Here are links to videos of two AKC Senior tests. A dog with a Senior Title generally
has the necessary skills to be a very good duck dog.
Note: I am not saying a title is necessary.
The first is a water series at Bong Recreational Area in Wisconsin. Water levels were very
low that summer....thus the lunging water. It was a double with a cold blind and honor.
This is an AKC Senior land series at Valders, Wisconsin. It was a double including an "out
of order" live flyer with a cold blind and honor.
note: My dog Gunny was running at both tests and these were videos of friends'
dogs. We passed both tests.
There is a huge difference between field trials and hunt tests. For comparison in a
60 dog AKC Master test the number of passes could be anywhere from about
15 to 45 ribbons/passes. It varies quite a bit and the test standards
generally are very challenging.
In a 100 dog Open Field Trial there are only four places rewarded plus a few ribbons
for the few others that finish the last of four series. The mind set of field trial
competitors is very, very different.
I'm working a Derby Friday at the Madison Retriever Club's Spring Trial.......there will
be several talented retrievers (under two years old) competing for one of the four
placement ribbons. With no cold blinds it is a flat out control and big doubles marking
skills challenge. Judges decide the order of which four performed the best.