Teach Your Dog to Retrieve

    Fetch is a game that every dog owner has played at some time in their life. The dog chases the ball and returns it back to the thrower. 

    But Retrievers have the opportunity to step it up a notch because they can get involved with the American Kennel Club.

AKC Hunt Tests

    Because of their natural retrieving skills on both land and water, the AKC devised a test for Retrievers and their owners. In the mid-1980s they created the AKC Hunt Test to determine a dog’s ability to retrieve against what’s called the “breed standard” for Retrievers. The AKC says it’s a Hunt Test, a very authentic scenario that mimics an actual waterfowl hunting environment, where birds are downed and dogs are released to fetch them and bring them back to the owner. If you are terribly uncomfortable with birds like ducks being shot and retrieved, maybe this is a good time to recommend the AKC Agility game to you. 

    Interestingly, a large percentage of those that enter their Retrievers in AKC Hunt Tests are not hunters. Backyard Retriever owners love the sport and find huge benefits to playing the game. Likewise, AKC registered Retriever breeders, love the AKC Hunt Test too. If they do well enough to pass a Hunt Test they can add this distinction (often in form of a Ribbon or Band) to their dog’s pedigree through the AKC. 

    The concept of the AKC Hunt Test is for the owner (who is called the handler when testing) and the Retriever to fetch downed birds (ducks) on command. The birds may fall in the water, or on land, but the object is for the owner and dog to work as a team to locate and fetch the bird from where it landed. There are beginning levels of the sport for young dogs, too much more advanced levels called Master Hunt Tests, these dogs are steered toward the downed bird by hand and whistle commands and it can take years before a Retriever and handler become proficient enough at a Master Hunt Test to actually pass one (qualify).

    I won’t go into the details of the AKC Hunt Test, there are way too many rules and regulations to follow, but I am going to address its value in my eyes. 

Value of a Hunt Test for Retrievers

    For the past 15 years, I have been actively involved in AKC Hunt Tests and became a judge about 10 years ago on the encouragement of fellow competitors. What I have come to realize is how vital it is for Retrievers that are of good health to play the game. It is the exact type of mental and physical stimulant that Retrievers want and needs to keep their spirits high, their muscles strong and their weight under control.

    I noticed immediately that my dogs responded positively to Hunt Tests. They couldn’t wait for the next one and they loved being able to be rewarded for doing something that came so naturally to them. Competitors come from all walks of life, there are doctors, lawyers, teachers, and artists. AKC Hunt Tests are all-inclusive, welcoming anyone with a love for dogs. So besides it being a healthy workout for your Retriever, it is also a great place to meet like-minded people that care deeply about animals. 

    All hunt tests are strictly monitored by the AKC, and all judges must meet certain requirements before they are allowed to judge an event. These requirements for judges extend beyond simply knowing how to set up a test, judges must understand gun etiquette, and recognize how to showcase a dog’s ability in the field without risking injury to the dog or the handler in the process. Dogs do not compete against each other as I mentioned, they compete against the AKC “standard” for the breed. Here’s an example: If the breed standard for any particular level of Hunt Test suggests that the dog must be able to swim across a body of water with the bird in its mouth and release it upon command to the handler, then that must happen. 

    If you ever get an opportunity to see an AKC Hunt Test you will be amazed by the intelligence of these dogs. Some dogs are fast as a red Ferrari in the field and others are as cunning as a fox, but what they all have in common is their love of the game of fetch. 

    To learn more visit the AKC.