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Expect to be there most of the day.
Expect to bring your dog in a crate or other way that the dog can comfortably
spend the day and not destroy your car, get in a fight with somebody else's
dog, or get loose and get into the tests going on. Feel free to bring
the kids, but remember to bring what's needed to keep them dry and their
tummies full. And water-- for you, the kids and the dog. Likewise
food. Don't forget your leash and whistle. Sunscreen, bug spray and a
comfortable folding chair are also a good idea. If you’re running a dog,
camouflage clothing is required. Even if you’re only attending the hunt
test as a spectator, it’s important to wear camouflage or at least earth-tone
clothing. Bright colored clothing can distract dogs who are running and
being directed by their handler.
The judges will try to give your dog plenty of time, but at some point
if the dog is having trouble, expect for them to ask you to pick the dog
up. If you are at a loss for what to do, a few questions will hopefully
get you pointed to a more experienced member to help.Get your dog
out of the kennel box a bit before it is time to run. Walk the dog around
a bit to get the kinks out. If you don't, you shouldn't be surprised
when he stops to urinate on the way in from the first retrieve and forgets
where he laid the bird. It is very important not to let your dog
get loose and into the test.
This is most apt to happen when airing
(exercising and letting the dog relieve themselves) the dog too close
to the test. If there is a long wait, drive to a different part of our
training grounds and throw some dummies. If you are at all close to the
test, keep your dog on a leash.
If you are new and haven't a clue about
what is going on or what is expected, don't be bashful about saying so.
We all were there once and you'll find people very helpful and understanding.
Try
to be around and stay in touch with the marshal so they don't have to
keep looking for you. On the other hand, if you have lots of waiting time
in Started, go watch a little of the Seasoned or Finished. All those were
started dogs once, and many of their handler/trainers were as green as
you a couple years ago. Look, dream and plan, one day you'll be up there
in Seasoned or Finished doing what today seems unreachable. It's possible,
ask the handlers in those tests.
The Tests Themselves.
Expect birds to be used in all tests. Popper guns and poppers (blanks)
will be provided. Judges will explain the test before
hand. If you have questions when you get to the line, ask. If you have
several dogs, ask the stake marshal to have them separated if they are
too close in the run order, so you have time to take one back before the
next runs. Even if you fail the first series, you run the rest of the
test. This is what makes HRC different from other national retriever test
sanctioning bodies, as does the hunting realism and the handler shooting
from the line in the advanced tests. For the actual
hunt rules used in a licensed hunt see the rule book that comes
with your membership from the national HRC, Inc.
Hardmouth (the dog damages bird by
chewing in the process of retrieving it) will fail a dog in Started, Seasoned
or Finished. Expect to see duck decoys in Started, and any kind of decoys
in Seasoned or Finished. The bird throwers and guns will almost always
be hidden from view. It is tacky (and against the rules) to point out
the bird boys to the dog. Your dog shouldn't watch a test before running.
Dogs are judged as pass/fail on the
standards establish in the HRC rule book. No 1st, 2nd,
3rd placements. Dogs judged on: Marking ability and memory,
nose, hunting desire, control and hunting style. A test dog will be run
before each series to show how the test is to go. In the started it is
largely to show mechanics. In seasoned and finished, it not only shows
that, but hopefully suction in the test, wind effects, and a chance for
the first couple handlers to watch a dog to decide any strategy that may
be needed to best handle the test.
Above all, relax. Have fun. If it ain't
fun, figure out how to make it fun, for you and your dog. Don't
be surprised, in a test situation, to find that what your dog does every
day in training suddenly becomes "Mission Impossible". For example,
he can't find his butt with both paws. This could happen not just on the
first time, but at a later test. There is a lot of distraction and excitement
at a hunting test, but so is there in the duck blind when the teal are
buzzing the decoys while your buddy is shooting a gadwall out the back
of the blind. The hunting test experience can help come fall. And training
with a group to simulate hunt test conditions can help prepare for an
actual test.
The above is not complete, but will
give a new handler a general notion of what to expect at a hunt test.
If you sign up for Seasoned and see you are in over your head, find the
Hunt Secretary and get switched back to Started the next day if there
is space available. In general, if you are new and uncertain about anything,
please ask. HRC clubs want to help and accommodate everyone as much as
possible. Just ask.
One last thing. Ribbons are awarded
to the passing dogs at hunts. Awards are always nice, and these ribbons
are no exception. Passes carry points toward HRC/UKC titles. Your dog
needs to be UKC registered within 60 days of passing to have the points
count. See the hunt secretary at the hunt for info on registering your
dog with UKC (United Kennel Club), or go to
www.ukcdogs.com and download the forms.
Author: Rich Carpenter
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