Hunting Tests for Pointing Breeds were developed so people would have an opportunity to demonstrate a dogs ability to perform under actual hunting conditions. Judges should evaluate a dog's natural abilities as well as those traits obtained through training. Hunting Tests are for people of all ages, male and female and for dogs at least […]

By: Zach Simpson Zach Simpson is a16-year-old from Wadsworth, IL, who knows exactly what he wants for his future. An All Honors or Advanced Placement student, this Junior is heavily involved in competitive shooting as well as his Hunting Test activities with his Vizsla, Otis, who Zach trained and handled to his Master Hunter title. […]

By Lyle Johnson, AKC Executive Field Representative In Pointing Breed Field Trials, the gun dog stake is probably one of the most fun stakes for the judges to choose the winners. While the Open All-Age dog might be the prototypical "big running dog," the Gun Dog should be more in tune with the handler and […]

First NAVHDA based club to host an AKC Hunt Test By Bonnie Hidalgo, Executive Field Representative A reciprocal agreement for dog registration between the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) and the American Kennel Club (AKC) was announced in July 2007. The reciprocal agreement makes it easier to register a dog with AKC if […]

By Don Paltani, AKC Senior Executive Field Representative Dennis Pierce started in German Shorthaired Pointers in 1993, having no knowledge of formal dog training. Dennis became involved in NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Assn), which has a strong training program for new handlers. Dennis ran his dogs through the NAVHDA programs including natural ability […]

THE FOLLOWING DOGS HAVE EARNED VCD TITLES ON THE DATES LISTED BELOW: Versatile Companion Dog 1 (VCD1) 1/9/2011. Busy B's Watch My Shadow II VCD2 MX MXJ, PEMB-WC Owned by: Patty Fulton/Amy Buchanan of MINNEAPOLIS, MN. 1/16/2011. CH Trailwind's Blind Trust VCD2 RE MH, SPAN-ENGSPR Owned by: Mr. Randy Capsel/Cheryl L Clark of OGDEN, IA. 1/16/2011. CH Ridgebury […]

  The Sussex Spaniel is a True Original: Among the First AKC Registered Breeds in History "Stump" and owner-handler Scott Sommer won Best in Show at the 133rd Westminster Kennel Club Show. The American Kennel Club®, a non-profit organization whose rules govern more than 20,000 canine competitions each year including the famed Westminster Kennel Club […]

By Gary N. Sadler It may be hard to imagine, but at 14, Kayla is an "old hand" when it comes to training and running pointing dogs in AKC Hunting Tests. Around dogs all of her life, Kayla was introduced at age six to German Shorthaired Pointers by her Grandmother, Stacie Smith. At seven, Kayla […]

Incredible Nose Earns Top Titles and Finds Lost Pets Griffin Fielding TDX owned by Maureen Fielding of N. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Seven-year-old Griffin came into being through an accidental mating between a black German Shepherd female and a German Short-haired Pointer male.  “He is a fine hunting dog with a strong work ethic, making […]

by Mike Aldrich, Executive Field Representative Hunt tests were designed to evaluate the abilities of various types of dogs by testing them against a standard. Committees that were comprised of representatives of the parent clubs of the breeds to be tested designed these tests. An example of this would be a representative from the German […]