" In fact, AKC has a rule that dogs that aren't entered are not supposed to be on the grounds at their events"
I did not know this. Where is it discussed in the rule book?
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" In fact, AKC has a rule that dogs that aren't entered are not supposed to be on the grounds at their events"
I did not know this. Where is it discussed in the rule book?
Take the pup. But, be aware that it could be a very long day for the pup so plan ahead!!! Pup should be kept warm/cool and in crate with water and food. Air and socialize on lead only. There will be plenty of kids, moms, and more then a few guys willing to take the bugger for a walk or give it a cuddle or too! As an HRC judge and many time contestant, I have brought pups to hunt tests many times, even on the road to judge other tests, and have had them staked out next to the truck (older pups) in the shade and they got exposure to other dogs nearby, kids running around, gunfire, and birds and water marks during breaks/set up, etc...
I have also, as a marshal, taken care of other judges dogs when they couldn't get away to water and air them, both pups and adult dogs. HRC is one big and predominantly happy family were we look out of each other, all the kids, and of course, the dogs.
Main thing to concern yourself with is keeping yourself and the pup hydrated, quiet, and out of sight/mind of the working dogs. Park in the shade, open up the doors/windows of the vehicle, provide the pup with toys, water, some kibble, and a soft towel to lay on. Bring water, sport drinks for yourself, a hat, sunscreen (even in winter!), a chair, and a friendly smile! Introduce yourself to others in the gallery, go listen to the "handlers meeting" at the start of the test and listen to the Q&A as well as the explanation of the test setup. Wear camo or other hunting type of clothes!!! No light tan, white, or grey!!!
If the pup is obviously not having a good time: a lot of barking, whining, or diarrhea in the crate, go home. Better to make the day short! HRC tests are usually a two day event- Sat and Sun. so if you can, go to both. Once with pup and one without.
Good luck and have fun!!! Welcome to the club!
You might want to recalculate (Avg. of 4.3 weeks in a month) we only have one month with 28 days, the rest have 30 or 31. Therefore 3 months = 13 weeks or very close to it.Quote:
Originally Posted by JustinS
Lonnie Spann
This has been an interesting thread.
BlaineT,love those pics.
Hunt'em up,thats a great idea of the puppy stake.
Dang I wish there was a club around here.
Had a client call and tell me they were not coming to the hunt test because her husband didn't want to sit in a gallery all day.He wanted to watch his dog run.And.... can't dring beer until the last dog runs. I had told her they need to wear dark clothing in the gallery.
Bring your puppy but as people said be cautious.
Enter the Puppy Stake maybe.
I entered and ran my first puppy at a field trial puppy stake. Some dogs were a year old. She was 14 weeks i think and never saw a flyer before. They even had a double water re-entry on the water mark. It was fun and she won it!
Go for it and have fun, many clubs no longer have fun trials or puppy stakes so you may have few opportunities.
The club your visiting probably has training days too. Those can be a good place to help socialize and hear friendly advice from like minded folks. I would encourage you visit them on a training day and see.........It was a great think for me and my dogs.
I say bring the pup as well. Just be respectful while other dogs are running at pay attention to where you are with relation to where the tests are being ran. Last year while running my young dog in started one of the marks was thrown right back towards where everyone was parking and there was a few people with puppies just meandering around. The set up was terrible and with all the comotion I couldn't pull my pup off of the crowd to see the mark get thrown... I was not happy with the judges, the setup or the folks with little pups (8-10 weeks old). All could've been avoided if a few people would have paid attention to what was going on and showed a little respect for others while walking puppies around the grounds.
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Red Devil's Chances R at a HT this Fall at 3.5 months old....... I believe he is picking up the last bird of a triple. We still have the blind and diversion to go :grin:
Follow up: I was able to take Jake to a club practice day about three weeks ago and we sat right up on the line with no adverse reactions to the poppers. He was ready to help those bigger dogs if I would have let him!
Our local club, Pin Oak HRC, had their spring hunt test last weekend. My son and I took him out and had a great time. We stayed back off the line and he was able to watch quite a few of the started dogs run. He did his little mini-test for the puppy stakes with four retrieves out to about 50 yards and handled the hen mallard very well, I thought. All in all, it was a great experience and we'll be back when he's ready to work on his started ribbons.
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