'Anja' (pronounced Ownya, whose nickname is Onion), is a 10-month-old wire haired dachshund who, unlike most doxies, actually works for her dinner. She blood tracks downed deer for her human, Paul Lerp. New legislation was enacted in Anja's home state of New Hampshire which allows trained and leashed dogs to track wounded deer, bear, and moose. This practice is common in some states and Europe, and mandatory in Germany. Anja has already located three downed deer this fall for archery hunters. Lerp says “There is no disadvantage to this. It’s good for the hunter and the state’s deer herd as well. Finding downed deer is part of the ethic of hunting and having tracking dogs certainly helps make sure that downed deer don’t go to waste.’’ If you're interested in finding out more about using dachshunds for blood tracking, read the rest at The Weirs Times. Note that this link is to a big .pdf file which may take some time to download. 
(click any photo to enlarge)
Onion is good-looking! Who knew that doxies could be so useful -- beyond their roles as love sponges and hot water bottles, of course.
ReplyDelete