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| Natalie White, age 11, handles "Double Dutch" to an NA Prize III as Senior Judge Ruth Weiss looks on. |
Happy New Year everyone!
It’s hard to believe that a new Training and Testing year is almost upon
us.
2013 was a fantastic year for the Montana Sharptail Chapter
– it would not have been possible without the countless volunteer hours, miles,
lunches and effort of several chapter members to make it all happen. THANK YOU all for making 2013 a great year. With Training Camps and Tests in Billings,
Whitefish and Wisdom, the geographic area served would cover no less than 19
chapters on the Eastern Seaboard on the navhda.com chapter locator map.
Please join us in
Great Falls for the Montana Sharptail Chapter Annual Meeting: February 9, 2014
at 12:00 at the Meadowlark Country Club in Great Falls, MT. Current Members and all interested parties
are welcome. Membership Fees are the same as last year, at least until the meeting. Please renew by the end of February, if not before. The "Member Directory" on the website will be updated by February 28. A 2014 Membership Application can be found here: SHARPTAIL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
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| Team Griff'n After a Day of Chasing Huns |
As we look toward the coming year and our continued goal of
serving the entire state of Montana, our tentative schedule is no less
ambitious. Board members have already
secured, or are working to secure grounds for the following events:
3-4 day Training Camp in Three Forks, MT Late March or Early
April
NA and UT/UPT Seminars in Whitefish, Billings and Bozeman,
February and March
Training Camp and Test in Billings, MT Early May
Handlers Clinic and Test in Whitefish, Late May/Early June
Training Week and Test Weekend in Wisdom – Early August
Additionally, we are working to put together informal evening and weekend
training events in Whitefish and Billings.
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| Prairie Heart's Pretty Lazy Angus - Utility Prep Prize II, June in Whitefish - Utility Prize II, August in Wisdom |
Staying true to our philosopy: Beyond
Natural Ability – A Commitment to the Continued Development of our Hunting Companions.
We will continue to put “Training for Hunting” as a first
priority for the Montana Sharptail Chapter.
Multi-day training events have allowed us to address “Testing-Oriented”
training, as well as offer plenty of opportunity for folks who want to continue
the development of their hunting companion outside of the NAVHDA testing
system. Emphasis is on:
Building a cooperative and confident “Field Relationship”
between dog and handler.
Stop to Flush, Stop to Shot and Manners on Birds – From upland
to waterfowl.
Building Retrieve:
From polishing a “Natural Retrieve,” to “Hold and Here” or a fully “Conditioned
Retrieve.”
“Lining drills” and “Blind Retrieves” on land and in water.
“Marking” – both singles and multiples on land and in water.
"Backing / Honoring"
"Backing / Honoring"
Obedience training: “Whoa”, “Heel”, “Down,” “Sit,” “Place”
etc.
Most importantly, we want folks to take home techniques and
tips they can continue to use at home, in the absence of birds. It is opportunities like these that make
training “in the presence of birds” (e.g. training days) that much more
productive.
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| Kiara, learning the finer points of "Hold" |
There is no doubt that our continued success is due to an
environment and attitude where we learn more by helping others and their dogs,
than we do when our own dogs are “on the ground.” Watching, helping and working with other dogs
and handlers translates into better understanding and training our for own dogs
when that opportunity comes.
As we look to the coming years, it is essential that we build the chapter's training and testing assets - this will only improve our ability to serve our growing membership, in addition to providing "equipment checkout" opportunities to individuals and groups around the state. We have put together a "Chapter Wishlist" - please consider making a donation to the chapter by contributing for the purchase of any of the following items: Montana Sharptail Wishlist
As we look to the coming years, it is essential that we build the chapter's training and testing assets - this will only improve our ability to serve our growing membership, in addition to providing "equipment checkout" opportunities to individuals and groups around the state. We have put together a "Chapter Wishlist" - please consider making a donation to the chapter by contributing for the purchase of any of the following items: Montana Sharptail Wishlist
We look forward to another successful year in 2014, with
abundant opportunities for NAVHDA veterans and new members alike. Please forward this newsletter and invite any
interested parties to the coming meeting or any Montana Sharptail event.
As always, give all your dogs a big scratch, and feel free to email or
call with questions.
-Tom
406-212-5767
montanasharptail@gmail.com
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| Team Griff'n with a Montana Mixed Bag |