There was quite a bit of posting on a couple of message
boards after a few of the recent blog entries here that showed there is a lot
of misunderstanding about exactly what cover dog trials are and what goes on at
one. So, I thought it might be
interesting to try and describe what is going on in cover dog trials, what it
takes for a dog to win, how the training for a cover dog differs from a hunting
dog, and what to consider when trying to breed dogs to compete at the highest
levels in the woods. My thought is
to approach this in a series of posts looking at cover dog trials from the
different perspectives of a judge, a handler, a trainer and a breeder. So, here’s the first one.
From the Judges Perspective
I’ll start with a little bit about my credentials as a
judge. First let me say that I
turn down far more opportunities to judge than I accept. That said, I have judged cover dog
trials and championships in Wisconsin, a couple of times in Michigan (including
the National Amateur Grouse and the Lakes States Grouse Championship), in
Maine, in New Brunswick, and here in New Hampshire. In addition I have reported a number of grouse and woodcock
championships as well as been the stake manager and marshal for a number of
others. Over the years, I have
literally walked thousands of braces in the woods. I have seen numerous great performances usually agree with
the outcome although on occasion other judges have left me scratching my head.
The first thing you need to know about judging cover dog
trials is that it is completely subjective and numerous judges have personal
quirks that are quite well known and that experienced handlers are aware of and
will try to adjust to. Some have
certain aspects of a performance that they particularly key in on. For instance, one well known judge will
reportedly not even consider a dog that doesn’t run with a high cracking
tail. Another would not use a dog
that pointed a rabbit or other off game.
Some like a dog that is closer and others will only use a dog that is
right on the edge of a train wreck for the hour. Those of us who regularly run in the woods may grouse (pun
intended) about the inconsistency of judging but in the end accept it as part
of the game. In fact, there really
is no objective way to judge a cover dog trial that takes in the entirety of a
championship performance.
So, if you are thinking about entering a dog in a cover dog
championship on one of the rare occasions when I say yes, here’s what I’m
looking for. I want a dog that
leaves the line like a shot and runs fast and hard for the whole hour. If there’s cover in front of the dog I
expect it to get hunted before the dog goes on. If there isn’t, I expect the dog to go forward until it
finds some. The dog should be
willing to go to the extremes of bell range to find birds but come back when
called to do so. The dog should be
to the front most of the time with the only real exceptions being when the
course has turned away from it and the handler didn’t have the sense to round
the dog up before the course changed direction. (Except in extreme cases, I try not to penalize a good dog
for an inept or inexperienced handler.)
If the dog is out of bell range on occasion, it’s not really a big
concern to me. If the dog has an
exceptionally long absence, that is another story. Some judges have a hard and fast rule about non-productive
points. I don’t like them but try
to examine them in the overall performance of the dog. If a dog has two nonproductives and
only one find in an hour, it was wrong 66% of the time when it pointed – I’m
not impressed. However, if the
trial is at a venue where the grouse have been especially elusive and are known
to be running out before the handlers are even getting to the dogs, you look at
nonproductives differently. I am
also looking for a dog that is conformationally correct and finishes the hour
as it began. I like what one of my
early mentors in the sport called “a running dog.” that meant at the time, and still does to me, that the dog
runs big and hard for the whole hour, but does so with intelligence. As I walk (or ride) the courses I think
about where I think the dog should or should have gone. The smart dogs usually hit all the
right spots and will ultimately have the needed bird work to win.
I expect a dog to have its birds accurately pointed with
intensity and lofty style. If you
have to flush far, far from the dog I would have been more impressed if you had
sent the dog on to relocate. The
final thing I think about is would a want a pup from the dog. Part of the point of all this is to
breed better dogs whether the have long hair or short, doesn’t matter nor does
long tails or short tails. If you
bring a dog to the line and it comes close to my ideal and is the best dog in
the stake it will win. If it the
best dog in the stake but does not put down what I consider a championship
performance than you can expect the stake to be reverted to a shooting dog
stake. I’ve come close to do that
a couple of times but have always been saved by a dog getting it done late in
the stake.
Check back for the next installment tomorrow or Monday.
