[LavenderLabs]

Hey guys

Has anyone ever skipped juniors and went stright to seniors? Was it harder than just doing juniors first? I ran Tanner is a juniors and he passed but I have him doing doubles and just got done with the double TT. I would like to skip juniors this year and go to seniors next year. Do you guys think that is a good idea??? thanks a ton

 

[msdaisey]

I do not run HTs, but I have worked at many.

There are plenty of dogs that only run in Master, without running in the 'minor' stakes. I think it depends on the handler's goals with their dog.

Your dog can develop lots of bad habits very quickly that can take a great deal of time to fix later when you run them at a young age (or any age, for that matter 8) ).

I can't imagine running a dog in a Junior stake that was not steady and decheated just to get a ribbon. We don't run a Q unless we're capable of AA work.

This is just my opinion! :lol:

 

[Guest]

There are two sides to it... There's the side Sonya mentioned, but from my experience there's also something to be said for introducing a dog to the hunt test environment and just having to pick up a few birds the entire day versus going right to master, dog is excited by all the commotion and then has five marks in a combination of marks and blinds to concentrate on.

From my experience, I have not had a problem with a little bit of "loose-ness" occuring at junior (by the 3rd or 4th test towards a title) becoming a problem down the line.

I'd rather take the opportunity to get the dog exposed to the commotion so it's not such a novelty later on.

I think the main point is to keep your standards in training high and don't run so many hunt tests, with your particular dog, that they become test-wise. This varies from dog to dog. I have some dogs that can run every weekend and still have good manners and others that just can't hang that way.

I don't see any problem with going ahead based on where you are in training now. nothing wrong with skipping it at all if you feel your dog is ready.

Just remember you'll need the extra pass to title.

Good luck.

-K

 

[Swampcollie]

I wouldn't attempt Senior without at least getting through Swim-by and De-cheating the dog.

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't attempt Senior without at least getting through Swim-by and De-cheating the dog.

"skip juniors this year and go to seniors next year"

dog is on TT NOW, so I would guess it will be "ready" "next year"...

 

[maxx]

How many dogs have you tittle?

I am on my first dog still and she is 4. I need to work on her steadiness in excitement (I don't train in groups much) but other than that she could pass senior test.

I am taking the time to get her JH title this year though. More so it just gives me practice of running tests. This is as much for me as it is for the dog. And it is a lot of fun so I want to extend it out.

Now if I had a few dogs under my belt I would probably skip Juniors.

 

[LavenderLabs]

I have ran in hunt test before. I have had a senior title dog and have ran juniors for a friend of mine. Tanner is not my first go around in this game.

I understand that i have to get an exta pass to get a title. I think Tanner will be ready for the seniors next year. I was always told that if you want to run juniors train for seniors, if you want to run seniors train for masters and if you want to run masters train for AA.

I will not push Tanner by any means. He is my only dog and we do every thing together. I will take him as far as he wants to go and as fast as he wants to go. He has the Breeding and the desire.

Thanks a ton guys

 

[duckdawg27]

You may have already thought of this option but, train for senior and if you find after you attempt one or two that he's not ready you can always drop back and run junior then if you want. Or you can always run 'em both at he same event. No shame in that. Take a run at senior again later if you find any holes in his training.
Good Huntin'

 

[TxFig]

Hey guys

Has anyone ever skipped juniors and went stright to seniors? Was it harder than just doing juniors first? I ran Tanner is a juniors and he passed but I have him doing doubles and just got done with the double TT. I would like to skip juniors this year and go to seniors next year. Do you guys think that is a good idea??? thanks a ton

I did it with my 2nd dog. I'll never skip again. Assuming you wait to run the test until the dog is really ready for the next step (ie. the dog is underwhelmed by it), I think the experience the dog gains from just being in the atmosphere is very worthwhile.

Besides, it renews MY sense of what it was like when I first started (making it fun again).