K-9 Quax pushes through his 30-acre heavy brush test
Can't hide from Quax
The third test that an area search dog must take is their “30-acre heavy brush” test. This test is to demonstrate that the handler can navigate with map and compass in thick vegetative terrain and that the dog will go into and through heavy brush if necessary.
We started our search by walking down a back country road. Once I got to my bumpline I head into my search area and cut back the other direction on my back-azimuth. On our third pass through the area Quax had a head-pop about halfway down our line that I noted. On our fourth pass he pulled off our line a good ways about where we had covered and back. I couldn’t make sense of it given the wind at my location but I told my tester that I had to trust my dog and follow up…… Quax was right and he located the subject in a large brush pile of branches. Two more tests to go and Team Quax is operational!
