Senior Rescue Dog Starts Dog Sports Career
Roger had a sad life before he was turned into a shelter in southern California. He has gunshot wounds and was suffering from a serious respiratory illness. Shelter staff did not expect him to live long when they sent him home with a foster for a “hospice” stay. But Roger defied all odds. He thrived in his new home, living a long, happy life, and started tracking and doing scent work in his senior years.
This article originally appeared in AKC Family Dog magazine.
Shelters have many dogs with sad stories.
But Vicki Brown had not encountered a more heartbreaking case than that of Roger.
A medium-sized mixed-breed with hair that has a mind of its own, Roger was picked up as a stray. Estimated to be around 2 years old, Roger had lived a rough life. He had evidence of multiple old gunshot wounds and was very ill with a respiratory condition that resembled pneumonia.
The shelter did not have the resources to provide the medical care he needed so he was transferred to the main facility of the San Diego Humane Society.
“I was providing ultrasound and cardiac imaging services to their medical department and that’s how I met Roger, and he captured my heart,” Brown said.
After extensive evaluations, diagnostic procedures and treatments, it was determined that he was suffering from the fungal infection coccidioidomycosis or Valley Fever. The infection had completely taken over one lung and spread to his other lung and other parts of his body.
Valley Fever is caused by a fungus found in the Southwestern United States. People and animals can inhale the fungal spores, which attack the lungs. If left untreated, the infection can spread throughout the body.
The San Diego Humane Society made sure he received medical care and helped Roger get on the road to recovery. Brown visited Roger almost daily. Physically, he slowly improved, but he became despondent.
“Roger’s condition limited his ability to get outside or interact very much, so after work I would sit with him in his kennel, and he would look at me with those eyes… you know what I mean, that Old Soul look,” she said. “I knew then that if he survived, I would adopt him.”
Roger had lived in the shelter for eight months when Brown got the word that he could leave.
“I was so excited for both of us. But then they explained that although he was recovering, he wasn’t thriving and was showing signs of giving up. So rather than adopting him, this would be a hospice situation,” said Brown, a diagnostic medical sonographer who lives in Chula Vista, California.
“What we all wished most for him was to be out of the shelter and in a home setting where he could spend his remaining time. So, with only one remaining lung and several medications, I brought him to his forever home. The time we would have together was estimated to be about two weeks.”
Roger joined Brown’s three other dogs and was paired with her slow-moving senior dog for short walks, followed by long naps.
“He spent the first few days tentatively observing and exploring. A week later he started to engage with the others. A week after that, he began exuberantly slapping down in play-bows.”
Based on his growing enthusiasm, Brown included Roger on a trip to the beach.
“What I expected from him was a slow saunter next to me, but what I got was a dog shot out of a cannon. He kept up with his pack-mates bounding through the water and running in the dunes. Something clearly had changed. Roger had discovered joy.”
What was meant to be two weeks turned into 12 happy years. Roger is now 14 years old and out lived his original canine house mates. And that could be the end of the story. But it is not.
Two years ago, Brown introduced Roger to dog sports, and he is now a multi-titled senior citizen.
“I have had a number of dogs over the years, and my go-to activities were rambling walks, hiking and beach romps. Dog sports were not really on my radar.”
That changed in 2019 when she obtained a 9-year-old Australian Shepherd.
“Her breeder was looking for a nice home where she could enjoy a well-deserved retirement after achieving championships in herding, agility and conformation. It quickly became obvious that Lily was not ready to be a golden-years couch potato.”
Brown began working on Lily’s AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) titles, and their instructor suggested AKC Rally. “This turned out to be a great fit, and we were both hooked.”
By age 11, Lily added to her resume: CGC, CGC-Advanced, CGC-Urban, Rally Advanced, Trick Dog titles, and Farm Dog Certification. “About that time, she decided the couch was looking pretty darned good and retired.”
But Brown missed the friends she made in dog sports and the training process. She turned her attention to 12-year-old Roger, who let her know that obedience and rally were not for him.
“Rally… meh. Obedience? Big Nope,” Brown said. “Scent work and tracking, where his nose was in charge? Now we’re talking.”
Roger loved using his nose and being rewarded with food when he made a successful “find”, but training still had its challenges.
“First, something has to catch his attention visually, then he interrogates with his nose. I needed to teach him that the reward comes from finding things that he smells rather than just from things he can see,” Brown said. “Scent work really helped him develop that skill since he can’t see where the odor is hidden. As he gained more confidence playing that game, I introduced him to tracking.”
In 2024, they began training with Sally Nesbitt of San Diego Tracking Dogs. She stressed the importance of having a solid foundation and developing a consistent routine.
“Tracking is a totally fun game we play with our dogs. In the world of tracking, the game is ‘smell this, follow the smell, find that, and party.’ Roger enjoys the game, and he really loves the party,” Nesbitt said.
Roger is a great example that old dogs can learn new tricks – and benefit in many ways.
“Roger has always been an introverted and cautious guy. He had a very small group of humans and play buddies that he trusted,” Brown said. “Since we started scent work and tracking, he’s more confident and outgoing and is more accepting of new situations.”
On Jan. 1, 2025, Roger competed in his first AKC Tracking Dog test held at San Pasqual Valley’s Bandy Canyon in Escondido, California, and hosted by the Southwestern Rottweiler Club of San Diego. The test requires a dog to follow a track 440 to 500 yards long with three to five changes of direction. The track is laid by a human tracklayer and is “aged” 30 minutes to two hours before the dog begins scenting. The goal is to use the scented track to locate an article, such as a glove, left at the end of the trail by the tracklayer.
“Everything aligned. It was New Year’s morning, the weather was perfect, and the field conditions were ideal. To those in the gallery, it became obvious that Roger had a unique and amusing tracking style: Nose to the ground until he had a question, then he would leap like a gazelle hoping to get a visual clue,” Brown said. “When that didn’t help, he got back to work using his nose, which eventually led him to the glove, and his Tracking Dog (TD) title.”
In addition to his TD, Roger has earned the AKC Scent Work Advanced (SWA) title and is working on the Scent Work Excellent title, plus he has obtained the CGC and ATT temperament test titles.
“Roger loves to learn new things. He desires to please Vicki and to excel in everything he does for her because she saved his life,” Nesbitt said.
And retirement is not in the cards.
“When I break out his sniffing gear, his teeth chatter, and he hops on his hind legs trying to get me to move faster so that he can play the game,” Brown said. “Roger has taught me a lot about forgiveness, perseverance and the restorative benefits of a nurturing environment. And as long as he’s having fun, we will continue to prepare for the new tracking season that starts in December.”