Ida's Debut

                              When the time came for Ida's Natural Ability hunt test I had asked Tom if I could ride along to watch as I was interested to see how she did. It was obvious this was important to Tom so the anticipation added to the suspense of the event. I was also curious to see the other dog's and owners take their pups through the process. Having been to field trials and workshops in the past I knew there would be a variety of breeds there in the Versatile category those being the German types. But also there would be just as much of a show in the owners coming from all different walks of life in all different shapes and sizes both men and women. Some in jeans and sweatshirts some in the latest upland attire right out of the Orvis catalog! Then the assortment of vehicles was just as varied with everything from regular pickups and compact cars to fancy rigs with custom made shiny aluminum dog boxes and trailers. All pointing dog lovers. All passionate about their dog's and the sport. And as always there would be those people with their noses in the air. Snobs for lack of a better word. I always enjoyed it when their dog's would screw up! I had the luxury of a secluded rural setting to run my dog's through their paces but this was a very public display of either their superb instincts and ability or what could be their bone headed antics and stubbornness! Let alone the talent and experience of their handlers or lack thereof. Just to be fair though! I will say with a pretty high degree of certainty that "the wheels can fall off" on any given day for any dog and their handler. These mysteries that could befuddle even the most experienced and professional of handlers could fill volumes but the underlying theme in all of them would be "every dog has their day"!
                                   The big day finally came and I drove north to rendezvous with Tom and Ida for the trip to the Test site in central Wisconsin. As anticipated it was the usual mix of people and dog's spread out around the staging area. Tom got himself signed in and we waited while taking in the scene of anxious handlers and their young dog's talking with some of the participants and judges.

Tom talking with one of the judges as Ida waits patiently for her run.

                                    When the group was called to order and the runs began there were a variety of dog's as I mentioned but also a mix of dog's that obviously had different levels of experience and confidence in the field. This exposure to new territory and lots of new sights and sounds all weighs on the level of confidence a dog has. There were dog's that took off from the release point like a rocket and those that cautiously proceeded not putting much distance between them and their handlers unsure of what they were doing walking with this group of strange people.
                                        The first bullet point on the check list was checking the dog's response to gunfire. Most dog's were fine. A couple flinched a little but one simply turned tail and ran back under the nearest truck! Of course the handler/owner was upset for the dog and we all I think shared the concern but I still was puzzled as this was an event you prepared your dog for and didn't understand why the dog was subjected to the Test if it was obviously gun shy and needed a lot of work at this point.
                                         My favorite Test point was the water. The handler was to heel his dog to the edge of a small pond where the judge would launch a retrieving dummy into the water at which point the handler would command the dog to Fetch! Most of the dog's I think would list this as a favorite as well aggressively leaping into the water swimming to the dummy and back then taking up there position at the left of the handler to complete the test. Some of them hesitated again unsure of the water and needed coaxing to start with a couple refusing to go in at all.
                                           Finally it was time for Tom and Ida to take their turn. Ida was off with her quartering style of covering ground in a deliberate manner. She's not a big dog and being shorter in stature works close which is exactly what Tom wanted in a dog. She was fine with the gun shot and proceeded to the bird field where she handled birds and held her points like a pro! Then came the Tracking exercise where a dead bird was dragged across an area and hidden in some brushy cover. Ida took off and picked up the drag scent and completed the exercise again with no problem! The last exercise was the water. Tom had spent a lot of time with Ida in the water which she loved as well as retrieving. In fact she would play catch with you until your arm fell off! They moved into position at the edge of the pond with Ida heeled at Toms side. The judge launched the dummy and Ida was released leaping into the water making a perfect retrieve as well as a perfectly mannered return to Toms side waiting for further instructions!This was above and beyond the expectation for Natural Ability but she did it. Wow! It looked good to me but you never know watching from the gallery exactly what the judges view was.
                                            It came time for the results to be read off with handlers anxiously waiting for the judges decisions.Ida's score was a prize one! The highest rating! This was one of only two given on this particular day much to Tom's relief as he had spent a lot of time and effort in the preparation for this first Test. I congratulated Tom and we shook hands on a job well done by Ida! Tom thanked me for my help and treated me to lunch on the way home at a popular cafe where we both had an open faced hot Turkey sandwich with gravy and mashed potatoes to celebrate the victory. This was to be one of many meals we would share while on the road "Bird Dogging" over the next several years!