This article originally appeared in the award-winning AKC Family Dog magazine. Subscribe now!

Shelters have many dogs with sad stories. But Roger was the one of the most heartbreaking cases Vicki Brown had ever seen.

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 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 says.

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 also 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 says. “I knew then that if he survived, I would adopt him.”

Going Home

Roger 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,” says 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 packmates, bounding through the water and running in the dunes. Something clearly had changed. Roger had discovered joy.”

Finding His Way

What was meant to be two weeks turned into 12 happy years. Roger is now 14 years old and has outlived his original canine housemates. And that could be the end of the story. But it is not.

“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 Brown 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, Advanced CGC, Urban CGC, 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 says. “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 says. “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.”

The Right Track

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 says.

Roger is a great example of old dogs learning new tricks—and he shows the many benefits of taking on those challenges.

“Roger has always been an introverted and cautious guy. He had a very small group of humans and play buddies that he trusted,” Brown says. “Since we started scent work and tracking, he’s more confident and outgoing and is more accepting of new situations.”

On January 1, Roger competed in his first AKC Tracking Dog test held at San Pasqual Valley’s Bandy Canyon in Escondido, California, 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 says. “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.”

That’s not all. In addition to his TD, Roger has earned the AKC Scent Work Advanced (SWA) title and is working on the Scent Work Excellent title. He has also obtained the CGC and AKC Temperament Test titles, becoming a multi-titled senior citizen. Not bad for a dog who was nearly out of hope a dozen years ago.

“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 says.

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 says. “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.”