This weekend we have gone to pass the TAN (Test d’aptitudes naturelles) organized by the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club de France.

It is mandatory for the championship of France and also for the “cotation”.

The TAN has been held at the property of my friend Elizabeth at Grimaud. A lovely place in the middle of the Côte d’Azur. 14 dogs have come to pass the TAN, the day was splendid, sun, really warm weather (which is not so nice for the nose of the hounds, it is more difficult to follow the scent), no wind… but we had someone who tried to boycot the test.

An alive wild boar, a young female came to pay us a visit, she had a bell and a collar so she had owners. She was nice with humans and more or less with dogs.

When I started the tracking test with Zeta, the young wild boar came to the field, leaving all her scent over the track that the judges created for the test. Making a little mess for Zeta to follow the track. Zeta started to make circles in the area where the wild boar was walking and of course she was still there distracting Zeta. At the end we had to stop, and phone the owners of the wild boar so they could come and pick their animal. When she was gone we started again the test. This time Zeta performed well and she tracked till the “death wild boar”.

The judges changed the track to avoid the influence of the walks done by the young wild boar. Then the turn was for Satara, she did incredibly well, she followed the track slowly till she arrived to the death wild boar, by that time it was already plenty of wasps. And the last of my girls to try the track was Mala Mala, who also performed nicely.

Video of all the event

Once all the dogs finished the track we did the sociabilization and gun shot proof. All the dogs did great, nobody scared by the people or noises the judge did and neither by the gun and rifle shots.

And the last test was search of the owner. Well no comments, all Ridgebacks owners know how they look for us if you hide behind a bush or tree in the forest!

Once the TAN was finished we moved to the swimming pool to eat the tasty things Elizabeth had prepared for all of us.  

Anne Marie giving the certificates of the TAN. The 14 dogs passed with flying colors the test.