Jo-Lyn's Brown-Eyed Susan UD TDX Can CDX TD

A year after AKC began to offer the TDX title, Jo-Lyn's Brown-Eyed Susan UD TDX Can CD TD passed her TDX test on September 20, 1981 at the Northwest Obedience Club of Suburban Chicago test, to become the first TDX Sheltie. Owners Sandy and Sidney Ganz had tried tracking with two previous UD Shelties, but had not been able to develop them into reliable trackers. As Sandy said, "I decided that my next Sheltie would track—or I'd know the reason why."

Susi was bred by "Doc" Harler of Jo-Lyn Shelties and came to live with Sandy and Sidney at eight weeks of age. Sandy started training Susi to track when Susi was seven months old. Once Sandy found what turned Susi on, she learned quickly, and earned her TD on her second try, at the Memphis Obedience Training Club test in November 1976. She followed that with her Canadian TD on April 30, 1977.

From 1977 until mid-1979, Susi was trained and shown mainly in obedience. She finished her UD in February 1979 at the Greater St. Louis Shetland Sheepdog Club Specialty. In her obedience career, she earned several High In Trial and High Combined Score awards. She competed in several Gaines Regional and one Classic obedience tournament.

Susi continued to compete in obedience while training for her TDX. She earned her Canadian CD in September 1980 and her Canadian CDX in March 1981. Initially, TDX training breakthroughs were few. Sandy became concerned that perhaps a Sheltie simply couldn't obtain a TDX, particularly an obedience-trained dog who focused so much on her handler and who became worried when she ran out of scent at a turn.
 

Jo-Lyn's Brown-Eyed Susan UD TDX Can CDX TD

Then in 1979, the Gateway Tracking Club of St. Louis was established. Sandy was one of the club's founding members. They were all dedicated to earning TDXs on their dogs, but initially none of them really knew what a TDX track looked like, or how to train a prospective TDX dog. There were no books on TDX training in 1979. The club held a TDX match that year as well as a TDX seminar. From those experiences, Sandy learned the skills needed to train an advanced tracking dog.

Susi progressed as she gained the confidence to work independently. Sandy and Susi paired up with Sue Boyd and future TDX Basset Hound, Quigley, for training. One by one, they trained for their dogs' shortcomings. For Susi, track age and distance were more difficult than obstacles, cover changes or multiple articles.

Susi earned her TDX on her third try on September 20, 1981 at the Northwest Obedience Club of Suburban Chicago test, working steadily to complete her track in under half an hour.

From the very first day that Sandy brought her home, Susi was always a very special dog, fun to train, show and track. Sandy says that Susi was a very willing worker who always tried to perform to the best of her ability.

Susi's successful TDX track

Sandy and Susi, taken after Susi finished her TDX track.

Sandy went on to train four more tracking Shelties, two of them also earning TDX titles. She is the author, with Susan Boyd, of the books Tracking Dog eXcellent A Handbook (1989), and Tracking From the Ground Up (1990).—AMK

Sources:

• Through The Paces by Beverly Muhlenhaupt, in the Sheltie Pacesetter Nov-Dec 1981
• Obedience with Beverly Muhlenhaupt in Charlotte Clem McGowan, The Shetland Sheepdog in America
• Email correspondence with Sandy Ganz 2018