PART ONE


Take your hunting dog to a competition Meet people and dogs you’ll like and remember


By ROSS MCLAUGHLIN Spring is here. After a great


fall hunting season, followed by a long winter, you and your dog(s) are getting off the couch. You have cleaned up the yard from last winter’s minefield and started to get at those other spring projects on your To Do List. But one thing you should make


sure is on your list is what to do with your dog. You already know this. That four legged monster is driving you crazy with all of its pent-up energy and nothing to do. Whether you have a retrieving,


flushing or a pointing dog, there are activities that take place each spring through to fall that will not only give your dog lots of exercise but will enable you to have a much better trained dog for the fall hunt. These are the hunting dog


competitions in the form of either hunt tests or trials. They’re for all


18 BOUNDER MAGAZINE


ages of dogs (over six months) and all levels of training. In addition to providing you and your dog with something to do, you meet people who have plenty of knowledge and experience and are willing to share it with you. Many belong to training groups which train together on a regular basis. For retrievers, hunt tests consist


of three different simulated hunting scenarios using real ducks (yes, they are dead) where the owners or handlers work their dogs and are judged against a standard. In other words, you and your dog receive a “pass” or a “fail”. These tests are open to all


retrievers, Irish Water Spaniels and Poodles. One test takes place on land to simulate a field hunt, and the other test simulates hunting over water. The third scenario is an upland hunt.


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