Reflections Between the Years
Dear Fellow Hunters,
The fall/winter hunting season 2015/2016 is still ongoing. I trust that by now you have had several memorable experiences with your hunting dogs. Hunting season is the time when our dogs can prove that they have been trained well and are ready to demonstrate what they have learned. All our training and testing culminate in the actual hunts. The conditions in which we hunt and the work that our dogs must perform to make each of our hunts a success dictate the standards and requirements of our testing regulations.
As is my practice, I again attended numerous Association tests in this outgoing year. Among the tests I observed were the VDD Hegewald Test, the Dr. Lackner Test of the German Hunting Terrier, the DK Schorlemmer and IKP Tests. Each of these tests proved to substantiate the successful breeding with regard to our dogs’ natural abilities. Our future task remains unchanged in that we must continue to support our dog handlers in training their hunting dogs. We have seen, too often, failures in the trained subjects, a fact in stark contrast to the enormously exaggerated expectations our handlers bring to the test in terms of test results. There is a definite need to improve the performance in the trained subjects before taking the dog to the test.
As much as we appreciate and want to recognize good performance by our dogs, we must adhere to the set guidelines for awarding scores of 11 or 12. The requirements, or conditions, which must be present to warrant those high scores, are well defined. Therefore, a score of 11 or 12 must be reserved for performances notably above the standard and average performance. In all seriousness, a little more modesty would be well placed. And one more thing is important in my opinion, anonymous complaints about “evaluations in error” don’t deserve consideration, and at the JGHV office, we don’t give them any. The official and only route for complaints is outlined in the Protest Regulations. It is available to be used by our individual members as long as they present facts and do not withhold names and address.
We celebrated two anniversaries this year: The Association Blood Tracking Test „Pfälzer Wald” celebrated its 60th anniversary and the “Elm Blood Tracking Test” its 50th anniversary.
I have attended both tests and can assure you that entering either one of these tests requires a great deal of preparation and intense training. Any handler/dog team which successfully passes these tests, has a right to be proud of such an achievement. Still, failing a tracking test is always a possibility – the same as if it were a real hunting and tracking situation. Our recently revised and adopted VSwPO/VfsPO Regulations are intended to bring test regulations and their requirements closer yet to actual hunting conditions.
We have to accept and painfully endure the new hunting legislation in NRW (State in north central Germany); it will make the future training and testing of our hunting dogs more difficult. As we have already reported, the “Duck Study” has been completed and was made available to us. We are in the process of verifying – factually and legally - the study’s findings. We do not have a result ready to be published which leaves us in a position where we still have to determine how to proceed with the live duck given the new legal restrictions.
With a view into the early part of next year, let me say a few words about the upcoming elections within JGHV. Please, do think about the elections and candidates, and make use of your democratic right to vote. Only by engaging in the elections will you actively contribute to the future formation of this Association. Our Association needs team players and active supporters of our versatile hunting dog movement. We have been fortunate through history with elected members who were willing to fight for the common cause, and our privilege of hunting. This is especially true for the election of our Executive Committee members although still 2 years away in 2018.
Wishing you continued health, successful hunting and happy holidays. Let us work together on the tasks ahead.
Waidmannsheil
Yours truly,
Werner Horstkötter