(CAA) title with 10 passes, and a Coursing Ability Excellent (CAX) title with 25 passes. Standard Schnauzers stand out as vermin hunters 5 . Th eir incredible sense of smell and strong prey drive make them naturals for the new Barn Hunt sport. BH demonstrates “a dog’s vermin hunting ability in fi nding and marking rats in a ‘barn-like’ setting, using straw/hay bales to introduce climbing and tun- neling obstacles in the dog’s path,” according to the Barn Hunt Association’s web site (www. barnhunt.com). A rat instinct test (RATI) evaluates prey drive, which most Standard Schnauzers pass with fl ying colors. Scores depend on locating rats within the allotted time, surmounting required obstacles (climb- ing, going through bale tunnels), and dog/ handler teamwork. Handlers announce when dogs alert to the rat’s location, but a false call is one of several disquali fi cation possibilities. Rats are not harmed 6 . Titles include Rat Nov- ice (RATN), Open (RATO), Senior (RATS), Master (RATM), and advanced titles. Two newer sports catching on among American Standard Schnauzers are carting and treibball. Carting 7 , also called “sulky carting” or “dryland mushing," is often used for training sled dogs in o ff season. It involves harnessing dogs to a wagon or light cart carrying a small child or load. Treib- bal, “herding ball,” or “push ball” 8 is from Germany. Dogs push up to eight shoulder- or head-height balls on an indoor court or large fi eld toward a soccer-type net with his human’s encouragement. Treibball is fun for dogs and is easy to train at home 8 . Standard Schnauzers are one of the most intelligent dog breeds, but they require their person to be a strong pack leader. With their adaptability, creativeness, and energy, they truly are “the breed that does it all.”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`@.3a7$&8
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what their busy brains can conjure if left unchallenged. Standard Schnauzers display amazing versatility. One of the fi rst breeds outside the Herding Group to qualify for Ameri- can Kennel Club (AKC) Herding titles, Standard Schnauzers herd sheep, goats, ducks, geese, and even children. Th ey guard their homes, families, and property with courage and ferocity far beyond what their medium size might suggest. Th ey act as service dogs in many capacities, and as therapy dogs for children and for ill, in fi rm, and elderly persons. If Standard Schnauzers had human speech and opposable thumbs, they might be masters with us as pets. Humans have 23 chromosome pairs per gene, whereas dogs have 39 pairs 2 . Humans have about 5 million odor receptors, whereas dogs, with their phenomenal sense of smell, have about 200 million 3 . Dogs can detect faintest odors (human tumors, blood sugar changes, epileptic seizure onset, drugs, explosives, cadavers, etc.) that humans can’t. Karen Naughton and Bonnie Rudy (who is deaf) trained their two black Standard Schnauzers, Domino and Shadow, as hear- ing alert service dogs. Both dogs learned to notify Bonnie of her ringing videophone, QH01:# c[PL# PL# Sg@%)B?8$@# QH01:# Z)@/# P[P# ;R57d# B,*,@$,*2# $)1# 70H,8)# N/1*# L?*%# %,%4)# 10@)%%)# c;R57d# ,*# [04.)*# P`# ?*.)1# =?.2)# Z044:# P/<&9)44f# +,%$# 10@)%%)# B01# B/@%)@%# %,<)# ,*# 70H,8)"# N1)).)1@(`+*)1@'# b?_/**)# O# ;0*# b<,%$f#h0@#R4/<0@f#7Z"
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doorbell or knock at the door, ringing alarm clock, kitchen timers, and emergency alarms sounding at stores and other public places. When separated in a crowded store, Karen can sign “BONNIE, WHERE? SHOW ME” to Domino, who searches for Bonnie with his sense of smell. Standard Schnauzer mouths can be almost as soft as those of most bird dogs. Our Daisy dropped an uninjured squirrel at my feet in our kitchen, and Emma played on a hard- wood fl oor with an unbroken egg she had car- ried thirty feet from the kitchen in her mouth. SS hunt for both small and large game; for example, a New Mexico man hunts birds and bear with his SS. A newer sport some Standard Schnauzers enjoy is lure coursing, derived from sight- hound trials, which tests a dog’s prey drive. According to the AKC’s web site, the Cours- ing Ability Test (CAT) is for any dog of any breed, including mixed-breeds, as long as it is at least 1 year old and individually registered with AKC 4 . To pass the test, dogs running alone must pursue a lure, completing the course with enthusiasm and without interrup- tion within a given time. Dogs that pass the CAT three times will earn a Coursing Abil- ity (CA) title, a Coursing Ability Advanced
S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J UNE 2014 • 305
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