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Anybody running their retriever in them? And if not, why not?

(Question reminds me of an old coonass' coonass, EJ, who guided at our camp. When a guest gun observed that most of the other guides seemed to use dogs and asked why he didn't, the answer was typically EJ, "Don't have a dog.")

She's to much of a farm dog now. Don't think she's much of a competitor

flyn88 wrote:Don't think she's much of a competitor

Unlike field "trials," the hunting retriever "tests" are pass/fail against standards, which helps keep them from getting too crazy, even at the upper levels to achieve separation and determine a winner.

Hadn't been to one in a while, but went and watched some tests at one last weekend to see how much they'd changed since the last we ran. Found they at least looked simpler than I recalled and was reminded how friendly everyone is, perhaps in part because they aren't competing against each other.

Anyway, I've used the Hunting Retriever Club (HRC) tests as incentive to help keep my training feet to the fire with each of my retriever pups since its inception and am looking forward to doing so again with whichever little varmint I meet at the airport in a couple weeks.

I've never been to one but I'm looking for a pup and in doing a lot of reading on the dog/training forums, it is something that caught my interest. Hope to find one nearby to attend this summer.

Where are you located?

Wanchese, NC. From what I've gathered, there are some clubs that hold these test inland about two or three hours away.

Looks like you live in a neat place, but the nearest HRC clubs are in Raleigh and Richmond. There's an AKC club in Kinston, however, and perhaps others closer to you. In any event, even though the club may be a ways off, you might find closer training partners through them, if you're so inclined.

No, I don't do any tests or trials. I never plan to breed my dogs, so why get a title? I never even bothered registering her with AKC.

My dog is a family and hunting dog and a title doesn't make her hunt any better or any more lovable or playful at home. She will fetch what I tell her too, will stop and whistle sit, takes hand signals as directed. She does what I need and I would find it a waste of time when I should be fishing.

Archeryrob wrote:No, I don't do any tests or trials. I never plan to breed my dogs, so why get a title? I never even bothered registering her with AKC.

My dog is a family and hunting dog and a title doesn't make her hunt any better or any more lovable or playful at home. She will fetch what I tell her too, will stop and whistle sit, takes hand signals as directed. She does what I need and I would find it a waste of time when I should be fishing.

I tend to agree with you both my dogs are great dogs I hunt them and they're family pets so I never competed or registered them they serve their purpose but if competition and breeding are someone's purpose then yes it is a necessity I personally don't have the time or desire to do either and my digs can't read so papers never seemed important to me

It's not about the titles at our house, never kept a ribbon and once quit testing a young dog just one pass shy of it's HRCH.

For us it's about preparation for hunting: holding my training feet to the fire with the immediacy of pending hunt tests, rather than procrastinating because hunting season is still several months distant, and testing our progress in the super-charged atmosphere of the test ground with the knowledge that if Pup can hold it together there, the odds are good he'll not come apart under the excitement of a jam-up hunt.

For others, it's a chance to meet training (and new hunting) partners and get hands-on help learning to train their dogs.

Might not be for you, but anyone thinking it's all about the ribbons is missing the best of it.

Rick wrote:It's not about the titles at our house, never kept a ribbon and once quit testing a young dog just one pass shy of it's HRCH.

For us it's about preparation for hunting: holding my training feet to the fire with the immediacy of pending hunt tests, rather than procrastinating because hunting season is still several months distant, and testing our progress in the super-charged atmosphere of the test ground with the knowledge that if Pup can hold it together there, the odds are good he'll not come apart under the excitement of a jam-up hunt.

For others, it's a chance to meet training (and new hunting) partners and get hands-on help learning to train their dogs.

Might not be for you, but anyone thinking it's all about the ribbons is missing the best of it.

It wasn't meant that way and if it offended you I apologize if it's something that works well for you and your dog I say go for it I hope both you and your dogs do great . I was just saying it's not for me that's all personally I'm a huge supporter of anything that furthers the bond between handler and dog. I've considered it many times but I lack the knowledge and ability to train a dog at the competition level mine are competent hunters and wonderful family dogs and that serves the purpose for us.

DixieDawg wrote:I lack the knowledge and ability to train a dog at the competition level...

Me, too, also lack the interest. Not that I haven't enjoyed watching some competitive trialing, but hunt tests are a very different game "conceived by and for hunters," in the HRC's case, to test their dogs against hunting oriented standards, rather than each other. Much more relaxed, friendlier - and easier - than field trialing.

Anyway, your comments haven't offended me in the least, I just feel retriever owners should at least give hunt testing a look to see just what it might offer them before writing it off.

I have always wanted to for the same reason of none other than bettering my dog and myself to better serve him. Before we left College Station I had just joined a club and been to a hunt test as a spectator but never got to participate before we moved. Now there is not a club under an hours drive.

Texas at least used to be loaded up with HRC clubs, and we've run at two between here and Houston, though I think one may be gone now. But yours is a big old state that can be a long way to anywhere.

Count myself lucky to be square between two clubs here with tests roughly an hour away, east or west, and a two or three others a couple hours out. Mostly, though, we just use the two close ones for our purposes.

I'm dead between Austin and San Antonio. Both would be a nightmare to make meetings and making the assumption finding people close to train with would be a long shot. Shame too since my training has all but stopped. We run refreshes to keep up what he has but I'm at the end of my knowledge of where to extend his training.

I was much more active at the club level before I even had a "retriever," when I was initially trying to learn about the retrieving breeds and their training, than I've been over the years since. While I'm sure the dogs would be better for it if we were more active, I only test when they're youngsters and seldom show at club tests, let alone meetings, between pups. Feel kind of bad about that and do look for ways to bear a hand on test days, but the folks have always welcomed me back like the prodigal son.

Bufflehead wrote:Wanchese, NC. From what I've gathered, there are some clubs that hold these test inland about two or three hours away.

Lots of AKC stuff going on that way. Contact Labman63 on Duck Hunting Chat. I got my started dog from Dave in 2013. He's a stand up guy and will point you in the right direction.

I've never done anything with retriever hunt tests or field trials and y'all have me curious now that I might be missing out on something beneficial for my dogs do any of you know if there's anything in the eastern Tennessee area I'm about 30 minutes east of Knoxville

Don't see anything closer than Elkin, NC on the HRC map https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=z6JVvpWrd7K4.kzAK4Sq_yFwc&hl=en but you might. You can click on any of the markers to get club names and contact info. Didn't see anything close among the NAHRA events, and the East Tennessee Retriever Club in Birchwood was the closest AKC club I could find, but the AKC's makes it surprisingly hard to locate their clubs, and I may well have missed something closer there, too.

Hope you have better luck finding something handy than my quick look turned up.

Thanks I'll look into it I'm for anything to help better me and my dogs their great hunters but I'd like to learn how to unlock their full potential

Bufflehead wrote:Wanchese, NC. From what I've gathered, there are some clubs that hold these test inland about two or three hours away.

Looked at my dog's ribbon's. Yadkin River and Cape Fear are two of the retriever clubs in NC.

Rick wrote:Anybody running their retriever in them? And if not, why not?

(Question reminds me of an old coonass' coonass, EJ, who guided at our camp. When a guest gun observed that most of the other guides seemed to use dogs and asked why he didn't, the answer was typically EJ, "Don't have a dog.")

We will run pretty much every weekend beginning April 11th until the end of June then back at it again in August. Just got back from winter trip Saturday and had considered running while we were down south but when we are testing we aren't training. Lots of young dogs right now so time was better spent in the field. Lots more comes from tests than a title or ribbon. Very rarely do I hear folks that have actually ran tests speak down on them.

Dixie, northeast Tennessee retriever club is a good club with access to lots of good property and dog minded folks. They hold a test at Chad Bakers place near Bristol. Definitely a good club to get involved with.

Ducaholic wrote:

Bufflehead wrote:Wanchese, NC. From what I've gathered, there are some clubs that hold these test inland about two or three hours away.

Looked at my dog's ribbon's. Yadkin River and Cape Fear are two of the retriever clubs in NC.

Yeah, those are two that I've looked up. I'll probably try to attend a event at one but they are both over 3.5 hours away.

Matt Duncan wrote:Dixie, northeast Tennessee retriever club is a good club with access to lots of good property and dog minded folks. They hold a test at Chad Bakers place near Bristol. Definitely a good club to get involved with.

I'll check that out they'd just be a couple hours from me

I've been to a few AKC test. I usually "work" as a gunner and my son works as a bird boy. I enjoy watching some great dogs work and meeting like minded people. I've never run one though for whatever reason but I'm sure its a load of fun.
I think I'm going to a HRC test this weekend to see the difference between the two venues.

One difference you'll likely notice is that the HRC seldom shoots flyers.

I wonder why? Thats part of a hunt, you'd think they would shoot some flyers.

Don't know with certainty, but know I've long heard cost and planning, in part because folks may enter on the day of the test. And more recently, I've heard the possibility of a deadly mix-up between the live ammo for flyers and the poppers all the handlers are shooting at the line. In any event, while it's always been an option permitted by the Finished level rules, I've not seen a flyer shot, even in the early years when we began tests with all birds alive and tethered.

For that matter, you'll not see any shots from the bird stations for attention to marks (except, perhaps, in Started?), as the dogs are expected to mark off their handlers' guns.