OPEN BREED TEST DD/LABS UKC

[bill10979]

Talked to a fellow DD owner last week, who was telling me of a test he entered w/26 labs and a Golden. There were many marks-3or 4 he said and a blind. And the last multiple mark, the duck which was attached to a fishing line, was reeled in to the shore among cattails. 2 dogs finished this test, his DD and 1 Lab by finding the duck. labswam in circles looking for the duck,but were useless in tracking it over the water and therefore were eliminated from the test. I have little knowledge of hunt tests but am becoming more interested and thinking of entering one. Is this a common UKC test or could this have been something else. Thanks for the help.

[Christie]

Do you know which HRC tests these dogs were entered into? There are 3 levels: Started, Seasoned and Finished.

What you describe below is not started, because that test does not have a blind.

It could have been Seasoned (from their web site):
The Seasoned hunt will have five (5) tests. These five tests shall consist of at least the following: (1) a double-marked land retrieve, (2) a double-marked water retrieve, (3) a walkup, or tracking, or quartering test, (4) a blind land retrieve, and (5) a blind water retrieve. Part of the test must include a diversion. Failure of a hunting retriever to pass any of the hunting tests will not prevent the hunting retriever from participating in subsequent tests unless the Handler is unsafe in handling a gun.

Or it could have been Finished (from their web site):
The Finished Hunt will have at least four (4) tests. These four tests shall consist of the following: (1) a multiple marked water retrieve, (2) a multiple marked land retrieve (either or both the multiple marked water retrieve or the multiple marked land retrieve must include an honor, and a diversion retrieve), (3) a water blind retrieve, and (4) a land blind retrieve. These blinds may or may not be included in one of the required multiple marked retrieves. At the option of the Judges, the hunt may include an upland game test. If an upland game test is to be run, this option must be announced in the Club’s Premium if one is used. Failure of a hunting retriever to pass any of the hunting tests will not prevent the dog from participating in a subsequent test unless the Handler is unsafe in handling a gun.

Location also matters. In the south, more dogs are entered into tests than in the northeast. This amounts to a need for more birds for the southern clubs and may create a threshold for the number of live birds that can be acquired. Thus, limited birds may mean limited number of marks per test (and visa versa for the smaller entry tests).

For more information on tests, see: http://www.ukcdogs.com/hr/rules/index.shtml