The last training day of the year will be August 10 at Cobb Lake. You can sign up here. The focus will be on test preparation. Any problems you are having with your training program can be addressed, so be sure to mention them in the comments section when you sign up. If you need birds, you can order them from Black Hollow Game Birds on the sign up form.

Two weeks later will be the last test of the year on August 23, 24, and 25. Expect a call for volunteers soon. If you need information about the test, please contact the Director of Testing here. Results will be posted here soon after the test.

One week after that, hunting season begins! Your best friend will be a better hunter for all of the work you have put into training this year.

Wow! What a weekend! I want to extend a huge thank you to all of the volunteers that came out in force to make this a very successful test! Special thanks to our Director of Testing Allen Kidd for organizing a great test and to Sheryl Dierenfield and Erin Normile for making sure we were well fed all three days! The judges were very impressed with how efficient our test ran and even with a few weather delays we finished early all three days. As always, our volunteers were on the mark and we performed phenomenally! Without our volunteers this wouldn’t be possible! THANK YOU!

I would like to thank our judges Rick Holt, Geof Ferrer, Craig McLaughlin, and our apprentice David Hahn for coming out and evaluating our dogs. It was a very fun weekend and truly a pleasure working with all of you! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come visit Colorado and see some good dogs work this weekend!

I would also like to thank our handlers. YOU are what makes NAVHDA a successful organization! Without our handlers coming out and getting their dogs evaluated this organization wouldn’t exist! Thank you again for putting yourselves and your dogs out there to be evaluated. It was extremely enjoyable watching great dog work all weekend!

Below are the scores for the weekend. Truly amazing results that show every handler’s hard work! Congratulations to all of the handlers and dogs this weekend, and special congratulations go to Tim Griffin with Delle and Terry Uhrich with Remi for their Utility Prize I perfomances on Sunday! We all know how hard you have been working to achieve this and we look forward to seeing you at the Invitational in Iowa next year!

May 2019 Test Results

Weekend Photo Highlight Reel

Friday Test Photos

Saturday Test Photos

Sunday Test Photos

Huge thanks to Mark Lance with River Light Images for taking photos all weekend! Very excited to see some great photos of the dogs and handlers that ran this weekend! If you are interested in ordering any prints, please contact Mark at [email protected] and he can help you with those orders. All proceeds from Test Photo sales are donated back to the chapter.

Thank you all again for your hard work and dedication to RMC NAVHDA! Without you, none of this is possible! Looking forward to a great clinic in the end of June and our fall test in August! I know we will knock it out of the park again!

Jake Heesacker – RMC NAVHDA President

May’s training day was good mix of formal training sessions and lots of free time for trainers to practice their own training programs. Now the busiest part of the training season starts with the May test on the 17-19th, June 15 training day, and the Steadiness clinic on June 29-20.

May Test

Three days of tests will put both natural ability and utility dogs through their paces. The test is full but there may still be some changes to running orders filled from the waiting list. Contact Test Director Allen Kidd for questions about the test.

Volunteers are the fuel that make the tests run smoothly and are a great way for trainers to learn more about testing, training, and hunting dogs. Contact Vice President Tim Griffin to sign up for a volunteer position.

June 15 Training Day

Much of the focus of this training day will be on the water, as the weather will likely be getting summertime hot. Bring your training problems to get help working through them. Get the birds you need for summer training. Signup here.

Steadiness Clinic

June 29-30 will feature Kyle Hough teaching clinic participants how to train bird dogs to be steady to wing, shot, and fall. This clinic is generating a lot of interest in the eastern parts of the country where Kyle is well known. If you haven’t signed up yet, don’t wait, spaces are limited. Signup for the Steadiness clinic soon.

We are switching things up for the May Training Day!  The schedule is being adjusted slightly to accommodate more individual training for handlers preparing for the Spring RMC NAVHDA Test Weekend. Register here.

6:30-7:00             Sign In

Bird Purchases for Utility Handlers, Set Up Training Equipment for Utility Dogs

7:00-10:00           Utility Field Work (Back Field)

After the first two groups, we will split the Utility handlers. Half of the handlers will continue working Utility Field work while the other handlers return to the Upper Fields to work with the Natural Ability Handlers.

When all Utility Field Groups have finished working, Utility handlers can head over to the Duck Search water to work on training for that component with Live ducks.  Handlers would need to help set up for the Group Retrieving Drill at 11 am

8:30-10:00           Natural Ability Clinic

We will work the Natural Ability dogs as one large group working on each of the different segments (Field, Obedience, Table, Track, Water) and continue the progressions in preparation for the May Natural Ability Tests

10:00-11:30        First Year Utility Clinic

We will continue to expand on the drills that were outlined in April.  Advanced heeling, steadiness foundation in the presence of birds, duck chases in water, improve recall and retrieve to hand.

11:00-11:30         Youth Handlers

We are going to have a new drill challenge using everything we have learned so far this year (Looks, Sit, Down, Fast, Slow) and a new fun relay race.  We will also add to our skill arsenal with some new skill assignments for the month of May.

11:30-12:30         Utility Group Retrieving Drill

We will be bringing some more new challenges to the drill while continuing to provide a distracting and stimulating environment for heeling, steady and remain by blind, retrieving and multiple marking in the water.

LUNCH BREAK

1:00 – End of Day Individual Training and Bird Purchases for Natural Ability Handlers

Cobb SWA will be available for individual training to prepare for the May NAVHDA Test.  Find some training partners and enjoy the rest of the day!

Sara Heesacker, Training Director