Hatch and I stopped responding to searches years ago, but we still keep up with weekly training, laying trails and otherwise helping other local teams, and running trails with our own dogs. German Shepherds don’t understand retirement, and these working-dog sessions are a highlight of our humans’ week too.
Cowboy (Kuskokwim Ragtime Cowboy Joe) was Piper’s nephew, grandson of Taco & Cody. His SAR career was cut short by handler’s health issues before he was mission-ready, but he stuck with training. By then, our local SAR dog group focused on tracking-trailing; Cowboy was a natural air-scenter. He free-lanced his trails, casual about the subject’s route but always making his find. At home, he teased our lambs with a stick, instigating a chase, while mother-ewes stomped their warnings.
photo by Katy Brown