Hi Helen, this is the term given to the dog which on finding a large wounded animal following a blood trail, stays with the animal and barks drawing the handler to it.
There is also the terms `Tortverweiser' and `Totverweise mit Bringsel'. The first involves the dog running back and forth between the animal and the handler, sometimes taking the handlers arm to `take' them or inform them that they have `found' and thus drawing the handler to the animal. ( This should sound familiar to those of you who are regularly `mouthed' by your Munster) . The second involves training the dog to hold a leather tag in its mouth when it finds the animal, this tag or bringsel is attached to the dogs collar. when the dog returns to the handler with bringsel in its mouth, the handler attaches the tracking line and follows the dog to the animal.
I don't know of any Munster owner ( those that are honest at least) who haven't been a little over awed by the `step up' in dog terms of owning and training a munster compared to `normal' dogs. I know most breeders try to emphasise this fact, but I guess most people don't ever appreciate this advise, as surely a dog is a dog! I come from a background of Labs, Springers and then Cockers so you would think it should of been easy, but even I was way out of my depth with my first Munster, its not so much a steep learning curve, as it is a completely different way of training and understanding, these dogs work WITH you not FOR you, as a partnership you become one, whilst you may have the final say, you still have to justify it to the dog! ( and in their language so they can understand) Just as you want to teach the dog, you have to remember that these dogs are just as willing to teach you....if your willing to learn, the world of a munster is simple and fun but ordered, and there is probably some `secret of life' stuff in there too.
Peter
