The dog in front is pointing and the dog in back is honoring.( Sometimes called backing)

This is a dog on point and the second dog is "backing"or "honoring".

Junior and Senior Hunter Titles (JH, SH)

birds, just point them and let us do all the work. Usually, the dog will chase and handle not 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 and chose to behave or continue chasing.

The junior hunter test dog runs for at least fifteen minuets, and is paired with a brace mate. If you do not find any birds the dog does not pass with a qualifying score. This is very similar to the obedience NQ"" or 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.

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.

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

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