Retriever Hunt Test

Regardless of what training program you use to train your retriever to hunt waterfowl, participating in the AKC Hunt Test program and getting involved with a local retriever club will greatly enhance your success. AKC retriever hunt tests simulate real hunting situations to test one's dog on marking and retrieving skills, showing areas of success and areas where improvement is needed.

A few weeks ago I attended a Weber River Retriever Club picnic test and recorded one of the dogs running a master marking situation. It was a wide open triple and even though Blaze was wearing an e-collar, you can see on the included video how important it is for a dog to be steady, especially standing outside of a blind.

From a training standpoint, watching a dog run a hunt test and how it performs in a given situation should give the handler ideas on what to work on in training. For example, from watching the video I would conclude that although Blaze did mark 2 out of the 3 birds, one thing I would implement into training is more wide open triples with this dog as it is sometimes harder for a dog to mark such wide marks where the dog has to reposition itself to watch the outside marks.

Give the AKC Hunt Test program a try if you are wanting to increase your retriever's skills and also enjoy time away from work with fellow hunters and retriever owners. Train with a purpose in mind and routinely test the dog to see where he is at and where improvement is needed.