Hunt test Vetrans, calm me down!

D

DBrunger

Member
So a few weeks back I was doing a little training with a friend and she said, "your pup could probably pass an AKC Junior test with how well she is doing!"

So I had been looking at Hunt tests in the area on Entry Express, and found a couple only a few hours away. I felt ok and entered the info about Piper and got out my credit card... I felt great until I submitted it. Now I am worried I just threw away $140! LOL

Piper is young and hasn't had a ton of experience, and it has been 12+ years since I did a hunt test. She was doing great delivering to hand and then about a week ago started dropping the dummy about 5 feet from my feet. Along with trying to push her distances out, I am going to work on her delivery for the next couple of days. I am going to force fetch her over the winter, but wanted to see how she is doing with her natural instinct.

then again, what is the worst she could do? Run around the field and have some fun? I guess if she doesn't do well there are other ways to blow money that aren't as much fun right?
 
Has she retrieved any birds yet? I have seen a number of dogs fail because the first bird they saw was at the hunt test.

The first hunt test I ever ran was a NAHRA test in MI. I lived in southern OH at the time. I had never been to a hunt test before but figured I could watch a few dogs run and figure things out OK. I get to the grounds and I find out my dog was running number 1! Thank God for test dogs!

Have fun,

Tom
 
Deinitely get some birds to work with. I took some friends and trainers advise back in June that both felt my 9 month old lab was ready to start his Juniors. Okay, I was easily talked into it, I was a bit naive I guess. Anyway, my dog was doing great with retrieves, but was a little rough around the edges with heel and such. He had done numerous land marks with a bird prior to the hunt, but never a water mark with a bird, just bumpers. Long story short...he passed the landmarks portion of the test (I ran number 1 as well) with no problems to speak of and we got the call back for the water marks. He was so wound up even after airing him out he would not heel for anything going to the line. I finally managed to get him to sit with some coaxing, and yes the judges had some choice words for me there. Anyway, he went after the first mark and brought it back and that was it. He developed lock jaw and would not let that bird go for anything. That was the first time he had done that and he threw me for a loop. I finally told the judge he was done and had to forcefully remove the bird from his mouth. He hasn't done that since?!?! I've had him on bumpers and birds in the water and he has not displayed that behavior again. Yep, I was let's just say less than pleased with him at the test. But I realized that was his first bird from the water...I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but you definitely don't want to have any firsts at the hunt tests. I decided I'll be working with him a lot more this season, over the winter and in spring before he gets put to the test again. And we will decide together if we're ready to take this on as a team. I'm sure glad I went with my gut instinct and only entered him for the Saturday test. I just wasn't comfortable putting all that money on the line and not knowing what he would do. Good luck to your and your pup at the test, I hope you guys do well.

Steve
 
I agree with Lou,back away,run away if you have to keep her coming. Years ago at my first test my lab Jed marked a jet taking off at the same time as they threw the bird. Well I sent him and he didn't stop till he got to Boston. Remember to stay loose and keep it fun,pups pick up it you're wound tight
 
I've seen that situation many times Steve.
Hunt tests are fun but the situation with numerous dogs,sounds, and smells does strange things to dogs . It needs to be managed but you never know what dog you'll let out of the box on Test Day!
I don't enter a dog unless I'm confident but then, refer to the sentence above. John
 
Oh, all this talk is making me nervous. Molly's got a test in a few weeks!

Definitely try to stay calm. As was said the dog will pick up on your nervousness. This applies in training too, if you are worked up and loose your patience the dog may end up going backwards.

Good luck and have fun. At the very least, you will meet people and learn something.
 
She has had a duck, a couple of pigeons and a chuckar. In that order. She has done well with the birds, she likes holding them. I think she is going through a phase. She was very good with "Heel" and "Sit Stay"... almost beyond expectation, and within the period of time that she has been dropping the dummies, she has been slipping on her behavior in those commands.

force fetching is a must!
 
I was tossing to her yesterday and she seemed back on track. She was doing well delivering to hand. I am going to try to get her out on the water tonight or tomorrow night. I also need to get some birds to toss for her.

with a face like this... you know what I am working with! LOL

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Ok so where are you going to do the test?

Two things a JR must do. Be held at the line on a flat buckled collar and deliver to hand. There is a thing called the JR grab. As long as the bird does not hit the ground when released from the dogs mouth and it ends up in handlers hands it is okay. Some other things, it is really nice if the dog marks the single falls, 2 on land and 2 on water. Not much of a problem it the dog has to hunt it up as long as they stay within a reasonable area of the fall, like within a quarter mile......BSEG!

Two things a handler must do. Hold the dog on the line to prevent a break. Get the bird from the dogs mouth without it hitting the ground.

JR Hunt tests are about the dogs and getting the team hooked on hunt tests.

Have fun and it is normal to shake all over going to the line. Keep the whistle out of your mouth and let the dog do the job.
 
Great stuff John and those of you that have responded.

The test is in Chardon OH at the Hambden Nursery.

Piper is doing well at the moment... As far as sit stay goes she is pretty much a rock. 90% of the time If I tell her to sit-stay, she will let me walk around for extended periods without breaking. I actually screwed up one of the marked retrieves last night when I walked in front of her as she was at a sit stay and I was throwing a dummy. she marked it well but as I was walking back to her to send her, I walked in front of her, she looked up at me and then back down and I could tell when she looked back down she was scanning for it. I sent her but she had to hunt for several minutes before she found it. That one was on me!

I know it will be the 10% that we will be up at the line and she won't sit stay! LOL

I know from a few friends and from past experience that I should just ask the judges what they allow and don't (as far as praising the dog after a retrieve) goes.

I am going to pick up some birds hopefully tonight to train with this weekend. My nerves have settled a bit, she did several really nice retrieves last night and after seeing the running order posted, I am now getting a little bit excited.
 
Mark, We are in the middle of force fetch. She is now doing well with "Hold".

So I am pleased to announce that Piper showed up Saturday ready to run. She took off after the land marks like she was shot out of a cannon. The judges even commented on how much drive she had. Both Birds delivered to hand. On the first water mark she launched and her splash/wake wiggled a decoy which grabbed her attention long enough to not focus on the Marked bird. She continued out in the right direction and checked out 2 small stumps that several dogs mistook as ducks checking them out briefly and then locked onto the actual mark. Her retrieve was nice and I could tell by the way she was holding it I shouldn't get fancy and just do the old JH lunge as soon as she made the bank.
For the second mark the bird landed a bit more on the bank than some of the other throws and the point I picked at the line was not a good line of sight at all. She swam over into the small cove, looked in the weeds but didn't see the duck, made a hard left and went to investigate where the bird boy was. When she came out from there. She looked at me. I gave one cast and she bolted to where I cast her. She was looking in the water and I knew it was right above where she was. I said "Hunt it up" and simultaneously as I said it she locked onto it and the judge warned me that once you cast you have to put her right on the duck with more casts. So my speaking almost screwed it all up. She came back but took a weird line back and landed on the other side of a barrier of decoys meant to keep the dogs from bank running. I turned to the judges and said chuckling this scares me... They gave me a nod and she plowed right through with the bird. Delivered directly to hand, no questions about it. She Passed and the judges were both complementary of her drive.

leg 1 of JH is Hers!
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Sunday on the other hand was another story. I could tell before the test she was amped up but thought she would be fine. She again ran like she was shot from a cannon but as soon as she made it back to the line with the first bird she dropped the bird and started rolling on the duck. She wouldn't respond to anything and just kept rolling. I called it after joking with the judges. I guess the one judge didn't find it funny, but at that point I knew that she was done.
oh well, 1 for 2 with a Six month old chessie pup isn't bad!
thanks for the support guys!
 
Well, that was interesting. Would you do it over or wait until the pup is older?
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