This is a long page with lots of information-keep scrolling down!
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 Test-“Versatile Champion”).
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 clinics/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.
The chapter can be a resource for general training philosophies and access to birds and grounds, but due to the size of our membership, we cannot give every member the attention they may need at our larger scheduled training clinics or events.
SMALL GROUP TRAINING
WE HIGHLY ENCOURAGE MEMBERS TO FORM SMALL GROUPS WITH OTHER MEMBERS WITH SIMILAR TRAINING GOALS!
Volunteering at our testing and scheduled training events is also a great way to meet other members and get into smaller training groups.
Small group training is NOT published on our Master Calendar.
**If you are a newer member, or are looking for help getting in a small training group, our Director of Training will try to assist. Send questions to: training@mnnavhda.org
2025 Training Clinics/Events
- SATURDAY APRIL 26th TRAINING DAY-KELLEY FARMS AREA B on 04/26/2025 9:00 am
- SATURDAY JUNE 28th TRAINING DAY-FOUR BROOKS on 06/28/2025 9:00 am
Our Outdoor Training Locations/Grounds
(more details , directions and maps are here)
General Information
(for reference during off-season Sept-March)
Over the years, Minnesota NAVHDA has offered a variety of training opportunities for our members. Depending on availability of Volunteers, grounds and indoor venues, these have typically been things like:
Winter (January-March)
- Indoor Obedience Classes for members working toward a “finished” gun dog and NAVHDA Utility Tests.
- Indoor Positive Reinforcement classes for puppies to build a foundation for future advancement.
- Specialty Weekend Clinics for Advanced Obedience Work (Retrieving/Force Fetch)
Spring/Summer (April-August)
- NAVHDA official weekend clinics (Aims & Rules, Invitational Clinics)
- MOCK Natural Ability Tests
- One Day Weekend Informational Clinics (Versatile Dog 101 & 201).
- Small, self formed weekly focused training groups.