The Arizona Earthdog Club was started in 2000 by three people: Jim Walkington, Billie Rosen and Jen Wennerlund.  The three met at Billie Rosen's house to practice before they trekked to California for the closest available AKC trials. Over time, more people joined the practice group and the AZ Earthdog club was formed.

    In April 2004,  this group  held the first ever AKC sanctioned trial in Arizona. (AKC Article)

   The club’s trials are held in Cottonwood, Arizona every year in April and October.

   Because of the endemic problem of Valley Fever, coccidioidomycosis (a fungus found in the soil) earthdog enthusiasts from the Phoenix and Tucson area do not practice by placing their tunnels in the ground because it would expose the dogs to the disease.  To practice, the local earthdog group places their liners on top of the ground and covers the joints between the sections with blankets or towels in an effort to darken the maze. Also because of the threat of this fungal disease, Arizona trials are held in Cottonwood, Arizona which is out of the endemic Valley Fever area.

    The Arizona Earthdog Club is a group of terrier and dachshund owners who enjoy watching their dogs compete in earthdog trials.
    An earthdog trial, terrier trial, or go-to-ground trial, is a sanctioned American Kennel Club event that tries to replicate the conditions a hunting terrier would encounter in the field.  In order to closely approximate an underground tunnel complex dug by a burrowing rodent in the wild, the sponsoring earthdog club digs a twelve-inch deep, by twelve inch wide, by thirty foot long trench in the ground and then places nine-inch square wooden tunnel liners in the trench. (picture, senior tunnel)

   The thirty-foot long tunnel must contain three right angle turns.  At the end of the tunnel, bars (wooden dowels) prevent the dogs from reaching two live rats in a cage.  The entire structure is covered with dirt, forming an underground maze which the dog must traverse in the dark.  Before the liners are placed in the trench, the ground along the entire length, or the liners themselves, are sprayed with rat scent.

    It is this smell that leads the dog to the quarry at the end of the tunnel. Once at the quarry, the dog must work the rats.  Working is defined as barking, digging, scratching, lunging, or actively trying to get the quarry. The laser-like stare of death while mumbling murder threats, does not qualify as working.  The rats are kept safe behind bars at the end of the tunnel and are contained in a wire or wooden cage. The rats aren’t harmed and sometimes sleep or even mate through the entire process. The length of time the dog must work the quarry varies with the title being pursued.

    
    A non-title event called Introduction to Quarry,  is intended for young or inexperienced dogs.  The Intro tunnel is ten feet long with one right angle turn.  The dog has two minutes to reach the quarry and must work the quarry for 30 seconds.

The three Earthdog titles are: Junior Earthdog; Senior Earthdog; and Master Earthdog.

To complete a Junior Earthdog title the dog must accomplish the following: achieve two qualifying scores under two different judges.  The dog is released 10 feet from the tunnel entrance and must reach the rats in 30 seconds.  After reaching the rats the dog must work for 60 seconds. The junior tunnel is 30 feet long with three right angle turns.

 The next title is Senior Earthdog.  To complete a Senior Earthdog title the dog must achieving three qualifying scores under two different judges. In order for a judge to successfully qualify a dog for a senior leg, the dog must comply with the following standards: Follow a twenty foot scent line to a tunnel entrance that the dog cannot see from ground level.  Track through a pitch-black, thirty-foot tunnel containing three 90-degree turns to the rats.  Don’t be distracted by a false entrance/exit. Don’t be distracted by a dead end tunnel that is scented with rat bedding.  Once at the rats, work the rats for 90 seconds.  After working the rats for 90 seconds, and after the rats are removed from the tunnel, leave the tunnel when called by the handler and return to the handler within 90 seconds.  Many handlers and trainers consider the Senior Title the most difficult to achieve.

  Master Earthdog is the top and final title an earthdog can obtain.  To achieve this title, two dogs are drawn at random. As a brace, the dogs hunt for the tunnel entrance from a distance of 100 to 300 yards.  They must actively indicate where the entrance is located.  Then one at a time, the dogs move through the tunnel passing obstacles that simulate roots and constrictions in the tunnel.  The dog must work the quarry for 90 seconds and not be distracted by the judge scraping on the top of the tunnel.  The scraping is meant to approximate the hunter digging down to the spot where the dog is holding the vermin at bay.

The following breeds are eligible for earthdog trials:

       All Dachshunds, Australian Terriers, Bedlington Terriers, Border Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Cesky Terriers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Glen of Imaal Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Manchester Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers, Norfolk Terriers, Norwich Terriers, Rat Terriers, Russell Terriers, Scottish Terriers, Sealyham Terriers, Silky Terriers, Skye Terriers, Smooth Fox Terriers, Welsh Terriers, West Highland Terriers, Wire Fox Terriers.

See this link for more earthdog details from AKC,  Click here
Directions:  Change the competition type to Earthdog trials and in the state window select Arizona then click Search Events.