sureshotshane
Active member
On Thursday I tested my French Brittany pup in the NAVHDA Natural Ability test.
Not new to hunting dogs but it was my first time as a handler in a test. I used to have the attitude like many - I just want hunting dogs that can get me on game day in and day out. I don't need to test. However, I started to see the real value in NAVHDA and similar hunt tests so I'm starting to invest considerable time into it.
She scored a 102 (prize 3). She received high scores in everything except water. She wouldn't swim when I threw the bumper and I had to use a bird to get her to enter the water twice so automatically the max she could get was 2 points for water and hence the prize 3. Some folks were saying I could just retest in the spring and get a full score of 112. I'm not sure there is a point though? Except to boost my and the dogs ego. I'd like to move on to UPT training. I'm not concerned she won't retrieve in water in the future on whatever object I need her to retrieve. I'm not going to breed this dog, she has great potential for an excellent hunting dog but has an underbite and I'm set on fixing her. Anyone see a point in retesting?
To be honest I think the judges were quite forgiving. I would have been much harsher on my own and other peoples pups. I've seen my dog work and I would describe my pups performance as okay. Apparently the judges thought it was satisfactory. I cannot help but think how a numbered scoring system doesn't capture the nuance. The highest scoring dog you couldn't pay me to own, whereas the only dog that didn't prize I thought had more potential than most the rest of the lot.
You inevitably get to spend a lot of time with other handlers pups while waiting for your turn. In this regard you actually are around other pups more than the actual judges, just observing behaviour. There is a box about temperament but all the dogs were judged as normal. However, one of the dogs was truly a hazard. Both people and dog aggressive. Another pup was just dog aggressive. Both are complete non-starters for me. In general, most the pups were what I would describe as not well socialized - or maybe perhaps they were but just had mental instabilities. The scoring system does not capture this. But it is extremely important.
This test helped solidify that I think drive is the single most important factor to see in a pup. Followed by just being a good citizen that you can take everywhere and it be comfortable and well mannered. There is nothing you can do if a dog lacks the desire. If your dog has it, don't thwart it. Not everyone wants a hard charging dog. I hear people say they like the dog within shotgun range because they aren't as fit as they once were. I think there is a big difference between a close working dog and one that lacks desire so is close at hand because it doesn't know its purpose, and they can be confused. A dog can be super close working and have extreme drive. I like a dog that goes out and finds birds.
I'm not however knocking NAVHDA at all. I think we need a standardized system and I will keep with it. The main takeaway - I think the numbers start to make more sense at a broader scale but if a guy is just looking for a pup nothing can replace seeing the parents of a potential litter, and getting to hunt with them ideally.
Not new to hunting dogs but it was my first time as a handler in a test. I used to have the attitude like many - I just want hunting dogs that can get me on game day in and day out. I don't need to test. However, I started to see the real value in NAVHDA and similar hunt tests so I'm starting to invest considerable time into it.
She scored a 102 (prize 3). She received high scores in everything except water. She wouldn't swim when I threw the bumper and I had to use a bird to get her to enter the water twice so automatically the max she could get was 2 points for water and hence the prize 3. Some folks were saying I could just retest in the spring and get a full score of 112. I'm not sure there is a point though? Except to boost my and the dogs ego. I'd like to move on to UPT training. I'm not concerned she won't retrieve in water in the future on whatever object I need her to retrieve. I'm not going to breed this dog, she has great potential for an excellent hunting dog but has an underbite and I'm set on fixing her. Anyone see a point in retesting?
To be honest I think the judges were quite forgiving. I would have been much harsher on my own and other peoples pups. I've seen my dog work and I would describe my pups performance as okay. Apparently the judges thought it was satisfactory. I cannot help but think how a numbered scoring system doesn't capture the nuance. The highest scoring dog you couldn't pay me to own, whereas the only dog that didn't prize I thought had more potential than most the rest of the lot.
You inevitably get to spend a lot of time with other handlers pups while waiting for your turn. In this regard you actually are around other pups more than the actual judges, just observing behaviour. There is a box about temperament but all the dogs were judged as normal. However, one of the dogs was truly a hazard. Both people and dog aggressive. Another pup was just dog aggressive. Both are complete non-starters for me. In general, most the pups were what I would describe as not well socialized - or maybe perhaps they were but just had mental instabilities. The scoring system does not capture this. But it is extremely important.
This test helped solidify that I think drive is the single most important factor to see in a pup. Followed by just being a good citizen that you can take everywhere and it be comfortable and well mannered. There is nothing you can do if a dog lacks the desire. If your dog has it, don't thwart it. Not everyone wants a hard charging dog. I hear people say they like the dog within shotgun range because they aren't as fit as they once were. I think there is a big difference between a close working dog and one that lacks desire so is close at hand because it doesn't know its purpose, and they can be confused. A dog can be super close working and have extreme drive. I like a dog that goes out and finds birds.
I'm not however knocking NAVHDA at all. I think we need a standardized system and I will keep with it. The main takeaway - I think the numbers start to make more sense at a broader scale but if a guy is just looking for a pup nothing can replace seeing the parents of a potential litter, and getting to hunt with them ideally.
