Test Dogs - Tenth Series

First Test Dog - Coast - Valerie Marks

Came to the line at 1:00 pm

Short - Threw the strip left and to the bird and brought back a hen duck

Flyer - Had a big hunt behind and deep of the gunners. Worked his way right with a little help of the gunners. Came back with a rooster

Right - Into the pond and online to the flyer gunners, then handled to the right retired guns. Gunners had to step out. He came back with hen pheasant.

Left - Went way left of the area. The handler tried whistles to stop him but felt the dog couldn't hear them. Gunners stepped out to help to pick up the hen pheasant.

**The Judges decided to change the line and the position of the short bird**

Second Test Dog - Rosie - Michael McDaniel

Came to the line at 1:22 pm

Short - She went through the strip and to the bird

Right - In the water and around the back side of the gunners and back with the bird.

Flyer - Through the cover strip and up the back side of the short bird, she went into the water, driving the hill, had a hunt in the area and she was on the bird.

Left - Through the cover past the short gun. Splashed into the pond then faded right when she came out and continued on until she found the gunners and worked her way to the bird.

Test Dogs - Ninth Series

Test Dog 1- came to the line at 8:41

Rosie - Mike

Blind - She crossed a field and through the cover right of the bale. He came out with the bird.

Short - He got out quickly to the blind and into the cane to her bird.

Long - Wide right and deep of the bird. He came back to the cane and hunted

Test Dog 2

Coast - Valerie

Blind - Whistle half way across the field, one to get through the cover and right of bale and one just past the bird for a come in.

Long - Went down along the first line of cane just deep of the bird going for the short retired. He got out of sight in the fog and was handled in to the bird. He came in with long retired bird.

Short - He got to the cane and came out with the bird.

**At 9:06 Coast and Valerie came back to the line to run the marks with the guns out so handlers could see where the dogs picked up their birds.

Test Dogs for the Eighth Series

Test Dog 1 - 9:57 am.

Coast - Valarie Marks

Flyer - SMACK

Middle - Appeared to be send to the right retired...He got into the channel and crossed the spit for a reentry into the water. He got out on the far bank and circled behind the blind and get his bird.

Right - He went into the channel, swimming on an angle towards the right retired. He went over the spit and back into the water towards the bird.

Test Dog 2 - 10:14 am.

Rosie - Michael McDaniel

Flyer - Left with enthusiasm to quickly retrieve the bird.

Right - She went down the shore on line for the right retired gun. She angle entry the channel into the water and came up behind the gunners and hunted the channel for one loop before going out for her bird.

Middle - She went down the shore into the channel. She went over the spit of land and into the pond. Swimming on a good line towards her bird she got on the land and found her bird.

Sixth and Seventh - Land Blind and Water Blind - Test Dogs

Rosie - handler Michael McDaniel

Land - line at 7:44 am - Dry pop walk up, the dog left the line, through the slot but was handled beyond the bird, due to the confusion of the bird location.

Water -  line at 7:45 am - Rosie left the mat in the same direction as the previous blind, angling more left through the trees to enter the water. Had a whistle before the water, two in the water to get her out and to drive the hill. One more whistle up the hill and a check down at the bird.

Second test dog two - Coast - handler Valarie Marks

Land -  line at 7:50 am - Left the line the dog was very watery. Two whistles to keep him dry. Then two whistles to the bird.

Water - line at 7:53 am - First whistle on the road to cast into the water he carried it to the area by the bird, drove a little deep and one whistle to the bird.

Series Five - Test Dogs

First test dog, Coast, came to the line at 7:30 am.

Coast, LM - owner/handler Valarie Marks

Walkout - Coast went straight to the bird and returned the bird to Valarie.

Flyer - He went to the area of the fall, had a tight hunt to his bird.

Middle Retired - He ran a good line across the field but had difficulty finding his bird. He covered quite a bit of ground before he retrieved the bird.

Right Retired - Coast had a good line to the start but then broke left as he past the flyer station. He had to be handled to the right retired bird.



Second test dog, Rosie, came to the line at 7:43 am and had a no bird. She came back to the line for her rerun at 7:47 am.

Rosie, LF - owner/handler Michael McDaniel

Walkout - Very nice line to her bird.

Flyer - Straight to the fall area and on her bird.

Middle Retired - She ran across the field on a line left of the guns. She established a hunt. She hunted hard left of the area and worked her way right to the bird.

Right Retired - Rosie took an excellent initial line across the field. She headed left of the fall area and had to be handled right to get her bird.

Test Four - Test Dogs

First test dog "Rosie" with handler Michael McDaniel was called to the line at 7:04 am.

Flyer - She got out to the area and hunted deep. She took multiple loops and got it.

Simulated Flyer - She went through three cover changes and drilled it.

Retired - She had to work hard to get her focus on the long retired. She went out under the arc and out to the fall area then to her bird.

Rosie completed this test at 7:12 am.

Second test dog "Coast" with handler Valarie Marks was called to the line at 7:13 am.

Flyer - He went out to the fall area and went deep. He hunted deep back in forth up the hill, worked down the hill to his bird.

Simulated - Coast went straight to the bird.

Retired - He got out very wide left and deep. He got handled back to the fall area.

Test Dogs - Fourth Series

Came to the line at 3:33 pm

Rosie - Crossed the road - one whistle and got it.

Came to the line at 3:35 pm

Coast - Crossed the road, one whistle to cast down the hill and one whistle to cast to the bird.

Test Dogs - Third Series - Blind

The first test dog came to the line at 10:33 am.

"Coast" LM - Coast got into the water and got to the point. He reentered the water, then out. He was lost behind the mound and had to be called in. When recast to the mound he was wide right then he got his bird.

"Rosie" LF - Rosie skimmed the tree and took 1 cast to get her into the water, a second cast to get out. One more cast to adjust. The swim got out with a good line then she got wide right. Lost at end - wide right. Many whistles and adjustments to the bird.

Test Dog - Day 3 - Series Two - Water Triple with Two Retired

"Rosie" and owner/handler Michael McDaniel was called to the line at 6:57 am.

Flyer - The flyer landed a little short but Rosie recovered it.

Middle - She went through the water and up the berm to the backside of the right gun bales to established a hunt that worked her way to the middle right gun.

Left - Rosie went back through the water and out, driving up the hill for a quick couple of loops to the bird.

Test Dogs - Test Two - Water Triple with Two Retired

The first test dog came to the line at 7:05 am.


AFC Mac;s Sweet Eleanor Rose, "Rosie" - LF - owner/handler Michael McDaniel

Flyer - Rosie got to her bird and back.

Middle - handle - She avoided the water hazard pushing her back into the area.

Right - Rosie got into the water, across the road with a look at the ground before the tree and around the area and up to the bird.

Smackwater's Coast To Coast, "Coast"- LM - owner/handler Valarie Marks

Flyer - Coast got across road and grabbed his duck

Left - He got into the water and over the road and up the hill with a quick couple loops to pick up the hen duck.

Middle - Saving the middle retired until last. He went into the water taking a similar line to the previous bird. Coast was handled to the middle bird. Taking some whistles to get him away from the bales and to the bird. The gunners stepped out to the help.

Test Dogs - Series One - Land Triple with Two Retired

The opening test dog is an honorary dog owned and handled by Amy Hunt, who qualified for the 2016 National Open Championship but suffered a stroke at the beginning of the event.

First test dog was called to the line at 6:55 am.

Honorary Test Dog - FC Sureshot Watt's Up, "Juice" handled Amy Hunt

Flyer - Straight to her bird
LR - Takes the line up the middle directly to the bird
MR - Launched for short right gun, quick handle to stop forward progress. Two more whistles to the bird.

Male Test dog called to the line at 7:02 am.

Smackwater's Coast To Coast - "Coast" - owner/handler Valarie Marks

Flyer - He launched for the flyer rooster.  He got a bit low on the sky line, a few loops and to the bird.
LR - Sent up middle then he went the left.  Whistled in 3 times but had difficulty.
MR -Sent out for left gun and got it.

Female Test dog called to the line at 7:09 am.

AFC Mac's Sweet Eleanor Rose - "Rosie" - owner/handler Michael McDaniel

She watched the birds well.

Flyer - Straight to the bird
LR - Took a tumble. A couple of whistles to put her on the bird. Several more working her way back toward left bird. She got help from thrower to put her on the hen pheasant.
MR - Send dog left of right gun. A couple of whistles to put her on her bird.