This past weekend the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association held its annual invitational event showcasing its best dogs from last year's testing program.

It took four days of running to test all of the entrants. In fact I was not able to stay for the whole four days, but did watch some excellent work on Thursday and Friday. The event was held near Steubenville, Ohio at the Mingo Sportsmen Club.

An interesting side note is that this is reclaimed strip mine land. The club has about 5,000 acres and it now looks like a hunter's paradise. Trees stand tall. Everywhere was covered with green. Ponds of various sizes dot the property. It is a testimony that “disturbed” land can be restored to a natural and useful environment.

So it was a good choice for a NAVHDA-style event. This was a new concept among field events when it was started in the late 60s by Bodo Winterhelt. Having started his life in Europe, he had participated in the usual North American field trials but was inspired to bring this “European concept” of testing here. Today NAVHDA is the only organization which promotes a complete bird dog – one that will function on upland birds and waterfowl.

The testing involves pointing upland birds, retrieving them, and honoring a brace mate. The dog must also retrieve a duck from water which he has not seen fall – a blind retrieve. And he must retrieve from water a duck which he has marked, but is able to evade in tules, so he must be capable of finding and securing this approximation of a wounded duck. Along the way he must be obedient, responsive to his handler and have enough intelligence to take all this training.

While not tested here, the concept of trailing a wounded deer has changed many state's game laws so that a dog under control can be used to locate a wounded animal. The usual choice of dog for this is from the “versatile” category.

One “interesting” aspect of the NAVHDA Invitational this year was the absence of Vizslas and Brittanys. Also “interesting” was the entry of two English Setters. I was not surprised at the Setter's competent performance in the field. It was a treat to see him sit at the side of a pond, mark and leave on command to fetch back a duck. Pointers and setters are not generally regarded as “versatile.”

While all organized events are different to a degree from “real” bird hunting, the NAVHDA program may be the one which most approximates hunting. There are no horses. Their regular events are non-competitive, so the dog only has to pass the test to “win.” There is a site: www.navhda.org where the results of the Invitational will be posted. It also lists upcoming events, chapters and secretaries in case you want to find one near you.

Range - as it relates to Pointing Dogs

How much range has been a never-ending topic among pointing dog field trialers. It is not near so much a topic of contention among hunters. But it is a worthy topic.

Among traditional field trials the widest range is expected in All Age competition. Next comes “Shooting Dog” events. Then “Gun Dog” stakes. The “Derby” and “Puppy” stakes are for juvenile dogs and range is probably less critical than a demonstration that the dog is eagerly looking for a bird and allowances will likely be made for cover and other factors.

Another factor affecting range is horseback or walking handling AND training. If a dog is developed with the trainer usually mounted on a horse the forward pace will almost always be faster than a pace set by a trainer on foot. Secondly, a mounted handler/trainer is a lot easier for the dog to keep track of if only because the trainer/handler is taller, and on a big animal.

Most hunters over most of the U.S. hunt from foot. If they live in open flat country where the bird being sought is spread out over a wide area, they will want a dog that will cover considerable ground around them as they walk.

Contrast this with a grouse hunter who is in the woods, sometimes in very hilly country and he is hunting a bird which is not necessarily immobilized when being pointed. This hunter is generally better served by a dog with more modest range – say in the same valley or on the same ridge, that the hunter is walking.

Even less range might be desired by a hunter who commonly visits hunt clubs or shooting preserves. He knows he has birds out in the field. And usually it is not a huge field and frequently has managed cover. Commonly the bird is a pheasant and they are known to run ahead of an approaching dog. And there is the reality of the walking speed of the handler. Age, health and stamina are factors which cannot be ignored.

So acceptable range can be affected by the bird being sought. It can be affected by the terrain being hunted over. And getting over into trials, it can be affected by the transportation of the handler. It can also be affected by the dog's training and its willingness to handle.

When is range a problem?

When the dog being used does not match the conditions just discussed. To a degree an experienced hunting companion that has the appropriate desire to find birds will adjust his pattern and range to cover as much ground as possible and still maintain contact with his handler. Such a dog might go to open fields and be effective on quail. It might also make the adjustment to hunt close enough to be effective hunting woodcock bogs. For all this flexibility, this dog, unless cultivated for it, will not likely be competitive at AFTCA sponsored All-Age Championships.

Likewise, those folks who burn to win these events will not be taking their dogs to heavy cover on foot while they are being campaigned. This is not hard to understand. First of all it is a competition! So it is assumed that the dog which hunts hardest, longest, fastest, finds birds, is mannerly and looks like it is doing it effortlessly with class, will WIN. Or perhaps it should be said that it SHOULD win. Field trial judging is a subjective thing. At one extreme one cannot just count birds. At the other, a great running dog that did not produce game should not be considered either.

Professional trainers have become very good at evaluating dogs brought to them for training and they have become good listeners when the owners describe what they want as a finished animals. Pros have a real interest in producing what the owner wants. Owners need to be able to honestly tell the trainer what they want. Most pros will pretty quickly be able to tell an owner if his dog has the “right stuff” to be molded to his specifications.

Good breeders will try to be responsive in this area too. To import a “Texas Pointer” to hunt woodcock along the New Jersey shore is not a likely match. The opposite is true also. Taking a dog which has worked small Mid-Eastern fields out to the prairie will initially result in a confused dog, looking for tree lines which don't exist and quartering at distances which are short and make no sense.

Some breeds are known for being more “rangy” than others. Some are known to be more “independent” than others. While this is a generalization, it has validity. The newcomer would serve himself well to take time to acquaint himself with the choices before him. Most newbies get into bird dogging via a friend and he starts with a pup from that friend. There is no real “shopping” involved. And that's ok because likely this friend will help the novice get off on the right foot. They will hunt and train together and the dog activity is an extension of their friendship.

For many it is the second dog that is the “shopped for” dog. They have decided that they want to campaign this next dog in field trials, and so are looking for a breeder who is producing dogs with the right stuff. They may also be shopping for a trainer who prepares dogs well to compete in the owner's area of interest.

One significant difference between the field trialer and the hunter is that the trial competitor is asking for another's opinion (the judges) and runs his dog to comply with some set of rules. The hunter's dog only has to please one master and he makes the rules and sets the standard.