AWTA Earthdog Den Trials
The AWTA predates the AKC earthdog program and was founded to promote and test the working abilities of terriers and dachshunds.
AWTA hopes to encourage breeders to retain the hunting instincts which make these breeds so characteristically ‘terrier.’ Without the opportunity to test the instincts so vital to these breeds, dachshunds and terriers would cease to be the working dogs they were meant to be — something already too common with many terrier breeds selected for showing alone.The AWTA awards Certificates of Gameness to terriers and Dachshunds who achieve a score of 100% in the AWTA open class. To qualify in the open class, a dog must be released near the trial's 30-foot (9.1 m) earth tunnel opening, find its way into the tunnel and reach the quarry, all within 30 seconds (50% of score) and then “work” the rat continuously for a full 60 seconds (remaining 50% of score). Timing starts from the moment the dog is released by the handler. The dog may enter the tunnel and come out or walk around the tunnel, but it must get to the rat within the time allotted. However, once it reaches the rat, it must remain with it for the aforementioned 60 seconds.
The following breeds are recognized (and therefore able to compete) in AWTA den trials:
- Australian Terrier
- Bedlington Terrier
- Border Terrier
- Cairn Terrier
- Cesky Terrier
- Dachshund
- Dandie Dinmont Terrier
- Fell Terrier
- Wire Fox Terrier
- Smooth Fox Terrier
- Glen of Imaal Terrier
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Jagdterrier
- Lakeland Terrier
- Norwich Terrier
- Norfolk Terrier
- Patterdale Terrier
- Scottish Terrier
- Sealyham Terrier
- Skye Terrier
- Welsh Terrier
- West Highland White Terrier
Other small terrier breeds may compete in the miscellaneous class.
Read more about this topic: Earthdog
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