# First NAVHDA Test this weekend!!!



## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Scout, a friend, and I are off to Hustle, Virginia tomorrow for a weekend of hunt tests and camping. She'll be the last to run on Sunday thanks to her early blooming. It ended earlier this week, so I'm hoping she gets back to her normal self in the field. Training this month has been a bit disappointing after seeing such good work out of her earlier, but I'm trying to stay optimistic for the test. Whether she prizes or not we're just doing this to have fun. 

Wish us luck! I hope to have good news for you Monday. ;D


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Wishing you good luck, and great weather for your weekend.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

Good luck. Trying to train and run a bitch in heat was really tough. Their minds just arent right. But when she was done, she started working, and running like she should. Once they get done it sure seems like their minds get right. 
Good luck!


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

ein - pups have no idea what a ribbon is - a well done & pat on the head is what they look 4 - a good run or not !!!!!! good luck 2 U - the pup allready has it !!!!!!


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

V-John said:


> Good luck. Trying to train and run a bitch in heat was really tough. Their minds just arent right. But when she was done, she started working, and running like she should. Once they get done it sure seems like their minds get right.
> Good luck!


That makes me feel better. I wasn't sure if it was the heat, since she seemed pretty normal otherwise, coming into adolescence in general, or something I was doing wrong. Actually it's probably a mix of all three. She tends to do better the second day out there, so I'll try to run her Saturday night to get her in the right mindset. 

Thanks for the good wishes, everyone!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

hope all goes well C, just enjoy the experience regardless ;D


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## MeandMy3 (Feb 27, 2013)

Good luck! I am very curious about this so please post about your experience.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Aside from some terrible weather and some disorganization on the chapter's end, it was a good day. 

It started raining around 2 in the morning, so the fields were soaked by the time we started. It was humid with no wind, so scenting conditions were terrible and the planted birds were hunkered down in the cover. They assured us the judges would take the conditions into consideration. Scout was second up. I sent her out in the field. The gunner shot off two blanks to gauge her sensitivity to gunfire. No issues there, though I would have preferred if they'd shot after bird contact. She came up to a very visible pile of feathers and pointed, but not very convincingly, so the judges assumed that was leftover from the first run. One of them kicked around the area and sure enough a quail flies out. Her nose knows best! I was able to walk her away and send her off without issue. Something like 10 minutes passed and the judges plant a fresh bird and tell me to bring her back around. She finds it but again with a very half-hearted point and I think she even ran back to me, then back to the bird. They ask me what I want to do--take her off of it or let her see it fly. I don't really know, but I tell them to let it fly. So they flush it and it flies a pitiful 20 feet. Again I walk Scout off, let her loose and this time she runs back to the bird and gets a hold of it. Oh well. She has one more bird contact, again nothing impressive from my view. Thanks again to bad handling on my part and the weather, she's able to catch that bird too. That was the end of her run, I praised her for a good job, but I wasn't feeling too good about it overall. 

Next up is tracking. She followed the track for a bit, but then lost it and went back into hunting mode. Handlers aren't allowed to say anything, so I just stand there and watch her do her thing. At one point she kind of lingered out of sight at the tree line and I thought maybe she's found it. She then runs empty mouthed back toward us and the judges tell me to leash my dog. Retrieves aren't required, but she's done it before during a track. Two down one to go. 

I knew the one thing she would do really well is swim. Very little is required for this part. They really just want the dog to go out far enough that they are swimming. So 4, 5 feet. You throw a bumper out and if they swim they're golden. I put her in a sit/stay, threw out the bumper much farther than required, and released her for the fetch. She went straight in, retrieved the bumper, and even brought it back to hand. That was enough to bring my spirits back up and I told my friend that it might be enough to get her a Prize 3. 

That's the end of the test and we all gather around to hear the scores. The first dog is a full score prize 1, 4s in everything. Scout's turn comes and I brace myself thinking this is just for fun, it doesn't matter. The judge reads her score: Nose 4, Search 4, Water 4, Pointing 4, Tracking 3, Desire to Work 4, and Cooperation 4. 110 points, Prize 1. I was shocked. Did we see the same dog run?! 

She slept in her crate the 8 hour drive home and celebrated her win with some zoomies in the backyard. Lesson learned: We humans, are silly silly creatures. Oh, and I really need to buy some boots to avoid ridicule.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Ein - the ribbon makes you smile - the 8hr ride home with the pup asleep !!!!!! proves she put in a days work - just doing what they were bred 4 - they still amaze me !!!!!!


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Absolutely, REM! You always sum it up so well. I'll also add that nothing has been as helpful with her crate training as going to these kind of events. She has to wait patiently in her crate until her turn, comes out has a blast, and then right back to the crate for a nap. 

Just got these pics of the day from my friend.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

the 2nd pic !!!!!!!! she is so **** ugly = beautiful !!!!! but this from a short hair owner - LOL


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

1 more POINT !!! purple colar & matching lead !!!!!!!! she is a chick !!!!!!!!!!! LOL


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Congratulations to you and Scout.
Looked at the pics and Scout is beautiful. But they are right you need boots.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Fantastic job Scout.
Einspanner, you have just had proven you have an excellent gun dog. Feels great to have validated by experienced sporting dog judges what you hoped you already knew.
Now what adventures will Scout lead you to next?
Happy trails and trials,
RBD


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Congratulations Scout and einspanner - great job. 

I have to agree with REM - boots are needed. Looks like you have sandals on?


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## MeandMy3 (Feb 27, 2013)

Congratulations! What a great accomplishment! I am so very impressed. As a reward, buy yourself some boots.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Ok, ok! I'll get some boots. Do you think these will do the trick? 










Any recommendations on how to proceed from here? The list of tasks for the UT test is a bit daunting. I don't think I could get her ready for it by November and that test is already filling up. With the summer heat just around the corner I'm thinking of putting a hold on field work and focusing more on ducks and steadiness training. Sound reasonable?


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Has Scout got his Junior Hunter title? He should breeze through it. 

Senior Hunter is the next AKC level and it is a lot of fun and easier than the UT.

If he is under 2 you could run him in a couple field trials in Derby. Those are a good time and a way to see how Scout stacks up against his smooth coated cousins and other pointing breeds.

Definitely wear those boots to a field trial. Give the old pros something to talk about around campfires for years to come. ;D

Have fun. If you have fun Scout will have a blast! Don't stress. It is only a game.
RBD


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Just my personal thoughts, and I'm sure others can jump in with theirs. I like my dogs to have a lot of bird contact before any heavy pressure. Even if its just 20 minutes in the field at daylight a few times a week. Don't fall into the trap of using the same field all the time, change it up for them. Get them BOLD on birds, not looking to the handler for direction, or correction when on point. (_In scouts case at the NA test, it was probably horrible scenting conditions_.) It can mean they are unsure. What they are unsure of is for the handler to figure out. Sometimes if a person just stays out of the dogs way, doesn't speak, and lets them figure it out on their own. They become more intense on point. Homers are great for doing this, as you don't have to worry about them catching the bird. Later add a feral pigeon every now and then. They can be shot, and its a treat for the dog to get a bird in its mouth. 
You could also do some whoa training away from the birds at the same time. Just practice with her on stopping and standing without moving her feet until released. You can even do it in the house when its hot. Slowly increase the time she stands, and the distance your are from her. Then add some distraction to it. Once she has it down pat, combine it with the bird work.


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## Iwantavizsla (Apr 15, 2014)

Help!!!!


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Iwantavizsla said:


> Help!!!!


?


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

To add to Texas' post, I would make sure that I would kill birds for her.... They will sour on pigeons if you train them too much on them and just point them with half effort.... Unless you kill a few for the dog. Killing birds for them really tightens them up. 
I've been using quail, with a few pigeons thrown in, and the quail I kill. I'll kill birds even when they are backing and man do they tighten up nice and look good if you kill birds for them in that situation. In fact, I'll pull the heads off of the quail and give them to Sis.... She loves it. A reward for standing nicely.


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