STARTED



The purpose of the Started Hunting Retriever Field Test is to bring started dogs along as hunters. Desire and cooperation with the handler are important factors. In the Started category, instinct is more in evidence than obedience. This is a chance for a dog to be evaluated without the high expectations of a finished retriever and it should be given a little leeway in obedience. By the same token, he should show signs of trying to behave, understanding basic commands, as well as the ability to perform basic marked retrieves. There are many things to see in a single retrieve. "DOES HE WANT TO DO IT?" is one of the most important questions at this stage. Is he a "High Flying Go Getter" or does he mope around sniffing, urinating and eating the grass? Does he snatch up the bird, or does he nose it, mouth it, drop it and urinate on the next tree? How is he marking? There are different meanings in missing a mark. If a dog hunts short of a fall it probably indicates lack of training as much as poor marking. Chances are, he is hunting where he thought he saw it fall, without knowledge of high cover or practice at depth perception. If a dog blows right through a mark and hunts high and wide leagues beyond the fall, his marking could be suspect. Or maybe he just did not see it. How is the line of sight at the dog's level? A judge who is setting up a marking test must make sure the dog viewing the scene can see the fall, and this includes working out problems with the background and the sun. A Started dog should hunt the area of the fall until he finds the bird. The area of the fall expands with the difficulty of the mark. In evaluating Started dogs, a judge should start with a relatively simple mark and work towards increasing the difficulty with each series of tests. This is not to say the first test should be less than "the standard" or the last test harder than "the standard," but a dog and his handler should be given a chance to work into the academic situation of a Field Test. Even a good dog, cold out of a crate, will not perform up to his capabilities. Give him a chance to wake up and show his stuff. In the Started event, look primarily for instinct, and enough obedience to get by in a hunting situation. Also look for courage but do not confuse desire or lack of training with lack of courage. If a dog runs around the edge of a cold water pond, he may be trying to get to the fall faster rather than avoiding the water. Started dogs should be introduced to guns, boats, decoys and any equipment or situations they might encounter during a day afield. The Started event ribbon (passing the standard) proves basic desire, tractability, instinct, control and marking ability in a hunting situation.



INTERMEDIATE



Intermediate dogs that pass the standard should be hunting dogs. They should be obedient and have a good knowledge of hunting situations. A good Intermediate dog will most likely have two or three seasons of hunting behind him and some good training on marks, doubles and basic retrieving problems. It is the Intermediate test that proves the dog has what it takes to become a proficient hunting dog, and from here it is up to the trainer. That is one reason why this is perhaps the most difficult test to judge. It is this test in which a judge decides whether or not this particular dog should be included in breeding programs by awarding it a Qualifying score. A person judging any test, but most particularly Intermediate, is in a position to make serious mistakes. He can set up a test that is too hard for a good dog or a good dog that has not been trained well enough, or a test that is so simple that a completion, no matter how perfect, should not qualify a dog as a good hunting dog. Intermediate dogs must have perseverance, ability, desire and a higher level of training. They should be steady and not be out of control. They should heel, sit, stay, come, mark and run basic water blind retrieves. They should go through cover and hazards and also display a good nose. They must show concentration and desire to locate and follow the trail of a crippled bird or hunt for upland game. Judging here becomes an art. In the Intermediate test, the judge has to decide from his tests if the dog has the ability to become great or is mediocre. Is the dog intense at this job or lethargic or careless? Is he full of retrieving desire or is he crazy? These are questions that must be answered. At this point, he must deliver to hand. The marked retrieves should be done with precision. If the dog does miss a mark, he should hunt with confidence and perseverance or be handled crisply and cleanly to the bird. The dog should not hunt the whole field on each bird. Look for memory and intelligence. The dog should prove its nose without a doubt and also its eyes. He should run his blinds extremely well displaying style and control.



SENIOR



The Senior test takes an Intermediate dog and adds a lot of training and experience. A Senior Dog by definition is a finished hunting retriever. Senior dogs should be under complete control at all times and steady under all conditions. They should handle sharply and mark precisely. They should be able to ignore diversions while returning from marks and handle off "poison birds" on blinds. They are the elite of all hunting dogs and should show it. They are the dogs that any of us would be proud to own and hunt with anywhere in the country. These dogs should be able to work cover and water, run multiple marked retrieves and blind retrieves on water and land and be steady to shot and fall. All that you have read about the Started and Intermediate dog is now carried on to the Senior dog. Here his work must be carried out with precision and control. You are looking for a finished dog. You must ask yourself while watching a Senior dog work, "Would I like this dog in the blind or field with me? Would I want to hunt with it?"

Here American Water Spaniel "Twist", makes a nice retrieve.

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