After a dog has run in their Natural Ability test and ideally had a hunting season on wild birds, it may be time to take it to the next level, and work towards towards being a “finished” gun dog.

According to the NAVHDA AIMS book: “The Gun Dog Test” (GDT) is intended to evaluate the dog’s progress toward being a successful member of the hunting team. It also provides a basis toward completing the other advanced NAVHDA tests. The handler and dog gain experience and appreciation of the hunting team concept through their training because the GDT evaluates the dog and handler in a variety of hunting situations. In the GDT, the handler and dog work as a team with the focus of having a successful hunt and enabling game to be brought to the table.”

According to the NAVHDA AIMS book: “The Utility Test” (UT) is designed to measure a hunting dog’s usefulness to the on-foot hunter in various hunting situations both before and after the shot, in field and marsh and on different species of game. While the dog that has successfully received a prize in the Natural Ability Test or the Gun Dog Test has demonstrated hunting ability and the necessary characteristics upon which to base continued training, a dog that has prized at any level in a Utility Test has demonstrated ability as a hunting dog of proven usefulness to the on-foot hunter. This test is a challenging and demanding one, as befits the NAVHDA aim of “fostering, improving, promoting and protecting the versatile hunting dog in North America.” It is not, however, an unreasonable test with unattainable goals. A very large number of fine dogs have earned prize classifications in NAVHDA Utility Tests. Serious breeders generally await the results of the Utility Test before making a final evaluation of a dog’s probable worth as a sire or dam. Most dogs entered in the Utility Test have reached maturity and latent faults will probably have surfaced.

The GDT & UT test standards expand in scope to evaluate a dog’s Obedience, Steadiness and Retrieving on land & water, in addition to the other core NAVHDA areas of Search, Nose, Pointing, Desire and Cooperation that are evaluated at the Natural Ability level of testing.   While every dog is different, there are some basic concepts that have evolved in NAVHDA over the years that will help handlers in their pursuit of a finished UT dog.  Keep scrolling down for more info.

ADVANCED TRAINING:

GUN DOG, UTILITY, RETRIEVING & ADVANCED OBEDIENCE

Books

Tips & Tales-On Training your Bird Dog by George DeCosta Jr.-If you want to buy ONE book on versatile dog training, this is a great one.   Buy here on Amazon.

Podcasts
NAVHDA’s Versatile Hunting Dog Magazine Articles

Reprinted with permission from NAVHDA International. Articles may not be reprinted or transmitted in any way without the express written permission of NAVHDA International. 

Other tips and articles:

Project Upland Article on Positive Reinforcement and the 4 Quadrants of operative Conditioning

“Testing?- No Thanks, I just want a Hunting Dog”-by NAVHDA Judge Pete Aplikowski

Introducing Dog’s to E-Collars-Project Upland article by NAVHDA Judge Jason Carter

GO! before WHOA!-thoughts on training steps for the NAVHDA UPT & UT tests (by NAVHDA Judge Pete Aplikowski)

Fixing Flagging In A Bird Dog-Project Upland article by NAVHDA Judge Jason Carter March 11, 2020

Videos

Force Breaking Made Simple-Scott Kossan

Retrieve/Force Fetch Training Videos by George DeCosta