12/07/2018
AS A SIDEBAR.
I see a lot of praise given to the dogs that are out there tracking and finding wounded deer.
I think what most of you are missing is that the dog is having a good time, doing what he loves. The handler, on the other hand, is working their ass off.
Handlers have to have the capacity to read their dog and understand if they are tracking or window shopping, be the watchful eye that nothing happens to the dog while he's working, ensure that they, themselves, aren't injured and be in as good of conditioning as their loyal tracking dog.
This is not meant to offend anyone, but to point out that the dog and handler are a team. It takes both of them.
So, let me THANK every dog/handler team, whether you're Search and Rescue, Blood Tracking, or serving the public.
Thank you for your dedication to this art.