Hunt Tests

CH Allard Aristokat Senior Hunter

Carlos Dell 'Oltrepo MH Carlos

 Chilcote You Know My Name MH,Credit

Ch My thodicals King of Fools MH

K Star has several master hunters.

Hunt test descriptions

If you have never done hunt test before, your dog does not know what they are missing!

I started performing in AKC Hunt Test’s in the early 1980’s when it was very new. My obedience dog loved it so much I still today enjoy watching the dogs doing what a sporting dog loves.Sporting dogs love to hunt and point, that is hunt tests.

Junior Hunter

Junior hunter is a great place for a new person to start hunting with their sporting dog.

After all, hundreds of years of breeding went in to making of today’s sporting dogs and you can honor the past by letting your dog do what it was bred to do: hunt. Have fun and enjoy your dog.

Junior hunter is similar to basic obedience title CD or companion dog. The dog must move with you off lead and obey basic commands. The “come” command is very important and the dog needs to point half of the birds

Pointing is the act of standing still when smelling the bird on the ground. Quail are ground dwelling birds unlike the tweeties in the back yard that live in the trees. The quail live and walk on the ground making it possible for the pointing sporting dog to find it and stop. The lifting of the leg is not necessary. It is necessary for the dog to point and hold it for at least three (give or take a little) seconds to show natural ability. If the dog does not point long enough it is called a “flash point” and does not count.

This test requires control and natural talent .Hopefully, the handler can then step in front of the dog and flush the bird into flying. The goal is to make the bird fly like a real hunting situation.. The dogs are not to handle any birds unless commanded, just point and let us do all the work. Usually, the dog will chase and catch the bird. This is allowed at this level.

Next, is where “come” is an important tool for getting the dog to head back in your direction and continue hunting the rest of the hunt test course. Like obedience, the dog can chose to behave or continue chasing.

General Info.

The junior hunter test dog runs for at least fifteen minuets, and all are paired with a brace mate.(a second dog) If you do not find any birds the dog does not pass with a qualifying score. This is very similar to the obedience NQ (non qualify). If the dog refuses to come it will not receive a qualifying score. If the dog plays with the other dog and does not hunt, NQ. The judges are looking for a dog that intensely looks at the bird, while not wagging the tail. And finally, if the dog flash points it does not receive a qualifying score.(you will need to borrow a cap pistol or starter pistol)

Senior Hunter

Senior hunter is very similar to CDX or companion dog excellent. (with an out door retrieve}.

In Senior the dog is to point, honor and retrieve. This is similar to obedience’s stand stay... is pointing. To retrieve and not be distracted by things outside the ring. Stopping when commanded. All of the control, heeling and retrieving is very similar. The pointing dog hunt test rule book will give you more details. This is just a simplified guide for the new hunt test enthusiast.

The senior hunter dog will hunt for a minimum of thirty minutes. The two dogs, a brace, must work as a pair even though they have never met before!

The dog must stand for the handler to flush the bird and shoot a fake or cap gun. Then the dog is to heel away and continue hunting. The dog is to “honor” or “back” the other dog it finds the other dog on point. This is considered good manners. The honor is handler assisted by holding the dog’s collar.

The other unusual etiquette dog skill is the “stop to flush”. When a bird flushes before a dog gets too close, the dog is to stop and not chase the self-flushing bird. This is very difficult for some dogs to learn, as chasing birds is great fun.

The retrieve is skill that takes practice just like retrieving over jumps in obedience. Even though the dog can retrieve after the gunshot, it is important to learn when moving is allowed.

Designated gunners do all the shooting, not the handlers. Handlers never need to shoot any birds. Multiple commands are allowed in senior hunting but an enthusiastic fast retrieve is score higher. The handler is not to assist in the dog’s retrieve by stepping toward them at any time. . The pointing dog hunt test rule book will give you more details. This is just a simplified guide for the new hunt test enthusiast.

.Master Hunter

Master hunter is similar to a UD, Utility Dog obedience title..

In master the dog is to point, honor and retrieve with little or no verbal commands. The dogs are to recognize the situation and respond on their own. They are to be in control at all times.

The master dog will hunt for a minimum of thirty minutes. The brace is to work together as a team behaving like dogs anyone would love to own. Pointing and backing are to happen with out handler interference and done perfectly every time.

The retrieve is to be quick and directly into your hand like the obedience ring. 

The added difficulty of backing or honoring when the other dog gets to retrieve. It would be like an obedience dog watching another dog retrieve in front of them.

The stop to flush is to happen with out a command.. Overall, the master is to be very good at doing all the skills of hunting, pointing and retrieving with the handler saying very little in the way of commands. The pointing dog hunt test rule book will give you more details. This is just a simplified guide for the new hunt test enthusiast.