First off, let me say that I am no expert when it comes to the testing of the DD, nor do I claim to know everything about the testing program. In these pages I hope to be able explain to you the German testing system in a very simple fashion. If you need more information about the testing system and process, please contact me and I will be happy to tell you more. I am not a professional trainer, should you want your dog trained by someone else, I can recommend several excellent and capable trainers in the area.
Secondly, I hope to express to you that the Drahthaar is not for the casual hunter who goes out to the club once or twice a year, and never spends any time working/training the dog. They are not dogs that will tolerate being left in the kennel 363 days a year. They are hunting machines, and as such, need to be treated like a fine tuned athlete! Give them your time, and they will reward you like no other breed of dog can.
You may be asking yourself, do I even need to take a dog through any of these tests? The answer is no. You will not be faulted in any way by not taking the dog through any of the DD testing. Some of the testing is however required should you wish to breed your dog. I do however recommend you take your dog through at least the first natural abilities test (VJP) which takes place in the spring of the puppies first year (7-18 months of age) to see what the capabilities of your dog are. If you feel you want to continue on, the next test is in the fall of the same year (HZP) and is still a natural abilities test, however there is much more training involved in preparing for this test. If you train to this level, I can tell you that you will have a better hunting dog than a majority of dogs out there. Should you want to take your dog to the "finished" level (VGP), you should know that this final test is extremely intense, for both handler and dog. This testing level takes an extreme amount of training, and if passed, will give you an elite hunting companion capable of any task at hand.
I've had people ask me what the difference is in the DD testing system versus the NAVHDA testing system. In short, the DD tests to the finished level on both feathered game as well as furred game. The NAVHDA testing system only tests on feathered game. The NAVHDA system is a very capable testing system, and if you want to train your DD with this system you can. You cannot however substitute any testing done by NAVHDA for those tests required by the VDD-GNA to have your dog certified breedable.
The VJP
Secondly, I hope to express to you that the Drahthaar is not for the casual hunter who goes out to the club once or twice a year, and never spends any time working/training the dog. They are not dogs that will tolerate being left in the kennel 363 days a year. They are hunting machines, and as such, need to be treated like a fine tuned athlete! Give them your time, and they will reward you like no other breed of dog can.
You may be asking yourself, do I even need to take a dog through any of these tests? The answer is no. You will not be faulted in any way by not taking the dog through any of the DD testing. Some of the testing is however required should you wish to breed your dog. I do however recommend you take your dog through at least the first natural abilities test (VJP) which takes place in the spring of the puppies first year (7-18 months of age) to see what the capabilities of your dog are. If you feel you want to continue on, the next test is in the fall of the same year (HZP) and is still a natural abilities test, however there is much more training involved in preparing for this test. If you train to this level, I can tell you that you will have a better hunting dog than a majority of dogs out there. Should you want to take your dog to the "finished" level (VGP), you should know that this final test is extremely intense, for both handler and dog. This testing level takes an extreme amount of training, and if passed, will give you an elite hunting companion capable of any task at hand.
I've had people ask me what the difference is in the DD testing system versus the NAVHDA testing system. In short, the DD tests to the finished level on both feathered game as well as furred game. The NAVHDA testing system only tests on feathered game. The NAVHDA system is a very capable testing system, and if you want to train your DD with this system you can. You cannot however substitute any testing done by NAVHDA for those tests required by the VDD-GNA to have your dog certified breedable.
The VJP