The Minnesota Chapter believes that the best way for owners to get the most out of the versatile breeds is to adhere to the NAVHDA principles outlined in the AIMS Programs & Test Rules manual. The NAVHDA testing system is set up to gauge a dog’s progress from being a puppy (Natural Ability Test) all the way to being a “finished” gun dog (Utility Test), and beyond (Invitational).
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to train a versatile dog, and some dogs and breeds respond more quickly and in different ways to the variety of training methods. That being said, we do believe there are some general rules of thumb (do’s & don’ts) that owners should be aware of when training. We will do our best to make this information available on this site and at our training events so that members can set their own path to achieving their training & testing goals with their dogs.
Keep in mind that these activities can only introduce you to methods to train your dog, and no dog can be effectively trained by simply showing up at our chapter training days & events. Training your versatile hunting companion is a daily ongoing journey you will go on together.
If you have specific questions about our training philosophies and training events, you can contact our Director of Training at training@mnnavhda.org.
Training Rules & Etiquette for grounds & events