05/26/2026
The pups and I traveled to Rockaway NJ for 2 Elite S trials today. Toka was in the morning trial, and Miko ran FEO in the afternoon trial.
Let's talk about Miko first. We have been concentrating on tracking with a soupçon of agility. Sprinkle a bit of obedience, nose work & acting/modeling training on top of that. For how little NW we've done, she gave a solid performance. We missed one hide in each search. I'm certain that she actually found that second hide in the last search, she just didn't stick. I'm proud of and happy with her effort, her attitude and how much fun she had.
As for Toka, I was *quite* concerned about my little red dog when we arrived at Camp Winnebago, the trial site. He didn't want to get out of the car. It was damp, chilly, and not great conditions for an older dog with arthritis.
Because of how I messed him up last weekend, I'd promised him (and myself!) I'd stay out of his way.
I told him 'boyo, all you need to do is get 50 points today, and you're done with trialing. This can be your last trial. If you don't want to do it, we can head home right now.'
He looked straight at me and got out of the car. That was his 'hold my beer!' moment.
We missed one hide in the first search, and he was perfect after that. Toka clearly told me when he'd found all 5 hides in search 2. In the 1.5 minute 'Alley Search,' he gave me the whale eye after he'd found 2 hides - and perfect! He'd found both of the hides in that area.
In his last search, there was a converging odor puzzle. He found 2 relatively close hides, and then moved on, and found two anothers. I could tell by the way he held his ears that he'd missed one in the converging odor puzzle and knew it. With intensity, he headed back, and bam, hit the last hide.
He wasn't fast. At this point in his life, he kinda-sorta has one speed. But His Redness was determined, focused, and best of all, really enjoyed himself.
I was teary eyed in the Alley Search, and cried as he found his last hide. He's 11. He's got cervical degeneration and hip dysplasia. This may very well have been his last trial.
Thrilled he was 5th overall. Big whup, 5th place. It is a big whup because my old trooper beat out dogs way, way younger than he is. And the dogs that placed before him were whippersnappers, too.
He earned his NACSW Elite S2 title.
I'm torn between letting him trial in Elite S's, and simply retiring him from trialing. He can be my demo dog when I judge, and dog in white for the NACSW trials I host, join in practices/coaching, continue with therapy dog work through Cornell Companions, and enjoy his twice weekly UWTM sessions at Cornell.
The summer is upon us, and I personally won't enter an Akita in anything during the hot weather. It's cruel, unkind and selfish to ask a double coated dog to work in 90 + degree temps(and shockingly (at least to me) there are people out there that do). If so, it's not that 'my dog loves it!' it's that YOU want the leg or the title and your generous, hard-working friend says 'Ok. I'll do it for you.'). There are 3 or 4 months for me to see how he does, and time for him to tell me what he wants to do.
Lucky, lucky me to have had such a willing, generous, splendid teammate and partner. Lucky, lucky me to have a dog who willingly gives me his all, who is smart enough and experienced enough to be able to figure out odor puzzles. Lucky, lucky me to have my little red dog grace my life.
I thank you with all my heart, Toka.
Toka: ELT-CH ALCH Kumite Diamond's Willow Creek Kodotoka BN RI FDC CAA DCAT ACT1 ACT2J SWME SHDM THD RATN CGCA CGCU TKP ATT VHMA FITG UTD4000 UPD4000 CSL1 CSL2-H L1E L2V L2C L1I NW3-I NW3-V NW3-C NW3-E ELITE-S2 DDD DDDI DDCA DDCI3 VAX7 Cornell Companion + AKC Breed Ambassador
