The Finnish Messenger Dog Trial
The messenger dog trial is based on WW I &WW II needs. When the communication technology was not yet reliable the trained dogs were valuable in communicating across the frontlines. This trial has been forbidden in Germany since the peace treaty of WW2; German wardogs were too effective and skillfull for the rest of the world to ever want to deal with them again. ...But then came the mobile telephones ... and satellites ... and...
Today this trial form in meaningless as actual work, but a highly interesting and terrible exiting form of Working Dog Sports.
The main function for a messenger dog trial is to act as a messanger between two points in a forest. This trial is performed in a rough terrain - running is made hard to try dog's endurance.
A messenger dog trial is mainly competing against the time. Achieved points depend on the total running time. Wartime bases is also seen in the judgeing of the dog's behaviour between and during the running instances. The dog should stay quiet during his run and while resting. Barking on the way causes to interruption of his trial and barking while waiting the next start causes lost of points.
A dog must always run the whole journey. If a dog breaks off and returns to the sending point when ever during the trial, no points at all are given. A messenger dog trial participater must of course, have two instructors.
CLASS I
CLASS II
CLASS III
Total distance
2 kilometers
4 kilometers
8 kilometers
Tracking distance
200 meters
400 meters
800 meters
Optimal time (200p)
6 minutes
12 minutes
26 minutes
Maximum time
12 minutes
24 minutes
46 minutes
Example of a class III Messenger Dog trial:
1. A <----------------------------------------------< B (2133m)
2. A >--------------------------------------------------------------> C (2133+800m)
3. A <--------------------------------------------------------------< C (2933m)
The Messenger Dog trial can also be executed in five trips.In this case the distances are:
1. A <-------------------------------< B (960m)
2. A >----------------------------------------------------> C (960+800m)
3. A <----------------------------------------------------< C (1760m)
4. A >----------------------------------------------------> C (1760m)
5. A <----------------------------------------------------< C (1760m)
The messenger dogs should not be aggressive to other dogs. Normally at least in Class III trial slower dogs are passed by faster ones. And you never know what else (wild animals, berry pickers, loose dogs etc) might be on their way while running 3 kilometers distance alone in forest....
This trial form is the only one in which every participating dog really works alone and on its own!
TITLES AWARDED: VK1, VK2, VK3
Example of the journey run in a Messenger Dog Trial:
