8-3 SS Dog Show

 Hey sportsmen, remember the comedy called Best in Show… it happens in New York and it’s a dog show for foo foo dogs. Well, I have a competition that makes a lot of sense for people who want to look at hunting dogs.

I recently did a story on a fellow by the name of  Joe Masar Italian hunting dogs that are named Spinonis. While I was talking to him, he mentioned a hunting dog competition that is the perfect place to put your dog to the test. Here’s Joe: The  North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association has a natural ability test for any pup 16 months of age or younger. Anything older can be judged but it cannot give a prize. In the natural ability they have to search for birds that have been planted in the field after 20 min., they have to track a released  pheasant, they don’t have to find it but they have to show evidence that they are using their nose to track it, then they also test them for gun sensitivity by firing a shotgun and a couple of times while they are in the field, and the last thing is the puppies have to swim at least twice in water that is over their head. Does it have to retrieve as well? No. Not in natural ability. It is nice if they do but it is not a requirement. Involve search all they are required to do is point and hold that point for long enough that it can be determined that it is a full point.”