October 2022
To: All Clubs Licensed to Host Retriever Hunting Tests
Subject: Consistent Clarifications for Amateur and Blind Retrieves
This is to inform your club of an upcoming change to the Regulations & Guidelines for AKC Hunting Tests for Retrievers. There are two changes that provide clarification on two items.
The first item is to adjust the length of time an amateur handler must not receive compensation prior to handling as an amateur in a hunt test. Currently, in retriever field trials the length of time is one year per the rules and in hunt tests is two years. This change will adjust the hunt test regulations to match the field trial rules so that amateur handlers in hunt tests must not have received compensation for one year prior to the trial they are entered as an amateur handler.
The second item is to clarify what is considered to be a serious fault when judging a dog’s performance on a blind retrieve. A blind retrieve is when a dog must retrieve the bird without being allowed to see the fall. A blind retrieve requires the handler to send the dog out with a gentle guide to the line of the fall at the time of being sent. The change would provide consistency across both hunt tests and field trials so it is clear to judges and handlers, that once the dog is sent on a blind retrieve, he shall at once proceed in the general direction of the line given by the handler. If the dog fails to do so, he will fail the test unless there are some extenuating circumstances. This change becomes effective November 1, 2022. The exact wording of this change is underlined and will appear in the next printing of the regulations as follows:
Chapter 1. General Regulations. Section 5. Definition of an Amateur:
A person shall be considered an Amateur who during the period of one year preceding the test in question has not received compensation in any form for the training of a dog for hunting, hunting tests or field trials and/or the handling of a dog in the same, and/or the regular systematic personal instructions of other individuals regarding the above pursuits.
Classification of Faults
I. Serious Dog Faults
- Failure to go on a blind – A dog sent on a blind retrieve shall at once proceed in the general direction of the line given by the handler. A dog that fails to do so shall, in the absence of unusual extenuating circumstances, be eliminated from the test.
This regulation update has been posted to the Retriever Hunting Tests News And Updates webpage. Please send any comments or questions to: huntingtest@akc.org If you send a request to update your email address, please provide your name, city and state.
October 2022
To: All Clubs Licensed to Host Retriever Hunting Tests
Subject: Consistent Clarifications for Amateur and Blind Retrieves
This is to inform your club of an upcoming change to the Regulations & Guidelines for AKC Hunting Tests
for Retrievers. There are two changes that provide clarification on two items.
The first item is to adjust the length of time an amateur handler must not receive compensation prior to
handling as an amateur in a hunt test. Currently, in retriever field trials the length of time is one year per the
rules and in hunt tests is two years. This change will adjust the hunt test regulations to match the field trial
rules so that amateur handlers in hunt tests must not have received compensation for one year prior to the
trial they are entered as an amateur handler.
The second item is to clarify what is considered to be a serious fault when judging a dog’s performance on a
blind retrieve. A blind retrieve is when a dog must retrieve the bird without being allowed to see the fall. A
blind retrieve requires the handler to send the dog out with a gentle guide to the line of the fall at the time of
being sent. The change would provide consistency across both hunt tests and field trials so it is clear to
judges and handlers, that once the dog is sent on a blind retrieve, he shall at once proceed in the general
direction of the line given by the handler. If the dog fails to do so, he will fail the test unless there are some
extenuating circumstances.
This change becomes effective November 1, 2022. The exact wording of this change is underlined and will
appear in the next printing of the regulations as follows:
Chapter 1. General Regulations. Section 5. Definition of an Amateur:
A person shall be considered an Amateur who during the period of one year preceding the test in question
has not received compensation in any form for the training of a dog for hunting, hunting tests or field trials
and/or the handling of a dog in the same, and/or the regular systematic personal instructions of other
individuals regarding the above pursuits.
Classification of Faults
I. Serious Dog Faults
- Failure to go on a blind – A dog sent on a blind retrieve shall at once proceed in the general
direction of the line given by the handler. A dog that fails to do so shall, in the absence of unusual
extenuating circumstances, be eliminated from the test.
This regulation update has been posted to the Retriever Hunting Tests News And Updates webpage. Please
send any comments or questions to: huntingtest@akc.org If you send a request to update your email
address, please provide your name, city and state.
