NADKC News Articles

Chain of Resources: Five Useful Links

Spring is springing all around me here in the Pacific Northwest, and I know that many of you join me as my thoughts are slowly turning from the glory days of hunting towards the hard work ahead of us for the upcoming testing and training season.

Link #1: Preparation for Derby/Solms Tests

I have found over the years that one of the biggest benefits of preparing a dog to test in the NADKC system is one of the most often overlooked and unappreciated. When we put our dogs and ourselves through the paces of properly training for the Derby and the Solms, the result are well-trained versatile hunting dogs that can be utilized effectively by the rough-shooting foot hunter in a variety of tasks. The preparation of training for the two required tests for DKs gives us a sort of built-in training schedule, which is goal-oriented. Knowing that we and our dogs have to be ready by a date certain to perform certain pre-ordained tasks allows us little opportunity to skip days or weeks in our training. Therefore it's harder to pass up opportunities to get outdoors and work our obedience exercises, or to skimp on game or gunfire or water exposure, or to shirk the repetitive and not-always-pleasant forced retrieve phases. Adhering to a schedule like the one built-in to our club's testing programs is the first link you should forge in the chain—the chain that will lead you to a dog you can be proud to hunt with this fall.

Link #2: Deutsch Kurzhaar Breeders

As time for our club’s Derbies approaches, I sincerely hope that all of you will look around and appreciate the amazing opportunity that our organization provides each of us to prepare, own, and evaluate some of the most amazing versatile hunting dogs available in North America. The breeder that planned, bred and whelped your puppy is the next link in that chain to success. He or she can be an excellent resource to you that extends far beyond turning over a great raw product to you as a puppy. He or she has researched many generations of pedigrees that stands behind your dog, and is intimately familiar with the lines' best characteristics and most common flaws. Hopefully, he or she has trained and tested at least one of your pup's parents, and can perhaps save you a lot of time over the trial and error method you might otherwise be using to train their progeny. Your breeder can provide you with a wealth of information to help you prepare your pup for the testing ahead of you.

Link #3: Knowledgeable Club Judges

The next link in the chain of resources available to you in the NADKC is the large group of judges that our club has certified. Many of them have judged as many or more times as they have themselves handled dogs in tests, and have seen a variety of dog work over the years—both good and bad. They can give you ideas about what to expect come test day, they can advise you about specific training issues, and they can give you an honest appraisal or opinion when asked. They are eager to help you and your dog to succeed—not only on test day. Most of them are extremely knowledgeable and are willing to answer your questions or lend their expertise. Call them, email them, train with them, or visit them in person. If they don’t know the answer to your question, they will help you find someone who does.

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Link #4: DKV Testing and Breeding Regulations - The Grey Book

The central link that will help keep your chain connected is the body of written resources about testing and training. The grey book, that each of you received as part of your membership packet to the club, is perhaps the most important of all. By reading and re-reading the test rules and regulations, and keeping them handy while training, you will arm yourself with the goals of your training program and give yourself an excellent idea of what you are training towards. In addition, you will find scads of previously published articles in our club’s library and online archive, which can help you flesh out the details of your training regimen. Club members have written any number of articles about test preparation and training which have been published in previous issues of the Inside DK. Just because they have not been republished lately does not mean that they aren't valuable. Pull out old paper copies of the club newsletter or visit the digital archive to see what treasures you might have missed along the way.

Link #5: Training Days and Seminars

Other links that can provide support and heft to your chain include attending training days and seminars, observing NADKC tests, VDD-GNA tests, or JGV-USA tests, reading outside books and articles about the German testing system or versatile dog training, and visiting with other handlers that have previously prepared and tested dogs through our system. Training with a buddy who's also preparing a dog for the same tests is always a great boon, as well.

So, as the weather warms and the days lengthen, build a fire in your forge of commitment, prepare your anvil of dedication, and prepare to build yourself a thick and sturdy chain of training—one link at a time. By using the resources available to you such as your breeder, the NADKC, judges, rule book, articles, and other resources you will eventually forge yourself a chain that can be depended on to lead you to your goal of a well-trained versatile hunting companion you can hunt with this fall.

Kurzhaar Voran,

Nancy Schneider
Editor, Inside DK

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