The Poodle Papers /Spring Edition

Westminster 2007 Photos Courtesy of

Leslie Newing

Page 8

Garden Variety Poodles

The Poodle Papers /Spring Edition

Westminster 2007 Photos Courtesy of

Leslie Newing

Page 9

The Poodle Papers /Spring Edition

A Cheat Sheet For Spectators

by Mia DiBenedetto

If you are planning to be a part of the gallery at thisyear’s Specialty –here are a few tips to help make your visit more enjoyable.Each year more Poodle lovers join the gallery to watchthe

AKC Hunt Tests

and

WC/WCX

events at the Na-tional Specialty. Please plan on joining us to watchthis exciting venue — you’ll be amazed at what theseextraordinary Poodles can do!

What You’ll See:

At the

Anniversary Specialty

show there are twoseparate retrieving events.On

Saturday, June 9

there will be an AKC Junior,Senior and Master Hunt Tests. And on

Sunday, June10

, the

Poodle Club of America

will sponsor the

Working Certificate

and

Working Certificate Excel-lent

tests.The distances to the marks in the Hunt Tests are con-siderably longer, and the degree of difficulty is greater than the WC/WCX events. Only Standards can com- pete in the AKC Hunt Tests, but the WC/WCX eventsare open to all varieties.Judges tend to keep spectators at a greater distance inthe Hunt Tests, than they do for the WC/WCX events,therefore and if you are really looking for a good view,this event is a better bet for spectators.For those who are true newbies, the Hunt Tests andWC/WCX events test the dog and handler in a simu-lated hunting situation. As you know from our Poodlehistory, the Standard was originally considered a re-trieving breed. He was used to retrieve game on landand water.Judges will be looking to see how well the dog worksin a hunting environment. The Poodle must follow or “mark” and retrieve the bird as efficiently as possible.The dog must be steady at the handler’s side and not begin his retrieve until the judge, then the handler, re-leases him.There are three levels of competition in AKC HuntTests. The Junior, Senior and Master stakes. Think of itthis way, Junior is elementary school, Senior is HighSchool and Master is College! If you attend the venueon Saturday, June 9th, you could see all three levels of Hunt Tests in one day.In all levels, the dogs will begin in a holding blind — acamouflaged enclosure that prevents the dog from see-ing the test set up until he comes to the line. As soon asthe dog leaves the blind, he is under judgment. In theJunior level, the poodle can come to the line on a lead.In all other levels, they must come from the blind off-lead healing at the handler’s side.At all Hunt Test levels, the dog must deliver the bird tohand. This means the dog must not drop the bird on theground or pull the bird away from the handler whenthe handler ‘takes’ the bird from the dog’s mouth andhands it to a judge.In the WC event, the dog can deliver the bird withinreach, but the WCX event requires a delivery to hand.In the Junior level the dog will retrieve two single markson land and water. That means the dog sees one bird(probably a duck), fly, and fall, then will be sent for theretrieve.On the Senior level, the dogs will retrieve double marks

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