You might think your sweet and affectionate spaniel was born just to be cuddled and adored by you, but you’d be wrong: Spaniels were actually first bred to be hunting companions! Their role was to hunt, find game, and then drive them out of their hiding places (also called “flushing”). Want to see those natural […]

By Jerry D. Mann, Field Director -- Sporting Breeds As I entered the grounds for the Mid-South Hunting Retriever Club fall hunt test near Bruce, Mississippi I hurriedly approached the contestants' sign-up area to obtain a copy of the event catalog and locate the running site of the Master test. It was with anxious anticipation […]

TITLE APPLICATIONS In addition to achieving the core Hunt Test titles of; Junior (JH), Senior (SH) and Master (MH), there are three additional certificate titles that are offered as mentioned in the Regulations & Guidelines for AKC Hunting Tests for Retrievers, Chapter 2, Section 6-7. Master Amateur Hunter Title Certificate Order Form (Fillable PDF) Master […]

DQ by Judges (Jan 2026) Score All Abilities / Master Dog / Awarding Ribbons (Jan 2026) Amateur Handler Limit / Handler and Judge Relation (May 2025) MNRC Entry Size and Resources (Jan 2025) Six Various Clarifications (Oct 2024) Talking to Dog in Junior (Jul 2023) English Springer Spaniels Eligible (Nov 2022) Clarifications -Amateurs / Blind Retrieves (Oct 2022) Wirehaired Vizsla Eligible […]

Who is THAT Junior Handler? The Role of an AKC Field Rep Blue-Green Algae and Dogs: Symptoms and Prevention Welcome Tommy to the World of AKC Retriever Hunting Tests Junior Kelsey Deuth - One Cool Cucumber!  1st AKC Advanced Judges & Handlers Seminar EJ Wendel – All Around Junior Handler Zipper: German Shorthair Is the […]

All dogs six months of age or older from the following breeds are eligible to participate in Retriever Hunting Tests: AKC Recognized and FSS Breeds Airedale Terriers American Water Spaniels Barbet Boykin Spaniels Chesapeake Retrievers Curly-Coated Retrievers Drentsche Patrijshond (Drent) English Springer Spaniels Flat-Coated Retrievers German Shorthaired Pointer German Wirehaired Pointer Golden Retrievers Irish Water […]

In the 1980s hunters with good retrievers, but without the resources, or time, to be able to be competitive in field trials were anxious to have an avenue to test their dogs for hunting abilities. The Qualifying and then Hunting Dog stake at field trials satisfied that need for a while, but did not offer […]

You’ve played ball with your Retriever about a million times in your backyard or at the park, but do his fetching abilities automatically mean he’d make a good hunting companion? Not necessarily. The only way to really know is to participate in a Retriever Hunting Test. Ever since the first AKC retriever hunting tests were […]

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 […]

Having trouble deciding on a name for your hunting dog? You've come to the right place. The following list of hunting dog names should give you some inspiration. Let's start with some names inspired by hunting itself: Chase/Chaser - A great fit for tracking dogs. Scout - Also great for trackers. If you have two dogs, and you're a fan of […]

The Flat-Coated Retriever (Flat-Coat) is a large and strong utilitarian hunting dog that shines at flushing birds, such as quail and pheasant, during upland shooting (the pursuit of birds usually found in heavy cover on the ground). He is also skilled at retrieving game from the land and the water. Here are nine interesting facts […]

Visitors and residents of Savannah, Georgia, who are hoping to catch a glimpse of something (or someone) otherworldly are getting a little help from a rather intuitive Golden Retriever. Bailey The Ghost Hunting Dog of Savannah accompanies his owner, Melynda Ware-Loomis, as she leads walking ghost tours of what is considered by some to be […]

The Boykin Spaniel is a hunting breed who excels at both flushing and retrieving game. Boykins are well suited to participate in AKC hunt tests and spaniel field trials. However, owners who are new to fieldwork might find hunt tests or field trials intimidating. A good venue for beginners is the Working Ability Certification Program […]

The Town of Huntington, New York, has scheduled a public hearing on proposed changes to the town’s animal laws.  These include very broad definitions of when a dog would be considered “at large”, and outdoor tethering requirements that could actually harm dogs.  Those who reside in Huntington are encouraged to attend the hearing on Tuesday, […]

March 22, 2016 The Alaska Board of Game, part of the state’s Department of Fish and Game, will be considering almost 140 regulatory proposals at meetings scheduled to take place from March 18 to March 28.  Proposal 69 seeks to prohibit statewide hunting with domestic dogs.  All concerned residents, clubs, and allied organizations are strongly […]

The New York Legislature has adjourned and will likely not reconvene until 2016.  Prior to adjournment, three bills were passed that would directly impact dog owners.  The bills must still be sent to the governor for his approval or veto: Assembly Bill 6626/Senate Bill 5372 – Allowing Service/Therapy Dogs to Accompany Domestic Violence Victims: The […]

June 8, 2015 The New York Assembly Agriculture Committee is considering a bill tomorrow (Tuesday, June 9) that would make some changes and clarifications to the laws regarding hunting dogs. Assembly Bill 7220 deals with dogs recovered or seized by local law enforcement for being at-large.  Under the provisions of this bill, a hunting dog […]

Multi-Talented Twins Share Love for Therapy Dog Service & Hunting Owned by Bonnie & Charles Bird of Bellingham, WA Jigi and Zuzu are All-American Dog twins, born on Bonnie's birthday and brought to their forever home on Charles’ birthday. They are both Grand Champion Barn Hunters and AKC Distinguished Therapy Dogs.  Jigi is additionally the […]

Barn Hunt is a sport that dogs love. They get to put their incredible scent skills and hunting instincts to work. Dogs search for rats, safely enclosed in heavy pvc tubes and then hidden among hay bales. They must find the rat or rats, depending on the class level, within a certain time period and […]

This article originally appeared in the summer 2013 issue of the AKC Canine Partners News. Since that time, Diesel, now 4 years old, has added many other achievements, including earning the top AKC Rally title of Rally Advanced Excellent. His full name is now Tennessee Diesel Smoke CD BN GN RAE CGCA. The pointers and […]