Some thoughts on Natural Ability Testing.

Hopefully everyone has found a suitable test locale and date for Natural Ability. If you have not received your NAVHDA pedigree yet, simply put "forthcoming" on the Test Application and get registered - the spaces can be in very high demand. Although it would not be unheard of for a pup to perform well before 5 months of age, most NAVHDA folks would agree to wait until the pup is at least that old. I would not discourage you from running before then for experience - I'd just be ready to try again when the pup is older. The Natural Ability Test must be completed before the pup is 16 months old - That gives you through May 9th of 2009 to complete the test. (You can run as many times as you would like during that time).

There are various opinions on the best age to run - Closer to 16 months will give a dog more experience around birds, and it will have a full season of hunting under its belt. The disadvantages can be that the pup has outgrown any timidness, yet not learned to control its search - hence being too wound up and over-running its nose. Younger dogs may simply lack experience and exposure to birds. Opportunities to point, handle and track birds should be taken advantage of prior to the test - NAVHDA chapter training days, other bird dog clubs, and researching who may have quail, chukars, pigeons or pheasants in your area can be helpful. The greatest part about the Natural Ability Test is that, as far as the birds go, you don't have to train for it - Pointing, Searching and Tracking are things that your dog should do naturally, and don't have to be "trained" for. This does not mean that it happens automatically - these natural talents are "brought out" through exposure to birds, patience and encouraging everything the pup does right. The Navhda "Green Book" and video can be of assistance.

When Molly and I went to the Natural Ability Test, she had a full season of grouse being shot over her as a small pup (her first point and "sort of" retrieve was at 15 weeks old). All grouse and woodcock that first season - no pheasants or waterfowl until the next year. As a small pup, she was always within 60 yards, in grouse woods and within soft voice and my soft whistle range (I can't whistle loud). At the time of the test, the biggest open area she had ever hunted in or worked birds was a one acre logging landing (the biggest open area in all of cook county in NE Minnesota is the airport and the football field). I went in thinking, "Its a puppy test - it will be a small area, and I have great control of her". Was I ever wrong - During the field portion of the test it was 15 acres of rolling hills, a griffon moving about 100 mph and chukars flying everywhere. A couple of quick points before busting the bird, about 200 yards from me and the judges - that earned us a 3 out of 4 on pointing - We also got nicked on cooperation as I could not control her with my wimpy ability to whistle as she exploited her new-found freedom. Water work and tracking were perfect scores for her and we walked away from the "puppy test" with a Prize II at 14 months old. Very pleased, but also knowing we could have done better had we known more about the test. On that hot and very gusty day there was approximately one Prize I, two other Prize II, one Prize III, and several "no prize" dogs. My recommendations for Natural Ability, as a result of my experience with one hands on test, watching several other dogs test, and since then volunteering to help on two other tests is as follows:

First thing to remember is that it is a "non-competitive" event, and the judges would love to see all the pups perform well. The judges are there to test the pup and not you - ask them anything you are unsure of and they will help/advise you as much as they can within the rules. The portion that comes closest to "testing you" is the "cooperation" portion of the test. In reality, the judges are looking at the pup's willingness to cooperate, versus how well it cooperates. There is a fine line between the two - and if you have opportunities to show "how well the pup cooperates" this helps to illustrate to the judges the pup's "willingness to cooperate."

Water Work:

The most straight forward - no birds. The dog must swim twice, thats it - it does not even have to retrieve the bumper - It just must show the ability and desire to swim twice. If the dog won't go in after the bumper, you may use a dead bird, but you will likely be nicked one point if you must use the bird. During all the phases of the test the judges will be looking for cooperation as well. This is a fairly simple portion to be ready for. If for some reason your dog is showing issues swimming prior to the test, please feel free to contact me and we can work on this - however I doubt it will be an issue.

Field Work:

Drive and independence are key to a good search, but being able to keep the pup "hunting for you, and not for itself" is the key. More than likely the pup will be very excited after the first bird is flushed - It is allowed to chase the bird without being penalized - steadiness is not a part of Natural Ability. You must however, be able to regain control of your pup within a reasonable amount of time if it chases a strong flier, or retrieves a week flyer. Being able to control your dog at a distance is key (as Molly and I learned) - the judges are not looking for a finished dog, but they want to see it cooperating and hunting with you. The judges will also make sure that the dog has ample opportunity to show its stuff - as they realize there are lots of variables in the field on any given test day. Cooperation is what I have seen most pups penalized for. The better you can control your pup when it may begin to "loose control", the more effective the search will be, the better the pup will point birds, etc. Just be careful not to control the dog so much it is always looking to you - you want a dog with good independence, yet willing to work with you.

The Track:

People frequently refer to the track as the "Wild Card" of the NA test. You will have wanted to expose your dog to a couple of tracking experiences prior to the test, however, the conventional wisdom is that in an unfinished pup, you can "over-expose" them to tracking. My feeling is that you don't want to have them do more than one track during any given training session. The judges will pull a few breast feathers from a flightless pheasant and place them in a small pile at the beginning of the track. Starting the pup just downwind (a couple feet) of the track is the key to success - If you are having trouble telling which way is downwind as you step up - ask the judges - again, they're testing the pup, and not you. Let the pup get a nose full of the feather pile, step them a couple steps DOWNWIND and one step in the direction of the track and release them. If you want to use a command like "track," "Okay," or "bird", that is fine, but the nose full of feathers and the pup's natural ability may be all it takes.

The keys to remember are to sign-up early, have fun, expose your dog to birds, and don't worry about the pup's score - dog's can have bad days too. Please feel free to email me comments, questions, other resources, or ideas, as several of you have extensive Natural Ability experience.