December 5, 2014
Harriet December 2014 – tracked by Yogi
Harriet is a 5 year old Golden Labrador that was taken on a walk by the in law and owners young children to Ashdown Forest on Sunday. For no apparent reason Harriet slipped her collar and was off. There were one or two possible sightings in the area but she was on the run and looking scared.
By Wednesday the owners were getting desperate and the children were going off to school believing they would never see Harriet again.
Someone in the Forest suggested we were contacted and so we were but Tiga has recently been very sick and was resting and recovering but Yogi (Tiga’s half brother) has been training and needed some experience so I decided to give him an opportunity to see what stage he was at.
We met the owner at the Forest and despite having eight other dogs as well, she managed to find something for Yogi to get the scent from which was given to Yogi and off we went.
Yogi certainly seemed to have grasped what he was about as he led us around an area where there had been a sighting. From here we went across the forest and around and back through a golf course. Yogi was certainly very busy but I wasn’t 100% convinced what he was busy about as he is not as easy to read as Tiga but I gave him a chance and stuck with him.
After covering a few miles we got a call of a possible sighting and it was where we had just tracked from so we returned and allowed Yogi to take over. At this point with no sign of Harriet the owner and I split to cover more ground and I continued to trust Yogi who now seemed to be on a good scent and after going around some residents gardens through a small wooded area and onto the golf course again, he then continued round and back towards the busy A road continuing down the road but fortunately on the grass verge. Within a few minutes Yogi was putting his nose through a hedge and to my amazement there she was, now trotting away from us across a field but not in a state of panic. I quickly called the owner who arrived very soon after and pointed to where Harriet was now hiding in the far corner of the field. Fortunately there was no way through this hedge except where Yogi tried to take me and therefore no real danger of Harriet charging to the main road.
The art of tracking is not only finding the dog but safely catching the dog as well and a plan has to be hatched in split seconds and so I guided the owner through what we had to do.
We walked back along the road to find a way into the field next to the field Harriet was in, this took a few minutes as we then had to go down a lane and into one field and then another but I was confident Harriet was going to stay put. The owner climbed over a gate into the field to whisper back to me I can see her, she then put into place exactly what I had told her and that was to sit down, Harriet slowly came but wasn’t 100% sure. I was hiding by the gate but out of sight ready to ward her from the road in case. I could see the owner sitting down and staying calm and the joy of watching Harriet realise that she was now safe and back with ‘mum’ was amazing. Once Harriet was safely secured on a lead I joined them both. I have never seen a dog so happy to be reunited as Harriet was here. Harriet and Yogi also exchanged a few licks and sniffs. We than waited for others to arrive to ensure we got Harriet safely back to the car and off to the vet for a check up, where she was given a thumbs up.
I was so proud of Yogi as this was his first success and hopefully the first of many.
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Tiga and Yogi's diets are supplemented by Phytoforce Veterinary Herbal Tonics provided by Phytoforce.
Galen Myotherapy
Tiga and Yogi are kept in peak condition by the team at Galen Therapy Centre. The centre was established in 2002; They specialise in treating dogs with chronic muscular pain; enabling enhanced mobility and health. It also has been in the forefront of interpreting how behaviour and muscle pain manifest in our dogs.
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Alice Ash
December 5, 2014
I have been following your activities with Tiga for well over a year and I am so glad that you now have Yogi as well – to carry on the sterling work,
Sue Chambers (Sciura in Detling)
December 5, 2014
I think that is wonderful! Well done Yogi. I hope Tiga is alright. I will show this to Nick later.
Sue Chambers.