It’s a common argument in the hunting dog world and and a common misconception that these two are mutually exclusive. We all got into this game trying to find the perfect hunting and family dog to fit into our lives. For me, putting Cody through the testing system makes me train harder, and train him and myself to meet a standard. We can all tell ourselves, “I’m going to train that anyway, I don’t need to test.” Following through with that is a totally different story. Testing forces me to train in facets I never would have before and dive into training and hunting in ways I never expected!

Testing does not take away from hunting. Not only does it help the dogs, but builds connections that can’t be found elsewhere! The friends I’ve made through testing with the DKGNA are lifelong friends, hunting partners and even family. 

Everyone has their own way to bird dog, maybe someone else’s way might just work for you if you give it a chance.