Handle at a Hunt test

[Karen Klotthor]

Do what you need to do and let the judge judge.

[Eric Johnson]

Edit to add: I believe that Junior is the only stake that the AKC rulebook actually gives direction on the number of allowable handles (one). If you have to handle on more than that (50% or more), you should not pass. I know for sure that there is no listed maximum number of handles given/listed for Master.

Not true. The Jan 1, 2012 amendments to the rules removed the limit of handling in Junior. A handler can handle all he wants. It's up to the judge to judge his dog. IOW, Junior is the same as Senior and Master. Marking is marking and a dog is being judged on marking during the marking tests. Essentially, it is as Karen says....do what you have to do and make the judge score your dog.

[Dale]

I know nothing about hunt tests except what I've read on RTF. Is it correct that in a marking test you are allowed to handle and still get called back?

If you can, is it a common thing or rarely done?

John, you thinking of coming over to the dark side?

[John Lash]

No, just curious. A lot of dogs qualify for the MN, and everyone was talking about impending changes.

[suepuff]

I do know now that I will not run junior without a dog that knows how to handle! It reduces the stress tremendously! Especially with a young dog. Like one who runs full bore to get the flyer...bird boy moves behind the blind, ducks go nuts, dog makes sharp right to ducks. They are more fun! Was able to handle her out of blind and to flyer. If you could seen her face on the way back... Very sheepish! . Got some pics of the blind with a tail sticking up in the air where she was play bowing to the darn birds...

Passed that day! Clean handle and other 3 were clean marks.

Sue Puff

[TN_LAB]

Do what you need to do and let the judge judge.

Yes

Stranger things have happened than, but one thing is for certain...you ain't gonna pass if you don't pick up the birds...so pick up the birds and let the judges judge.

[kona's mom]

No, just curious. A lot of dogs qualify for the MN, and everyone was talking about impending changes.

Aw come on John. Let me run LB in a test once
After the National of course

[hotel4dogs]

Exact same thing happened to me in our first JH test, only my bonehead was not play bowing to the bird pen, he was trying to drag it back with him. I still get a lot of razzing about that one. Why retrieve one shot bird when you just found the mother lode???

I do know now that I will not run junior without a dog that knows how to handle! It reduces the stress tremendously! Especially with a young dog. Like one who runs full bore to get the flyer...bird boy moves behind the blind, ducks go nuts, dog makes sharp right to ducks. They are more fun! Was able to handle her out of blind and to flyer. If you could seen her face on the way back... Very sheepish! . Got some pics of the blind with a tail sticking up in the air where she was play bowing to the darn birds...

Passed that day! Clean handle and other 3 were clean marks.

Sue Puff

[sunnydee]

On my third junior hunt test the judges set out about a half dozen duck decoys in the middle of a channel and in line to the bird. My dog was one of 5 dogs that got caught up in the decoys and got all turned around. 4 of the dogs became confused and returned to their handler but I was able to get control of my dog with a set whisle and casted her back to the bird. I passed

[stonybrook]

A handler can handle all he wants.

Agreed. But I doubt you can show me 5 judges that will pass a Junior dog that handles on half of the birds. If so, I will be very surprised.

As a handler, you have to do what you have to do to collect the birds. Period. As a judge, you only have 4 birds to evaluate the dog's marking ability on that day (in Junior). I think to be fair to handlers, they should know that handling on multiple birds in Junior is not going to cut it. When one set of judges pass a dog that handles multiple times, all it does is give the handler the impression that doing so is qualifying work and when they don't pass the next time that happens, they blow a gasket.

Good to know on the rules re: handling in Junior. I haven't run or judged a Junior in many years and was not aware that rule had be revised.