Surface Training” (VST) — considered the most difficult level of tracking — when Deuce went down sick.

According to the AKC Web site, fewer than 100 dogs have achieved a VST title since 1995.

Even more rare is earning a “Champion Tracker” title, which goes to teams that have passed all three tests (TD, TDX, VST).

Dian Quist Sulek, training director at Kenl Inn in Lincoln, said fewer than 10 percent of tracking teams reach this level.

“It’s a really big deal,” she said. “You have to have all three, and the toughest test is the VST.”

She should know. Quist Sulek has a dog that has its TD and TDX titles, but has failed in 12 attempts on VST courses.

 “My dog has lots of tracking skills,” she said. “It’s just a matter of being on the right track on the right day.”

Well, you can guess where this story is heading.

The Tuckers took in the ailing Deuce, changed his diet and watched the Rottweiler slowly put on weight. The dog’s attitude also began to change.

“I played with him, and he perked up,” Tucker said.

Then Tucker put down a tracking course near his house, just to see if Deuce was up for it.

“I talked to him while he was in his crate, and he started to whine,” Tucker said. “He knew he was ready to do something.”

The dog did it, sniffing and zipping around the course until he found what he was supposed to find.

“He was a happy camper again,” Tucker said. “He had put weight on. He had just really lit up. He had come back from the brink.”

So much so, Tucker entered him in a VST event three weeks ago in DeKalb, Ill. Tucker didn’t expect much. The duo had failed in 10 or so previous VST events, and Deuce still wasn’t 100 percent.

As Tucker said, the planets and stars seemed to align on this spring day.

Deuce and his trainer took the course and “nailed it.”

“I thought a couple of times he was going in the wrong direction, but I let him stick to his guns,” Tucker said.

Deuce, Tucker said, knew he had done something pretty cool.

“He carried the article (a plastic Tupperware lid) all the way back to the car,” the trainer said. “I dumped a couple of bottles of water on him and played frisbee with him.”

Afterward, the pair was awarded the “Champion Tracker” title, becoming the first team from Nebraska to achieve the honor.

“Just amazing,” Tucker said, “especially since he was just one vet phone call away from being put down.”

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.