A Comparative Look at AKC Hunt Tests and NAVHDA Hunt Tests: Which is Right for You?

Sierra and her first AKC Junior Hunter Jager

Hunting with dogs is not only a thrilling sport but also a deep-rooted tradition for many enthusiasts. For those looking to put their four-legged companions to the test, AKC (American Kennel Club) Hunt Tests and NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association) Hunt Tests are two of the prominent avenues to showcase your dog's hunting skills. Let's delve into a comparative analysis of these two evaluation systems to help you decide which one best suits your needs.

Understanding AKC Hunt Tests

The AKC Hunt Tests are a popular choice among many hunting dog owners due to their long-standing reputation and widespread recognition. These tests are organized to evaluate a dog's capabilities in specific hunting scenarios, such as pointing, honoring, and retrieving. The AKC tests are typically structured to simulate real-life hunting situations, allowing dogs to showcase their instincts in the field. AKC offers three main levels. Junior, Senior & Master.

Exploring NAVHDA Hunt Tests

On the other hand, NAVHDA Hunt Tests focus on versatile hunting dogs, assessing a broader range of skills beyond just pointing and retrieving. NAVHDA prides itself on evaluating a dog's versatility in tracking, pointing, retrieving, and even cooperative abilities in the field. This test format is ideal for those looking to put their dog's all-around hunting

skill to the test. Navhda offers Natural Ability, Utility, and the invitational.

Key Differences Between AKC and NAVHDA Hunt Tests

• AKC: Primarily focuses on individual skills like pointing and retrieving. This is focused on upland hunting.

• NAVHDA: Evaluates a broader spectrum of hunting abilities, emphasizing versatility in the field, water, and tracking.

Test Qualifications:

AKC: Dogs must be at least 6 months old to start participating in AKC hunt tests. There is no maximum age limit. Dogs of any age can compete in AKC tests at any level, provided they are at least 6 months old.

NAVHDA Dogs can be evaluated starting at 8 weeks old, but it is typically advised against testing them without any training or exposure to birds. Dogs do, however, age out of the natural ability test once they reach 16 months. They can participate in higher-level testing after this age, but a dog older than 16 months will not receive a prize for natural ability.

Brace mates: In AKC testing, at every level, you will be paired with a brace-mate, which includes another handler and their dog. The pairing is determined by a random draw. In senior and master levels, your dog is required to honor its bracemate and refrain from interfering when the bracemate is working a bird. So you will need to prepare your dog for this in advance. Especially in the upper-level testing, where your dog must back or honor the other dog.

In NAVHDA, dogs are run individually in all levels except during the Invitational test, where bracemates are used.

Bitches in heat: Most AKC tests prohibit bitches in heat from participating, whereas NAVHDA permits these dogs to run at the end of the day.

Membership: AKC does not require a membership; to test, your dog must be AKC registered to participate. NAVHDA does require a membership, which is $30.00 – $65.00 on top of the test fee and registration cost.

Availability: There are considerably more American Kennel Club (AKC) hunt tests conducted each year than North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) tests. AKC events occur most frequently and have the widest geographic distribution across the U.S. Due to the age limit in the Natural Ability test, you will face a stricter time constraint to have the dog participate in a NAVHDA test compared to an AKC test. So it is important to plan ahead to locate a Natural Ability test.

Training: Local NAVHDA chapters usually organize monthly or regularly planned training days, creating a "training collective" environment that provides birds, equipment, and land for training. Although some AKC clubs offer this service, it is more common for you to handle training on your own or seek assistance independently.

For advanced testing in AKC, you must collaborate with another dog and handler to prepare for the backing or honoring tasks required at the Senior and Master levels. If you don't own more than one dog or have assistance managing multiple dogs, preparing for this can be challenging unless you consult a trainer, locate other handlers who need to get ready, or buy extra equipment, like a plywood backing dog.

Levels:

AKC provides three primary levels: Junior, Senior, and Master. They also offer Advanced Titles, which indicate consistent performance at a particular level instead of progressing to a higher test. These titles are represented by suffixes such as JHA, SHA, or MHA after passing additional tests for the same level.

NAVHDA provides four primary levels: Natural Ability, Gun Dog, Utility, and Invitational.

Number of tests to qualify:

AKC:

Junior dogs to pass 4 qualifying runs to earn the JH title

Senior dogs are to pass 5 qualifying runs to earn the SH title, or, unless the dog has a Junior Hunter title, that dog will be recorded as a Senior Hunter after receiving 4 qualifying runs.

Master dogs to pass 6 qualifying runs to earn the MH title. Unless the dog has achieved the Senior Hunter Title, that dog will be recorded as a Master Hunter after receiving 5 qualifying runs.

NAVHDA:

Requires dogs to pass only one level to receive their title for that level.

Scoring System :

• AKC: Scores are based on specific tasks a dog must complete, with a minimum of not less than 5 on each of the categories of abilities (4 categories in Junior; 6 categories in Senior and Master), with an overall average score of not less than 7.0. Dogs are judged against a standard, not each other.

• Junior Hunter (JH) (4 categories)

• Categories: Hunting, Bird-finding ability, Pointing, Trainability.

• Requirements: Focuses on natural ability. Dogs must display a desire to hunt, find game, and point with reasonable obedience. Steadiness to wing and shot is not required.

Senior Hunter (SH) (6 categories)

• Categories: Hunting, Bird-finding, Pointing, Trainability, Retrieving, Honoring.

• Requirements: Must be steady to wing (stop when bird flies) on their own bird, but not necessarily to shoot. Must honor (stop) when bracemate points. Must retrieve to withina reasonable distance of the handler.

Master Hunter (MH) (6 categories)

• Categories: Same as Senior (Hunting, Bird-finding, Pointing, Trainability, Retrieving, Honoring).

• Requirements: Highest level of polish. Must be steady to wing and shot (must not move until released). Must honor instantly. Requires high-level control,, with minimal verbal commands or "hacking" from the handler.

NAVHDA:

Scores are awarded based on a holistic evaluation of the dog's hunting abilities.

• NA: This test evaluates a dog's hereditary characteristics, such as their use of their nose, search, pointing, desire to work, cooperation, and gun shyness. The test has three phases: field, tracking, and water. Dogs are evaluated against established standards, not each other. Dogs are assessed on their versatility as hunting dogs in the field, water, and tracking. Dogs can exceed the test's age limit after 16 months no longer qualifying them for a prize.

• Max Score: 112 points.

• Components & Evaluation:

  • Use of Nose: Ability to find game.

  • Search: Systematically covering ground.

  • Tracking: Following scent of a bird.

  • Pointing: Natural pointing ability.

  • Water: Willingness to enter water/retrieve.

  • Desire: Enthusiasm.

  • Cooperation: Working with the handler.

  • Note: Gun shyness is tested here.

• Prize Requirements (Min Scores):

  • Prize I: 108–112 points (No scores below 3, 3, 2).

  • Prize II: 100–107 points (No scores below 3, 3, 2).

  • Prize III: 90–99 points (No scores below 3, 3, 2).

2. Gun Dog Test (GDT) - New in 2025

• Purpose: Evaluates the dog as a successful, obedient hunting companion.

• Components & Evaluation:

  • Field: Search, pointing, steadiness to flush/shot, retrieve of shot/dragged game.

  • Water: Walking at heel, steadiness by blind, retrieve of duck.

  • Physical: Evaluation of teeth, eyes, coat.

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• Field (Min. 25 minutes): Evaluates searching, pointing, steadiness to flush/shot, and retrieves of shot/dragged game.

• Water: Evaluates walking at heel (on/off lead), steadiness by a blind, and retrieve of a duck.

• Physical: Evaluates teeth, eyes, and coat.

• 0–4 Scale: Each subject is scored from 0 (Failure) to 4 (Excellent).

• Multipliers: Subject scores are multiplied by a,fixed index number to calculate the total points for that section.

• Prize Classification: Dogs are awarded Prizes (I, II, or III) based on achieving minimum scores in all categories rather than competing against other dogs.

• UT: A team of three judges scores each subject on a scale of 0 to 4, with 4 being the best. The maximum score is 204 points, and subjects are assigned multipliers based on the importance of the task. Dogs that meet or exceed the minimum score for each category are awarded a prize

Utility Test (UT)

• Purpose: Evaluates advanced, experienced hunting dogs on their versatility, obedience, and manners.

• Max Score: 204 points.

• Components & Evaluation (0-4 scale):

  • Water: Searching for a duck, walking at heel, remaining/steadiness by blind, retrieving a duck.

  • Field: Searching, pointing, steadiness on game, retrieving shot/dragged game.

  • General: Use of nose, desire, cooperation, stamina, obedience.

• Prize Requirements: Based on minimum scores in each category to achieve Prize I, II, or III.

• Invitational Test

  The Invitational is NAVHDA's leading hunt test, held each year in September. The Invitational serves as the ultimate challenge for both dog and trainer. This test evaluates a dog's cooperation, obedience, and desire. Dogs that succeed earn the title of "Versatile Champion." The Invitational serves as the supreme challenge for both dogs and their trainers. In this event, dogs must: 1) participate in a one-hour field brace alongside another dog, point and retrieve upland birds, and respect their bracemate’s point and retrieve, 2) perform a blind retrieve over water spanning roughly 100 yards, 3) honor the waterfowl retrieve of another dog, and 4) complete a double marked retrieve.

  • Eligibility: All dogs that achieve a Prize I Utility score between January 1 and December 31 in the year before the event are invited. This isn't a test you can just enter; you must qualify.

Unlike other tests, it is generally pass/fail with no numerical prize classification; successful dogs earn the "VC" prefix.

• Training Emphasis:

• AKC: Training often hones in on specific skills required for upland hunting.

• NAVHDA: Training focuses on developing a well-rounded hunting dog capable of excelling in various hunting scenarios.

Which Hunt Test Is Right for You?

Choosing between AKC and NAVHDA hunt tests ultimately depends on your goals and your dog’s strengths.

• If you have a breed that excels in traditional hunting roles like pointing and retrieving, AKC tests may be the ideal platform to showcase these skills.

  
  

• Conversely, if you own a versatile hunting dog breed and want to test their abilities across a wide range of hunting tasks, NAVHDA tests can provide a more comprehensive evaluation.

Both AKC and NAVHDA Hunt Tests offer unique opportunities to bond with your dog, challenge their hunting instincts, and participate in a community of like-minded individuals passionate about hunting and dog training.

In conclusion, each of these hunt tests has its own merits and caters to different aspects of hunting dog performance. Whether you opt for AKC or NAVHDA, the journey of training and testing your hunting companion is sure to be filled with excitement, camaraderie, and the joy of witnessing your dog's natural talents shine in the field.

So, which hunt test will you choose ?? The answer lies in understanding your dog’s abilities, setting your goals, and embarking on an enriching hunting journey together!

You can do both!

Keep in mind that the excitement of the title is not only in the pursuit but also in the connection formed between a handler and their faithful dog.

Let the hunting adventures begin!

Now that we've explored the nuances of AKC and NAVHDA Hunt Tests, it's time to make an informed decision that aligns with your hunting ambitions and your dog's remarkable skills. Happy hunting!