Howdy, everyone! Last week we told you a little bit about us. This week, we want to introduce you to our biggest helpers in the field, the turtle dogs! They are Boykin Spaniels who are owned and trained by Mr. John Rucker. They go into the field with us for every Ornate and Eastern Box Turtle search. On average, one person can find 0.25 turtles per hour, while each dog can find 2 turtles per hour, due to their amazing olfactory senses picking up the scent trails of moving turtles. Therefore, they are a very important part of our team and we couldn’t do it without them!
Meet Yogi! He is a part of the 5th generation of turtle dogs and is 5 years old. You can tell him apart from the other dogs because he is the largest of his siblings and has the biggest head! He’s full of love and a total teddy bear. Mr. Rucker says he especially likes to turn on the charm for the ladies. He loves to be the star of the show and if he sees someone hold up a phone or a camera, he’s ready for his photo-op. He also has the gentlest mouth, great for finding tiny turts!
Ruger is the littermate and brother to Yogi and can be identified by having the darkest colored coat out of all the current dogs. He is very much a businessman, who lives and loves to work! He doesn’t seek out human attention but is absolutely in love with Mr. Rucker. When not searching for turtles, you will see Ruger right next to his human’s side!
Skeeter is the confident sister to Yogi and Ruger. She is great at keeping up with the boys and loves to show them up with her turtle finding skills, having already been the top turtle finder on multiple days this season! She really seems to be trying to get rid of her nickname, “Skeeter Brained.” She can be identified by the cutest little mohawk running down the center of her face!
Scamp is a part of the 4th generation of turtle dogs and is the auntie to Yogi, Ruger, and Skeeter. She is the daughter of grandma, Jenny Wren, and sister to mom, Lazarus. She can be identified by the gray coloring around her muzzle. She is 10 years old and this will be her last summer keeping up with the youngsters on the team before retirement. However, she’s taken on a very important role this summer as the “dandy nanny,” babysitting the newest member of the team while the rest of the dogs are out on a search!
Drum roll as we introduce you to the newest and tiniest member of the turtle dog team, Penny!!! Though she’s only a few months old, she’s already in training to sniff out turtles! She has already come along on a couple of turtle searches and has been intensely watching the team in action! We are so excited to see what her personality holds in the future! Welcome to the team, Penny!
You might be wondering who could be behind such spectacular dogs! Come back next week to learn about Mr. John Rucker, proclaimed “turtle dog man”, himself!!
