With a 60-day duck, 45-day conservation goose and nine-day teal season, that leaves around 8 ½ months of “down time.” To keep a dog at the top of its game, training in the off season fills the void. Are you looking for something to do that’s not only fun but can pay some nice dividends? Why not give hunt tests a try?
I got bit by the hunt-test bug some 12 years ago and have been involved ever since. I’ve made great friendships, had some great times and received invites to some great hunts. As much as I enjoy it, I can confidently say my dogs enjoy it more than me.
Both the United Kennel Club (UKC) and American Kennel Club (AKC) hold hunt tests, with AKC also holding field trials. There are seven UKC clubs in Louisiana: New Orleans/Northshore, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Leesville, Ruston and Alexandria. AKC clubs also exist in those areas, and Mississippi is also home to both. The Hunting Retriever Club (HRC), started in 1984, is sanctioned by the UKC and governs the clubs putting on the HRC tests. I’ve only run HRC but plan to run AKC tests in the future.
HRC has four levels: Started, Seasoned, Finished (which is a Hunting Retriever Champion) and Grand Hunting Retriever Champion. A good way to describe the talent level for each is to think in terms of sports; Started=high school, Seasoned=college, Finished=professional and Grand Champion=all-star. There’s also a Hall of Fame for dogs earning four grand passes and 1000 points.
Tests at each level
Tests are usually held over a weekend, and all consist of a land and water test each day. The tests use real ducks along with shotguns that fire primed hulls called “poppers.” The dogs are judged against a set of standards set forth by HRC, with two judges per test.
Started is the beginner level consisting of two marks on both land and water where a dog can be leashed with a gunner shooting in place of the handler to make sure the dog is steady. If the dog picks up all four birds adhering to the standards, it earns a pass for that day.
Seasoned is more difficult. The dog is off leash at “the line,” which is where the dogs run from. Marks are shot by the handler one after the other and the dog must remain steady and pick both up. It also includes a blind retrieve and a diversion. A diversion is where a bird is thrown with the dog returning. It must deliver the bird it has then pick up the diversion bird. The last element is a “walk up/out” where a bird is thrown with the dog at heel. The dog stays at heel until sent. The walk up/walk out is during the land test, while the diversion could happen at either land or water.
Finished ups the ante in that the dog must go to the line at heel off leash. Three marks are thrown that the handler shoots which must be picked up, a blind retrieve in both land and water as well as a diversion. Once a dog finishes running, it proceeds to the honor bucket where it must sit while watching the same three marks for the new “working” dog to pick up. Once the working dog leaves the line, the honor dog is released.
Distance and difficulty increase at each level with the Grand being held over five days with even more challenging tests, the last being an upland test. It takes two passes to earn a Grand.
Failing a test can be caused by not delivering a bird, breaking before being sent, refusing to go where directed, and bad line manners among other reasons.
Successful dogs
So, what does success earn? Dogs receive ribbons for each pass with a title ribbon and certificate when earned and points counting toward the next level. If you’re considering breeding, litters from titled parents, along with positive health and genetic certifications, will command higher prices. The reason being is that the titles are documented proof that the parents can perform to the test standards. Also, if looking for a puppy, it takes out a lot of guesswork. Moreover, and most important, training to a Seasoned or Finished level pays off when hunting.
If you’re interested, go out to some tests and see what it’s about. You can also search social media for more info on rules and requirements for both AKC and UKC tests as well as pull up videos of the various tests.
If you have questions regarding Louisiana clubs and tests, contact Vince Liggio, the Region 10 field rep, at vince.liggioFR10@gmail.com.
Hope to see you out there!