Newsletter AprilMay2014_2

Illinois NAVHDA Newsletter April/May 2014 Dear Members, I will be looking for your help in providing material for a few of the sections. One of the sections will be Member Accomplishments. Whether it is NAVHDA, AKC or another registry, let us know if you have titled your dog. Don’t be shy, in addition to recognizing your achievement it will serve as incentive and encouragement for others in our club. I’d also like to hear about news and events from your national or local breed clubs. Let me know if there are events, rule changes, etc coming up. Matt Minich [email protected] Illinois NAVHDA test dates will be October 4th and 5th 2014. Test Site is Des Plaines Conservation Area-­‐ East Grounds For details please contact: Test Secretary-­‐ Chuck Peterson-­‐ [email protected] Test Chairman-­‐ Matt Minich Joe Strong and Grit are training for the Invitational this year. Please cheer them on!!! Members, please let me know what you have accomplished!!! NO matter if it is from the show ring to hunt test to tracking or agility! We want to recognize all our members!! Member News FRIENDS OF DESPLAINES SWFA We are all familiar with the Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area. It is a place we may train our dog, hunt morel mushrooms, ride our horse, fish, or hunt during the State hunting season. Unfortunately we are also familiar with the financial woes of the State of Illinois, especially the lack of funding for treasures like the Des Plaines SFWA. In 2012 a group of sportsmen, much like yourselves, formed the Friends of Des Plaines SFWA, a not for profit corporation dedicated to raising funds to support habitat and grounds at this 5,000 + acre site. With the help and financial support of local sportsmen and clubs, the “Friends” were able to pay for the repair to the privy facilities on the West Grounds and for spraying three fields for invasive species. Fund raising projects have included a Pointing Dog Training Seminar and two fall season raffles. Your contributions help to provide the funding for projects such as these. The work needs to continue and all contributions are greatly appreciated. Donations can be sent to Friends of Des Plaines c/o Membership Chairman Wayne Wilkinson 1916 Brentwood, Wheaton, IL 60189 Ready to give an AKC Hunting Test a
try?
While certainly not as much fun
as spending a day with wet ducks and
muddy pond edges, an AKC hunting
test can be another way to have fun in
the field with your dog.
On the weekend of April 5th and 6th
the German Shorthaired Pointer Club
of Illinois will be hosting their spring
hunting tests www.gspci.org.
Nearly any recognized pointing breed
is eligible to participate. Although not
eligible for a title, even dogs not
registered with the AKC can
compete. The junior level is
comparable to Natural Ability without
the water work and the senior level is
great prep work for the field portion
of the Utility test. The master level
requires dogs to be steady to shot and
fall and also to honor without
prompting from their handler.
For a closer look at the action bring
along an orange top and hat and
accompany a marshal in the field.
Make a day of it by staying or coming
over for the Saturday night cookout.
For more information on the GSPCI
test contact Perry Dlugie at
[email protected]. Upcoming 2014 NAVHDA Training Dates April 27th Seneca Hunt Club May 18th Seneca Hunt Club An annual membership to the club is available for $200. Daily guest fees are available for $25. Spring 2014 AKC Hunting Tests Events Held at the Des Plaines SFWA (See individual club’s websites for details) April 5, 6: German Shorthaired Pointer Club of Illinois hunting tests April 19, 20: Northern Illinois Weimaraner Club hunting tests April 19, 20: Vizlas Club of Illinois hunting tests April 12-­‐13: Fort Dearborn (Horseback Field Trial) April 26, 27: Fort Dearborn hunting tests Please let me know of any additional upcoming tests so I can post them in the next newsletter. MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TRAINING DAY Getting together with your fellow NAVHDA members is a unique opportunity to review where your training is at, and how you can improve upon what you are doing. It is not a day to exercise your dog and shoot birds. Over the years our more experienced club members have pretty much seen it all. They have experienced the same issues that you may be having with your dog. Most likely it is one of the big three¸ steadiness, retrieving or honoring. They are ready and willing to help you! First, get involved in the day. Know what you want to do, let the training coordinator know what you want to accomplish, and pair yourself with a member or member’s dog that can help you. Keeping your dog under control will make your time more effective. Use a check cord or e-­‐collar. Be sure not to interfere with other dogs or handlers. While waiting for your turn in the field or water find a quiet area and work on retrieving, and steadiness. Any training day is a great day to work on obedience, we have distractions everywhere. Use your leash and teach your dog to heel to the line or practice their down. Don’t be afraid to try new methods of training, particularly if the one you’re using isn’t working. Having the objective perspective of one of our experienced members may be just the trick to get you and your pup over any bumps in the road that you may be experiencing. . Be consistent with your commands and expectations. All our dogs can find birds. That’s what they were bred for. A key to NAVHDA’s goal of a willing and cooperative hunting partner is the obedience that we add through training. It takes patience and persistence on the handler’s part. With a few exceptions, most of the members are also training their dogs for some test (AKC, NAVHDA, etc.). While they are willing to help out, appreciate their need to spend time with their dogs too. Don’t underestimate the value of yard work. Use the familiarity of your yard and neighborhood to enforce basic obedience. Don’t try to teach something new with all the distractions of a training day. Above all, treasure the time in the field with your dog. Learn from watching other handlers and enjoy the company of your fellow club members. How to find an AKC Hunting Test in your area Owning a pointing breed lends itself to testing and competition under various organizations. Northern Illinois, Southeast Wisconsin and Indiana have a very active schedule of AKC hunting tests in both the spring and fall. While hunting tests do not require any water work, they do compliment the field training required for a Utility title and the Invitational. Finding a hunting test to enter is relatively easy. Although the AKC requires clubs to have their events registered three months ahead of time, it’s not unusual for a club to take up until a month prior to the event to have it listed. So how do we go about finding an AKC hunting test? Begin by going to the AKC website at www.akc.org From the home page at the top right hand side of top bar is a tab called Dog Shows & Trials. From the drop down menu click on Field Events. The first section on the Field Events page is called Event Calendar. Clicking that link will bring you to the Events and Awards Search page. I suggest that you search for an event in the following order: Time Range – choose from current, next month, next three months Competition Type – hunting tests Map – click on each state you would like to search (states will display on the bottom left hand corner of the page) The Search tab should open a new window with a schedule of all the tests for the time frame and state(s) that you selected. Please note that a Hunting Tests search will include pointing dog, retriever and beagle events. As with a NAVHDA test most hunting tests consist of a separate event on both Saturday and Sunday. Events are displayed by the host club, location, date (generally a Saturday and a Sunday) and the closing date for entries. Clicking on the name of the club should open a window with more information on the test. A premium (entry form) can usually be found on the club’s website or by contacting the event secretary. AKC hunting tests are another fun way to extend the time in the field with your dog. The tests are scored to a standard and it usually takes 4 to 5 passing scores to qualify for a title. The entry fees are usually around $45 and ribbons are given each time you receive a qualifying score. For additional information on the requirements to pass each level search Regulations for AKC hunting tests for Pointing breeds on the AKC website. There you’ll find a PDF of the rule book.