http://mnnavhda.com/Training/THE%20MYSTERY%20OF%20NATURAL%20ABILITY%20TRACKING.htm
http://mnnavhda.com/Training/NA_Tracking.htm
Other Natural Ability resources have been brought to my attention, the above links can be found on the Minnesota Chapter - mnnavhda.com - site - follow the training links to these and other articles. It was also brought to my attention that using a bird during the swimming portion of the test will cost the dog 2 points. Good Luck and keep the photos coming.
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.
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.
NATURAL ABILITY
Here is a link to an article regarding preparing for Natural Ability Tests:
lonestarnavhda.org/articles/A%20Newcomer's%20Guide%20Natural%20Ability.pdf
Unfortunately, I can't get this link to work off the website, but if you google "Lonestar Navhda Natural Ability" you should find it. Not too sure why I can't get it to work. - Better yet - Copy and paste the address to your browser - that works.
lonestarnavhda.org/articles/A%20Newcomer's%20Guide%20Natural%20Ability.pdf
Unfortunately, I can't get this link to work off the website, but if you google "Lonestar Navhda Natural Ability" you should find it. Not too sure why I can't get it to work. - Better yet - Copy and paste the address to your browser - that works.
Dirty Laundry:
You've probably noticed the red and black fleece blankets in the photos. We'll be sending a small blanket with each pup that has not been washed. It will be well slept on, wrestled on, played on, etc, but not soiled. The idea is that they will have the smell of all their buddies right at their nose. I would keep the blanket unwashed for at least a few days until the pups are comfortable in their new homes. Similarily, it would be a good idea to sleep in a few old t-shirts, with plenty of "new pup owner" smell (shouldn't be hard for you Roger), and have that ready to throw into the pups bed along with, and then substitued for, the puppy blanket.
You've probably noticed the red and black fleece blankets in the photos. We'll be sending a small blanket with each pup that has not been washed. It will be well slept on, wrestled on, played on, etc, but not soiled. The idea is that they will have the smell of all their buddies right at their nose. I would keep the blanket unwashed for at least a few days until the pups are comfortable in their new homes. Similarily, it would be a good idea to sleep in a few old t-shirts, with plenty of "new pup owner" smell (shouldn't be hard for you Roger), and have that ready to throw into the pups bed along with, and then substitued for, the puppy blanket.
THE GREAT PUPPY POOP EXPERIMENT:
For the past few weeks, we have had a box of cedar chips (red cedar - juniper) in the back corner of the pen. They now have a field goal percentage that Michael Jordan could only dream of: more than 80% of the poop and better than 50% of the pee makes it "in the hoop." Not too bad considering the box is about 5% of the square footage of the pen. Notice the black plastic hardware cloth (attached to the wooden frame). It holds the wood chips down and keeps them from getting spread all over the pen. We will supply each owner with a small piece of screen big enough to cover a cardboard soda pop tray (the shallow boxes that 4 six packs of generic soda come in.) This could make an ideal tray if you wish to consider using the cedar chip experiment in house breaking your dog. Ideally, you'd make a cedar chip pile outside as well. We just take the frame outside and spray it off a few times a day, and vacuum out the chips with the shop vac.
Below: The Little Man gives a tour.......
For the past few weeks, we have had a box of cedar chips (red cedar - juniper) in the back corner of the pen. They now have a field goal percentage that Michael Jordan could only dream of: more than 80% of the poop and better than 50% of the pee makes it "in the hoop." Not too bad considering the box is about 5% of the square footage of the pen. Notice the black plastic hardware cloth (attached to the wooden frame). It holds the wood chips down and keeps them from getting spread all over the pen. We will supply each owner with a small piece of screen big enough to cover a cardboard soda pop tray (the shallow boxes that 4 six packs of generic soda come in.) This could make an ideal tray if you wish to consider using the cedar chip experiment in house breaking your dog. Ideally, you'd make a cedar chip pile outside as well. We just take the frame outside and spray it off a few times a day, and vacuum out the chips with the shop vac.
Below: The Little Man gives a tour.......
The Pups have all been to the vet and given a "clean bill of health." All 8 week puppy shots, including lepto/parvo have been administered. You will all get a record of these shots in your packet with the registration info and a copy of the contract for your records. They've all been Microchipped - there will be a record of the chip number on the Navhda Registration, in your owner packet, registered with "Home Again" and Meagen and I will keep a record as well. The photos are miscellaneous over the past week - playing in the puppy pen, visiting with our friend Ed, and playing with Meagen. The pups are all on dry puppy food, but we occasionally wet it down when only a few of them are hungry - the rest just want to get in and throw it everywhere when it is dry and they are not hungry. When its all gone, taking a nap in the dish is a big hit with a couple of them:
The pups have all had their nails trimmed 3 times, and we handle their paws and ears frequently. This is a practice you'll want to continue, to make it as easy as possible in the future to trim nails and clean ears. Additionally, it helps assert who the boss is. While I am thinking about it - you will want to check and clean their ears frequently, especially when you start to swim the dogs as this makes them a bit more prone to ear infections. They all go in on Monday for their puppy shots and microchips.
There are two pups going to Minnesota, one to Wisconsin and one to eastern Montana - My hope is to coordinate an eastern run on Highway 2 the week of March 10th. I can definitely make it to Williston, ND (by the way, are studded snow-tires legal in North Dakota, and if not, is anybody paying attention?). I may try to get all the way to Minnesota - though that remains to be seen. If you are part of that contingent - please plan on staying in contact with me regarding meeting times, and whether you could transport someone elses pup as far as the Twin Cities, etc.
We are pretty settled on not using the traditional "A" kennel names for the first litter, "B" for the second, etc. Instead we are leaning towards going with specific themes per litter. Our first litter being classic cars. Without going in any particular order or gender here are the names we will likely go with:
Swiftcreeks Duesenberg Jay
Swiftcreeks Stanley Steamer
Swiftcreeks Bugatti Royale
Swiftcreeks Sunbeam Tiger
Swiftcreeks Thomas Flyer
Swiftcreeks Auburn Speedster
Swiftcreeks Shelby Geetee
Swiftcreeks Acey Cobra
Swiftcreeks Stutz Bearcat
It, of course, is not uncommon, to either come up with a call name based on the kennel name, or simply come up with your own name. ("Molly" is "Razorsedge Urmit.") All of the pups will be furnished with a "Prepaid" Navhda Registration Application. Each will have the dogs name, microchip number, color and you - the new owners filled in. Navhda will then forward each new owner a pedigree and registration. The contract I'll be using is essentially the same (with permission from Bill) as that of Aldersedge Kennel. (Arguably, the most respected griff breeder on the planet.) I will email a copy to everyone this week.
There are two pups going to Minnesota, one to Wisconsin and one to eastern Montana - My hope is to coordinate an eastern run on Highway 2 the week of March 10th. I can definitely make it to Williston, ND (by the way, are studded snow-tires legal in North Dakota, and if not, is anybody paying attention?). I may try to get all the way to Minnesota - though that remains to be seen. If you are part of that contingent - please plan on staying in contact with me regarding meeting times, and whether you could transport someone elses pup as far as the Twin Cities, etc.
We are pretty settled on not using the traditional "A" kennel names for the first litter, "B" for the second, etc. Instead we are leaning towards going with specific themes per litter. Our first litter being classic cars. Without going in any particular order or gender here are the names we will likely go with:
Swiftcreeks Duesenberg Jay
Swiftcreeks Stanley Steamer
Swiftcreeks Bugatti Royale
Swiftcreeks Sunbeam Tiger
Swiftcreeks Thomas Flyer
Swiftcreeks Auburn Speedster
Swiftcreeks Shelby Geetee
Swiftcreeks Acey Cobra
Swiftcreeks Stutz Bearcat
It, of course, is not uncommon, to either come up with a call name based on the kennel name, or simply come up with your own name. ("Molly" is "Razorsedge Urmit.") All of the pups will be furnished with a "Prepaid" Navhda Registration Application. Each will have the dogs name, microchip number, color and you - the new owners filled in. Navhda will then forward each new owner a pedigree and registration. The contract I'll be using is essentially the same (with permission from Bill) as that of Aldersedge Kennel. (Arguably, the most respected griff breeder on the planet.) I will email a copy to everyone this week.
The pups have been making frequent trips to the Lodge - Meeting (selectively)other dogs, and lots of people. Playing in the snow with Molly, or making 40 yard dashes to the "Mountain Lion" sign and back with Tom or Meagen is a big hit. They've been meeting people of all ages (friends Amy and Carmen pictured). Lots of different noises have been introduced, with lots of LOUD clapping at meal times. Birds (if I can get some - midnight pigeon trapping expedition upcoming) and gunfire from a distance will be introduced this coming week.
Speaking of birds, if you are looking to get some training birds to keep through the summer, chukar partridge chicks are in very high demand this year, so get an order in early if you are planning on keeping some chukars. (chicks are generally ready to ship in late April.)
I apologize for the lack of posts recently, as I just got a new laptop, and I've been having some "firewall" issues with getting things posted. (The "coffee to keyboard firewall" failed last week and ruined my old computer - the harddrive, thankfully is o.k.) I think I've got most of the issues figured out, but I'm a bit behind on my email, so if you haven't heard from me, I'm not ignoring you (except you Roger.)
Thanks, and we'll keep you posted with progress.
Speaking of birds, if you are looking to get some training birds to keep through the summer, chukar partridge chicks are in very high demand this year, so get an order in early if you are planning on keeping some chukars. (chicks are generally ready to ship in late April.)
I apologize for the lack of posts recently, as I just got a new laptop, and I've been having some "firewall" issues with getting things posted. (The "coffee to keyboard firewall" failed last week and ruined my old computer - the harddrive, thankfully is o.k.) I think I've got most of the issues figured out, but I'm a bit behind on my email, so if you haven't heard from me, I'm not ignoring you (except you Roger.)
Thanks, and we'll keep you posted with progress.
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