Author: Keith Larson

Here are some Training Updates:

Kelley Farms-Hugo:  We will be having limited Training at Kelley Farms this year.  Small group training will be mostly limited to people training toward UPT, UT and IT tests and those people have been contacted about grounds access.  We do have some spots reserved for new members and natural ability dogs on Thursday nights.   We will also be having OPEN Exposure/Training Days on April 27th, May 18th, June 15th and August 10th.  See FULL Calendar

Four Brooks:  Weekly Training will again be taking place at Four Brooks WMA north of Milaca, primarily on Thursday nights.  You will need a pass to be on the grounds at Four Brooks.  Buy your 2024 Four Brooks Pass Here.

If you are a new member or need help getting into a training group, please fill out the 2024 Training Questionnaire

Our first larger training day will be on Saturday April 27th at Kelley Farms.  See details at these links.  Registration is required for some events.

General Training Questions?   send email to training@mnnavhda.org

It’s that time of year – questions on getting ready for the Natural Ability (NA) test are rolling in!  Here are some thoughts and tips to get you started before chapter-organized group events begin.

  • Help your pup become bold and fearless. Take puppy walks OFF LEASH or at most by dragging a check cord. Hit the local WMA’s (Be aware of DNR regs on “quiet” season-usually April 15-July 15) and let him go! Be QUIET- Don’t keep reining him in. Build confidence and let him expand his range working AWAY from you and exploring with his NOSE.
  • If you can get a bird, let him go crazy. Remember, at this stage there is no “NO!”. If he eats it, ignore the problem. If he carries it around, be a cheerleader! If he is afraid of it, go slow and don’t make it a
    big deal.
  • After you get a bold puppy, get some kind of recall. A whistle gets their attention better than yelling. Give him a treat when he comes to you!
  • You can do little tracks with pieces of hot dog dragged with a string. Start short, then stretch it out over time to where the hot dog is out of your sight. Don’t rush, make sure the pup can be successful. Later, you can drag a bird.
  • The swim isn’t really about being able to swim, it’s about being brave enough to leave the bottom. Toss bumpers to encourage a chase in the yard. If necessary, throw treats first. You don’t need a retrieve, you just need him to get excited and go for it. When you finally get to the water, you can transition. WATER is weighted more heavily on the NA test Scorecard than POINTING!
  • In the water, get the pup to run in. If you wade in and coax, it’s not going to seem very exciting to the pup. It might help to get the puppy to run with an older pup that will hit the water. Throwing in a wing-clipped bird can help get started also, but you need to get past needing one.
  • Go slow and in small increments. The puppy must always be successful. Remember- be patient. Praise any success! What you do or don’t do could have a long-term effect on your pup.

More information can be found on our website here:  Puppies & Natural Ability Exposure.

Hello Chapter members,

With some of the land parcel sales in transition at Kelley, we need to move our bird pens to the East side of Manning Ave.  We are looking for some people that can help with this project in the next couple weeks.

If anyone has experience moving equipment or structures like this, your skills are needed.  We will also need about 6-8 people for general help and muscle.

    • Large flatbed trailer or large open snowmobile trailer.
    • High Lift jacks
    • tie downs/straps
    • Ladders (8 ft step ladders & extension ladders)
    • tools to disassemble panels as necessary.  (various size wrenches, cordless ratchets, impact tools, etc…)

If you can help, please contact Director of Training Keith Larson at keith.larson@mnnavhda.org