Grand-View My Retirement Plan RE TD owned by Trish Simon of Borden, IN

Trish’s neighbor found then 3-month-old Zoey and her littermate running with a young Beagle through a field in December 2008.

 “On her way home, my neighbor saw me and stopped.  ‘Hey Trish, look what I found.’ The beagle was very happy. Then I looked at the little shy wire-coated puppy, and when she looked at me, I knew she would be mine.”

Zoey was not in good shape and also had many fears. “It took a lot of socializing along with tracking and rally training to make her comfortable in public. I didn't track with her a lot but she is a natural and loves it,” Trish said.

Trish is a dog trainer who started training in 1982 and has been competing in tracking and obedience since 1988. When tracking opened to the AKC Canine Partners program (for mixed-breeds and rescues) on Jan. 1, 2014, Trish and Zoey were ready.

Before a dog can enter an AKC Tracking Test, they must be certified by an AKC Tracking judge who determines that they are ready to run the test. Zoey certified in early February 2014 and a week later she made the entry draw for the Lexington (KY) Kennel Club’s tracking test. On Feb. 14, 2014, she easily qualified, becoming the first mixed-breed dog to earn an AKC Tracking Dog (TD) title.

“Zoey's track was 465 yards and five turns. She ran it in four minutes. What a great day!” Trish said.

Zoey also competes in AKC Rally and has earned the AKC Rally Excellent (RE) title. Excellent is the most advanced level of AKC Rally.

For information on the AKC Canine Partners program, look here

For information on AKC Tracking, look here.