1st NAVHDA Test

snips · Post by **snips** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 12:51 pm

Well, Greg J just left after a morning of practicing for our 1st NAVHDA Test. Hope these goofy guys have some sort of a brain intact when we turn them loose on Sun. I wish you could have gone too Grant... We did some tracks and water work, they were a little on the wild side, better that than the opposite. We`ll report the outcome, good or bad.

sudiegirl · Post by **sudiegirl** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 2:25 pm

good luck brenda!!
where is it going to be?

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:19 pm

Good luck on the track Greg, thats what got me :shock:

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 8:53 pm

Kevin wrote:Good luck on the track Greg, thats what got me :shock:

Greg nursing a case of "road butt" in the Spring Hill Suites in Concord, NC.....

If anything gets Gunner, it will be the track. He has the other parts down cold. He swims like a lab and blew through AKC Junior Hunter like it wasn't there...5 straight passes with 9's and 10's.

Best,

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:36 am

Yep,

The track is what makes or breaks most dogs scores, from what I've seen and heard.

The rest is a walk in the park.

What chapter are you testing with?

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:32 pm

Kevin wrote:Yep,

The track is what makes or breaks most dogs scores, from what I've seen and heard.

The rest is a walk in the park.

What chapter are you testing with?

The Carolinas chapter.

Best,

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:24 pm

Brenda and I both passed.

Best,

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 8:14 pm

Congrats

seadog · Post by **seadog** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:41 pm

Kev, they haven't sent out the latest newsletter yet but rumour has it (yes, I was asking some the workers) that there was a 5 month old shorthair that was a really good dog . WAS that you ? If the track is your problem put the pup on some wild birds, there should be some in your area . Then run the fall test. I would of liked to have been there but I had to work the DD test.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 9:07 pm

Seadog,

That was me, too bad I missed ya!

The track was pretty ugly, which is very frustrating because this dog can track. He is still young so I can't blame him for what he did or my mistakes...this is what happened.

The field portion of the test was held at the back by the gazebo, and the dogs went staight from the field to the track, instead of everydog doing the field portion first then starting with the first dog again on the track, like they did before.

It was very warm that day and he ran pretty hard. I didn't take that into consideration as this was the first warm weather he had ran in...my first mistake. As we walked to the field were the track was I knew it would be tough as he was panting hard...wish I had know where the pond was before or atleast had more time to water him.

Anyways he tracked about 10-15 feet then would circling back to the start of the track...did this a couple of times, then he ran about 75 feet to the fence line and stood there. The judges told me to call him back...he refused. Then they told me to go get him, I did. I was allowed to resend him two more times on the track, both times he ran back to the same spot, would not recall and I had to go get him. End of the track.

After we finished I find out that little spot in the fenceline was where they had the box a pheasants they were using....directly downwind of the track... could not believe it!!! was not happy.

After my run the box was moved to the back of a truck away from the field. Could not be upset with my little guy as he did what he was supposed to do,find the birds, just not the right ones.

I know if you had been there none of this would have happened, as I have been told you are the grandmaster bird planter, so really it's all your fault, you cost me a 4 in the track. LOL just kidding

Seriously though it was my first time testing and I did learn alot, but don't quite understand how the judges got there numbers for some dogs, but they are the judges.

I will test UT but am not sure if I will do NA again, when a judge tells you "it's nice to see a young dog with so much desire" then gives you a 2 in desire, it makes me wonder. Besides I got better things to spend $130 on, like gas to go grouse hunting with this fall

If you ever come to the Guelph training grounds I'll show you a dog with a 2 in desire that you won't believe

so little desire infact that at 4mo would get stung by the electric cattle fence and keep on hunting

seadog · Post by **seadog** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 11:18 pm

Don't know who your judges where at this time, but it will be in the chapter newsletter . I did hear something about the bird box. Actually I'am surprized, NO, shocked that they didn't think about the box , the wind, location to track. I'am even more shocked that the senior judge didn't realize this and have you come back as a recall in a totally different spot . I guess nobody told you about the little creek that runs behind the gazebo , did they at least put out water buckets in the field ? I do know that a few of the key workers couldn't make this test and hope that because of that it didn't affect the test much , like the people that where there are not newbies.

larue · Post by **larue** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 8:56 pm

KEVIN,,,the lower desire score was probably due to the bad score in the track,,,as it is scored as desire to do the work,,not just plain old drive...If you fail a portion of your test,,,expect the desire,,and the cooperation scores to both go down,,..
It does sound like you got a bad shake,,in the track,,,
I once got a lower search score in a n/a test that they actually forgot to plant birds in...he ended up with a 2 search..
and he actaully tracked a wild turkey for several hundred yards..
before he produced it...
My best dogs have failed the track in there first n/a test...
and one is a fc/mh ut,,and the other is almost a fc...
the track is just one minute of of your pups life...