Duck Dog Trainer has decades of experience in hunt test trials. While we have trained numerous dogs to become Master Hunters and Hunting Retriever Champions, we felt like we wanted to offer a more “real world” certification for our dogs. All of our testing takes place in wetlands, out of duck blinds with multiple gunners and fast action shooting at fresh birds. We feel like that since this is how you will use your dog, testing the dog in this environment is the best way to gauge their performance. We use a panel of trained judges who are seasoned handlers and are duck hunters themselves. They are very familiar with what a fantastic duck dog looks like. After the dog has achieved a passing score, a diploma is ordered and given to the owner to display the dog’s proud achievement! This level of testing entitles the dog to a “Certified Duck Hunter” diploma. Beyond this certification, we do offer a secondary level of certification for the “best of the best” dogs. The criteria include all of the standard testing, but with added emphasis on blind retrieves. After successfully completing rigorous testing on blind retrieves, this dog shall earn the title of “Duck Hunting Champion“.
We test the “Certified Duck Hunter” on the following criteria:
- Obedience
- Steadiness
- Cooperation with handler
- Marking Ability
- Hunting Desire
- Memory
- Delivery
- Demeanor
Each characteristic is given a grade of 1-10. A dog must achieve a minimum score of 7 in each area in order to pass. We’re sorry, but we don’t currently offer our Duck Dog Certification to dogs outside of our own program.
