NA Test - Search

[tabcha63]

Trigger is running his NA test this weekend and was just wondering about the serch scoring portion.

How hard are the dogs graded when it comes to searching? I havent worked on quartering to the whistle yet, he does kindof quarter but also does alot of milling around and mostly stays infront. He is independant and stays about on average 30 to 50 yards out infront and comes back to check in occasionally. I was told over the weekend his search was horrible, but in my opinion he is just a pup (1 year old yesterday). Short of training to quarter what should I expect?

My thoughts on the scoring:
4 - quarters to the whistle or quarters naturally
3- Runs around but not too methodically (similar to what trigger does)
2 - Gets sticky to the handler
1/0 - Wont leave the handlers side

Am i correct in this thinking? Just trying to get an idea of what to expect.

[tabcha63]

Im thinking if i motor along the field and quarter he will quater with me. I do this at home and did not do it over the weekend, thats why i think the guy made the comment about his search being so bad.

[gonehuntin']

The downfall of most pups is the tracking. He'll be expected to find and point a bird. He'll have a gun fired near him.
He'll be expected to track a pheasant. He'll be expected to retrieve from the water and bring the bumper to you.
He must show cooperation; if YOU call him, he's expected to come. If he won't come, don't call him. They will handle him a little, checking his bite and coat.

That's it. The judges will set the pace in the field. I believe you can choose the direction, as long as it's toward the bird field, but you can't sprint across the field and leave the judges in the dust. Many are old like me and don't sprint so well.

[tabcha63]

Hes pretty solid on the water work. Hesitates a little on the first retrieve, but i think i can overcome that by amping him up before i give it a short (5') toss into the water.

Tracking is up in the air and depends on how he feels that day. I am hoping i can keep him exersised between the field portion and tracking portion to keep him a little worn down. He is a hard running dog. The plan for the day is Field, Track, then water. Weather looks pretty good.

I was wondering if i was to follow the judges or if I was "in charge" and set the pace and direction for the field work. Sounds like my plan of moving along and quartering wont work :roll:

Does my scoring senario in the above post sound right or am I way off?

[adogslife]

You can work the field, you are not required to walk along with the judges,you can walk ahead as long as you are "in a group".
You are out for a hunt with your dog, that's what the judges want to see. I would not handle a dog other than to maybe call him off a chase and if I KNOW the dog will comply. You should call point as soon as you see the dog pointing and know what to do once the dog goes on point,do the judges want you to flush,collar your dog,how far off do they want you to walk your dog before releasing again,if they want you to release

This is usually the easy portion of the test,don't sweat it

Good luck

[GUNDOGS]

Im glad im reading your post after my pup did the test or id be nervous ..honestly i didnt even put much thought into it and didnt prepare jersey for it since its a natural ability test i figured either she has it or she dont she was 5 months old and got a prize 1 in 40 degree weather, it was pouring rain out and had only been in water maybe 3 times total before the test, never had tracked and was ok on retrieves considering she was 5 months...point is, i honestly dont think you have anything at all to worry about, your dog being a year old and with having some training will surely do just fine..have fun and good luck ...ruth

[tabcha63]

I over exaggerated (as usual), but what I was hoping to do was "hunt" with my dog having painters tape over my mouth and whistle stapled to my shirt. That is going to be my plan out of the gate, if the judges tell me to slow down so be it, untill told otherwise I will plead ignoance. Like I said, he dosent really quarter naturally, only sometimes. This is where I was hoping to lead by example.

I was just concerned about it cause a 1 point nick in the search will drop you fast in the Prize category.

[GUNDOGS]

I over exaggerated (as usual), but what I was hoping to do was "hunt" with my dog having painters tape over my mouth and whistle stapled to my shirt. That is going to be my plan out of the gate, if the judges tell me to slow down so be it, untill told otherwise I will plead ignoance. Like I said, he dosent really quarter naturally, only sometimes. This is where I was hoping to lead by example.

I was just concerned about it cause a 1 point nick in the search will drop you fast in the Prize category.

well if you get too nervous you can think of something funny like how when sharon (a member on here) went to her first trial and the judges told her to "pick up her dog" and she thought she had to pick it up and carry it all the way back to the car that still is the funniest thing ive ever heard and helps me laugh when i think of being new to tests or trials, cant wait to see you post your success ...ruth

[northern cajun]

The downfall of most pups is the tracking. He'll be expected to find and point a bird. He'll have a gun fired near him.
He'll be expected to track a pheasant. He'll be expected to retrieve from the water and bring the bumper to you.
He must show cooperation; if YOU call him, he's expected to come. If he won't come, don't call him. They will handle him a little, checking his bite and coat.

That's it. The judges will set the pace in the field. I believe you can choose the direction, as long as it's toward the bird field, but you can't sprint across the field and leave the judges in the dust. Many are old like me and don't sprint so well.

The dog is not required to retrieve a bumper at all, the dog must swim twice.

[High Voltage]

They are not looking for the dog to "quarter", they want it to be searching/hunting. These are not flushing dogs. None of our GSP's quarter per say and all earned max search scores in their NA test. adogslife gave you good advice. Remember the judges are there to help, ask them if you have any questions, they want to see your dog do its best. HAVE FUN!!!!

[tabcha63]

Ok , sound like his search is ok. Like i said he runs sort of aimlessly, but its his way of hunting/searching and almost 90% of the time in front.

The one thing im wondering is what constitiutes a 3 in search (and since im hear also a 3 in water)? Other than if the judge got his coffee early enough in the morning

[gonehuntin']

The downfall of most pups is the tracking. He'll be expected to find and point a bird. He'll have a gun fired near him.
He'll be expected to track a pheasant. He'll be expected to retrieve from the water and bring the bumper to you.
He must show cooperation; if YOU call him, he's expected to come. If he won't come, don't call him. They will handle him a little, checking his bite and coat.

That's it. The judges will set the pace in the field. I believe you can choose the direction, as long as it's toward the bird field, but you can't sprint across the field and leave the judges in the dust. Many are old like me and don't sprint so well.

The dog is not required to retrieve a bumper at all, the dog must swim twice.

They were in the last test I ran. And deliver it.

[Red]

The handler will be provided a selection of
training dummies. The handler will be instructed
to throw a dummy into water of
sufficient depth for the dog to swim. The dog
is expected to make a forward moving entry
into the water and swim twice. For a complete
and fair evaluation, the Judges may ask for the
dog to be sent into the water more than twice.
The dog’s swimming speed and style are of little importance. A dog that leaps into
the water will not be scored any higher than the dog that enters without hesitation
in a more deliberate manner.
Dogs that retrieve the thrown object will not receive
higher scores. The retrieve is immaterial - the importance here is whether or not the
dog has the desire and self confidence to swim twice

http://www.navhda.org/testrule.pdf

[adogslife]

NA dogs are required to swim only.
Retrieve to hand with a sit finish?
The chapter officers should have said something.
Wow, can you tell who the judges were so I don't test under them?

[GUNDOGS]

NA dogs are required to swim only.
Retrieve to hand with a sit finish?
The chapter officers should have said something.
Wow, can you tell who the judges were so I don't test under them?

our chapters NA test dont require retrieves either, even though no extra points were given jersey did the retrieves...ruth

[Munster]

As far as the pace. This is YOUR test run your dog as if you are hunting/training.
If you think quartering your dog will move him out a little, why not try it. I am sure they want to see something other then a straight line.
They DO NOT have to bring the bumper back. Just swim. Not a big deal. There are no points for style.
The track. they dont have to point the bird, but it will count towards your pointing score if they do. SO it is a plus.This is the area that I have always worried about. Not because my dogs wont track, but because so many factors come into play.

I can gaurentee you that you are sweating bullets now, but when it is all over you are going to look back and say "Dam, that wasnt so bad"

Score doesnt matter, everyone strives for the Maximun score. But I would take a 110 with a ding in coop anyday. I love a dog that will give me the finger every now and again, shows charector!

Good luck, you will do fine!!!!!!!

[gonehuntin']

NA dogs are required to swim only.
Retrieve to hand with a sit finish?
The chapter officers should have said something.
Wow, can you tell who the judges were so I don't test under them?

I don't want to trash the judge. The test was in W. Wi. Some of the odd things he did were to tell us that if we issued a command and the dog did not immediately respond, we would be graded down. The dog had to go in the water and deliver to hand, no sit, just deliver. The track was across 50 yards of plowed field, then into alfalfa. Once the dog pointed, he was expected to hold point until we flushed the bird. He wanted the dog to recall immediately.

I confess, I'm a hunter, I don't run FT or Navhda. I did it just for the breeder so he could say a pup had points.

We did get a prize one.

[MTR]

NA dogs are required to swim only.
Retrieve to hand with a sit finish?
The chapter officers should have said something.
Wow, can you tell who the judges were so I don't test under them?

I don't want to trash the judge. The test was in W. Wi. Some of the odd things he did were to tell us that if we issued a command and the dog did not immediately respond, we would be graded down. The dog had to go in the water and deliver to hand, no sit, just deliver. The track was across 50 yards of plowed field, then into alfalfa. Once the dog pointed, he was expected to hold point until we flushed the bird. He wanted the dog to recall immediately.

I confess, I'm a hunter, I don't run FT or Navhda. I did it just for the breeder so he could say a pup had points.

We did get a prize one.

I am very glad that you ended up getting a prize 1, but this is not required in the AIMS testing program of NAVHDA. I would be having words with judge, chapter president, and then sending a letter to NAVHDA home office. They (NAVHDA home office) takes comments like this to heart. Judges making up their own rules is not what NAVHDA is about. This is stressed over and over during the Handler's Clinic. There will always be judges that try and push this, and they often find themselves not being asked to judge again at a chapter. Doesn't help the handler and dog that tested that day, but hopefully may prevent it from happening again to someone else.

Not required to point on the track, as was said this can help your field portion of your test. No dog is required to hold point until the bird is flushed in the NA. No retrieve is required during any portion of the NA.

:shaking head:

[gonehuntin']

well if you get too nervous you can think of something funny like how when sharon (a member on here) went to her first trial and the judges told her to "pick up her dog" and she thought she had to pick it up and carry it all the way back to the car that still is the funniest thing ive ever heard and helps me laugh when i think of being new to tests or trials, cant wait to see you post your success ...ruth

Sharon's been holding out on me!!!! Never heard that story. Good grief, that's funny.

[tabcha63]

well if you get too nervous you can think of something funny like how when sharon (a member on here) went to her first trial and the judges told her to "pick up her dog" ...ruth

Sharon's been holding out on me!!!! Never heard that story. Good grief, that's funny.

Luckily enough I heard about that else where and learned what it meant...I would have had a funny look on my face when the told me to pick up my dog

[MOOSE]

So how did your test go? Or did I miss the post? Hope it went well.

[birddogger]

The dog is not required to retrieve in the NA test. As was mentioned, he is only required to swim twice....He doesn't even have to swim toward the bumber. The bumper is only thrown to intice him into the water.

Charlie