Gundog working tests

[ilovemyheckler]

Does anyone know what the tests are for a spaniel in the "Puppy" working test?

I know what the entry requirements are - under 18 months of age on date of test etc but I can't find anything relating to the actual test.

I would like to know what is involved for me and the puppy.

I can find details for the "novice" and "open" tests but not the "Puppy" test

Thanks

[bigbird]

Spaniel puppy working tests are few and far between, I can give you a rundown on a novice test? You might be surprised !

[scotslad]

I used to host a spaniel test on my shoot, it was KC registered but have no idea if it was the 'normal' set up but imagine it would be.

 

The puppy test was hunt up a wee bit of cover/rashes, possibly ask it to sit/recall on command, hunt on shot fired (so drop to shot/steady) and then a fairly simple seen retrieve.

All pretty basic stuff really. Lasted just a few minutes,.

At 1 test 1 couple drove for well over 3hrs to run there pup in the pupy test, to be fair it was a cracking wee dug and won the puppy test, but u didn't have to drive for hours to see that, seemed a waste of time/desiel to me to travel so far for a few minutes hunting.

In fact they drove all the way down from ur neck of the woods heckler to south scot.

 

Must admit i never thought the novice test was an awful lot easier than the open, only difference i can mind was the open had a 'blind' retrieve whereas novice all were seen.

 

Best bet is to try and contact a local club that hosts them throu the spring/summer months and ask wot they do.

[ilovemyheckler]

Thanks for the replies.

bigbird I would appreciate a rundown on a novice test please.

Are there any videos online worth watching?

I want to see what the cover is like and the distance of the marked, blind and water retrieves

[bigbird]

8 hours ago, ilovemyheckler said:

Thanks for the replies.

bigbird I would appreciate a rundown on a novice test please.

Are there any videos online worth watching?

I want to see what the cover is like and the distance of the marked, blind and water retrieves

Cover varies hugely but *generally* it’s quite easy stuff for novice dogs.

 

There will be two of you a hunting’s sweep apart (but will vary with cover). You both hunt your dogs up. You will each have a judge walking slightly behind you and there’ll be a ‘gun’ somewhere adjacent too with either a starter pistol or shotguns with blanks.

You hunt up until a shot is fired at which point the dogs are supposed to park their bums and not move. Usually the seen is done first so as the shot is fired it’s thrown ahead. Either dog can be sent for it and the other has to wait patiently. Assuming it’s picked off you go again. The blind is placed behind the handlers and again a shot is fired and whoever is told to send their dog picks it. Hopefully.

You both get a blind and a seen and the same happens again on your second run but you swap judges.

Blinds in a novice vary, I’ve had one laid out for me in a lovely straight 15m line through a convenient gap in trees but there again I’ve also had 30 odd metre blinds over logs, through bogs and around obstacles so your handling has to be spot on too. 😂

A friend of mine trains his dogs to go out to where the electric fence stick is (which is usually the marker) and wins more often than not but I think that completely defeats the object 😂

It’s highly unlikely there will be a water retrieve.

Edited December 4, 2018 by bigbird

[B725]

Nice to see your back adding pearls of wisdom Alli, have you been hiding. from PW

[bigbird]

Haha no just feeling the dog urge again after a bit of a break. How’s Stanley? 😍

 

Edited December 4, 2018 by bigbird

[B725]

Curled up on my lap waiting for Friday still impressed how well he's doing. 

[bigbird]

9 minutes ago, B725 said:

Curled up on my lap waiting for Friday still impressed how well he's doing. 

Great! You need to get him in some tests next year!

ilovemyheckler this has just reminded me, as B725’s dog’s littermate won his first time out - the Dorset Working Spaniel Club holds spaniel puppy tests but the other end of the country from you 😞

[B725]

Do have a picture? Dorset is a tad far. 

[ilovemyheckler]

Maybe not too far as I have family in Gloucestershire so could combine both

[scotslad]

BB for a working test cna dogs not be ran individually??

Do they not run on there own at the Scone game fair test? (been years since i've been thou)

 

Been a few years since i've hosted 1 but sure the dogs ran on there own.

I usually end up a dummy chucker (usually get a good view of the dogs working) and the way they done it sure only room for the 1 dog running at a time.

 

As for cover for the puppy test was just rashes althou  thickish with tiny patches of bracken, the other tests (novice/open) were more brambly but not massively thick, on a shoot day i'd expect my labs to hunt those same brambles out

[bigbird]

Scotslad maybe I guess but I’ve never ever been in or seen a test where the dogs are run individually - except as you say at game fairs. 👍

[Lloyd90]

Try to go and help out, I thoroughly enjoyed when I did this and you get to meet lots of good people who can give advice and guidance. 

 

This is an account of the novice test I went to, the dogs ran in pairs.

 

Both dogs hunt out doing a good pattern from side to side without pulling too far ahead. 

The dogs should hunt well at which point a shot is fired and the dogs should stop. As it was novice every handler seemed to blow the stop whilst and sat the dogs up.

A thrown marked retrieve would then be thrown shortly after the dog stops/ the shot goes off and the dog should remain steady until the command is given to go retrieve. 

The dog should then carry on hunting, and the same will happen again but on the other side. Again your dog should drop to the shot, and remain still whilst the other dog gets out to retrieve. 

Once both dogs have completed a retrieve then you will both carry on hunting your beats again. A shot will be fired and each dog should stop. 

Each dog will then have a turn being taken to a spot and sent back to a blind retrieve. Whilst the other dog is out on his blind the Judge May invite you to recall your dog to heel, but he also said they could leave him where he is sat up. 

Once both dogs had completed a blind they would then be hunted on a few more yards before being recalled and the end of their run. They would then repeat the same on the other side.

 

Thw amount of dogs that just plodded about in an amatuer test was very high. Not many dogs were hunting nose down and hitting the ground well, if you can really get your dog to hunt well this is where something like 70% of the marks are awarded. The dog HAS to get their nose down and be hunting for scent not just jogging back and forth out of habit! 

 

If you go along you can often pick the winner by thw dog that hunts the best. I picked the winner in both the amatuer and open test in my mind and was right. The dogs that hunted like their lives depended on it. Very nice to watch a good dog go.