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The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) is one of the oldest, largest, and most successful dog training and testing organizations in North America. [1] Founded in 1969, the organization was started in Goodwood, Ontario, Canada by a group of pudelpointer and griffon enthusiasts. [2] NAVHDA is a nonprofit whose purpose is defined as "to foster, promote, and improve the versatile hunting dog breeds in North America; to conserve game by using well trained reliable hunting dogs before and after the shot; and to aid in the prevention of cruelty to animals by discouraging nonselective and uncontrolled breeding, which produces unwanted and uncared for dogs." [3] The group has 95 local chapters with 83 in the U.S. and 12 in Canada, which offer regular training and testing programs. [1] [4] [5]
The organization describes its work as a 1999 complement to the activities of sporting dog breed clubs and field trial organizations, "created to supplement the activities of those clubs by providing a proven, standard method of evaluating the performance of all versatile hunting dogs, consistent with North American hunting practices, regardless of breed."
In addition to well-known gundogs such as the German Shorthaired Pointer, NAVHDA recognizes over 30 different breeds of dogs which possess the versatility to hunt, point, and retrieve game. [1] [6] Of importance, the organization's emphasis on versatile hunting dogs means it recognizes and tests breeds for their natural and field abilities along with physical attributes. As such, continental hunting breeds like the Český Fousek are tested and registered even though are not recognized by the AKC. NAVHDA asserts that "the versatile breeds, as we know them today, are products of Europe. No distinctive versatile hunting breed has been developed in North America." [6] [7]
The NAVHDA defines versatility as "the dog that is bred and trained to dependably hunt and point game, to retrieve on both land and water, and to track wounded game on both land and water." The organization currently recognizes over 30 different breeds of versatile hunting dogs. [1] [6] [8]
There are several breeds of versatile dogs common in continental Europe, and with four exceptions, all were developed during the last decades of the 19th century. The four exceptions are much older breeds that provided a base for some of the others. These are the Weimaraner, the Vizsla, the Brittany, and its German cousin, the Small Munsterlander. The tracking hound, pointer and waterpudel were the basic breeding stocks most widely used to develop the short and wirehaired groups. The longhaired group evolved from the Small Munsterlander and flat-coated retriever.
The Pudelpointer is a versatile hunting dog breed from Germany. It is a pointing breed that came from a cross between the German hunting poodle (pudel) and the English Pointer.
The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is a breed of dog used in hunting as a gundog. It is sometimes considered to be Dutch in ancestry, due to the nationality of the breed founder, Eduard Karel Korthals. History records the progression of the development of the breed through Biebesheim am Rhein, Germany where the founder established the Ipenwoud kennel and the breed type was established and then into France where it is now recognized. Others consider the Griffon to be a German breed because Korthals' kennel, Ipenwoud, was located in Biebesheim am Rhein, Germany. It was there for over twenty years that Korthals dedicated his life to the development and perfection of the Korthals Griffon.
The Vizsla is a dog breed from Hungary and belongs to the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) group 7, the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) group 1, and the American Kennel Club. The Hungarian or Magyar Vizsla or Smooth-Haired Vizsla are sporting dogs and loyal companions. The Vizsla's medium size is one of the breed's most appealing characteristics. As a hunter of fowl and upland game, the Vizsla has held a prominent position among sporting dogs – that of household companion and family dog.
A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Generally gun dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage; retrievers are distinguished in that nonslip retrieval is their primary function. As a result, retriever breeds are bred for soft mouths and a great willingness to please, learn, and obey. A soft mouth refers to the willingness of the dog to carry game in its mouth without biting into it. "Hard mouth" is a serious fault in a hunting dog and is very difficult to correct. A hard-mouthed dog renders game unpresentable or at worst inedible.
Griffon is a type of dog, a collection of breeds that were originally hunting dogs. There are three lines of the griffon type recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI): the Griffon Vendéens, the wirehaired pointers, and the smousje. The griffon type is characterized by rough- or wire-hair.
The German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP) is a medium to large sized breed of pointing dog developed in the 19th century in Germany for hunting. A versatile hunting breed, being an all-purpose gun dog suitable for both land and water, they are streamlined yet powerful with strong legs. While a hunting breed that retains a strong drive to find and chase game, they are extremely energetic and can excel at a wide variety of dog sports. Their demeanor when well-socialized is friendly toward both people and fellow canines, with some tendency to be "velcro dogs".
The German Wirehaired Pointer is a medium to large-sized griffon type breed of dog developed in the 19th century in Germany for versatile hunting. It became a leading gun dog in Germany in the later part of the 20th century. It is the result of the careful mixing and crossing of the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, German Shorthaired Pointer, German Roughhaired Pointer, and the hunting Pudelpointer in the late 19th century.
Gun dogs, or bird dogs, are types of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, usually quail, dove, or duck. Gun dogs are divided into three primary types: retrievers, flushing dogs, and pointing breeds.
Pointing dogs, sometimes called bird dogs, are a type of gundog typically used in finding game. Gundogs are traditionally divided into three classes: retrievers, flushing dogs, and pointing breeds. The name pointer comes from the dog's instinct to point, by stopping and aiming its muzzle towards game. This demonstrates to the hunter the location of their quarry and allows them to move into gun range. Pointers were selectively bred from dogs who had abundant pointing and backing instinct. They typically start to acquire their hunting instincts at about 2 months of age.
The Drentsche Patrijshond is a versatile spaniel-type hunting dog from the Dutch province of Drenthe. Called the Dutch Partridge Dog in English, approximately 5,000 dogs are registered with the breed club in the Netherlands, and breed clubs operate in Belgium, Denmark, Scandinavia and North America. The Drentsche Patrijshond bears some resemblance to both spaniel and setter types of dog. An excellent pointer and retriever, this dog is often used to hunt fowl and adapts equally well to the field or marshes.
The Small Münsterländer is a versatile hunting-pointing-retrieving dog breed that reached its current form in the area around Münster, Germany. The Large Münsterländer is from the same area, but was developed from different breeding stock and is not related as the names would suggest. Small Münsterländers bear a resemblance to both spaniels and setters but are more versatile while hunting on land and water. The Small Münsterländer is recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale under Group 7, Section 1.2, Continental Pointing Dogs of Spaniel type, by the American Kennel Club as a Foundation Stock Service breed, and by The Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club as a gun dog. It is related to the Epagneul Français and the Drentsche Patrijshond.
The Large Münsterländer is a breed of gun dog originally from the Münster region in Germany.
The Pont-Audemer Spaniel or Epagneul Pont-Audemer is a rare breed of French gundog. It originated in the nineteenth century from different breeds of water spaniels, and took more of a setter role in hunting than that of a traditional spaniel. Following the Second World War, the breed's numbers dropped so low that the breed club decided to allow cross breeding with other breeds because of fears of the existing stock becoming overly inbred. In 1980, the breed club was merged with that of the Picardy Spaniel.
The German Longhaired Pointer (GLP) is a breed of dog. Developed in Germany, it is used as a multipurpose gundog. It is closely related to its cousins, the German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP), the German Wirehaired Pointer (GWP) and the Large Münsterländer, which was previously part of the breed.
The Český Fousek is a Czech breed of versatile hunting dog that was traditionally and currently used to hunt, point, and retrieve. This refers to the dog's natural ability in tracking, pointing, and retrieving game. The name is in Czech, in which český means Czech and fousek is derived from vousy or vousky (whiskers). While the name is used for both sexes, Český Fousek specifically refers to a male dog while the female is traditionally called Česka Fouska. The breed is part of the griffon hunting dog family and have the beard and moustache common to wirehairs. There is a large difference in size between the females and males of this breed, with the weight difference being up to 11 kilograms (24 lb).
The French Spaniel is a breed of dog of the Spaniel-like setter. It was developed in France and Canada as a hunting dog, descended from dogs of the 14th century. Popular with royalty during the Middle Ages, it nearly became extinct by the turn of the 20th century but was saved by the efforts of Father Fournier, a French priest. One of the largest breeds of Spaniel, it typically has a white coat with brown markings. It is a friendly breed that has few health issues, but can be affected by a syndrome called acral mutilation and analgesia. The breed is recognised by Canadian and international kennel clubs but not by The Kennel Club (UK). The American Kennel Club has included the breed in its Foundation Stock Service, the first step to full recognition.
The Picardy Spaniel is a breed of dog developed in France for use as a gundog. It is related to the Blue Picardy Spaniel, and still has many similarities, but the Picardy Spaniel is the older of the two breeds. It is thought to be one of the two oldest continental spaniel breeds and was favoured by the French nobility, remaining popular for hunting after the French Revolution due to its weather resistant coat that enabled it to hunt in a variety of conditions and terrain. However its popularity waned following the influx of English hunting breeds in the early 20th century. Slightly smaller than an English Setter but larger than most of its spaniel cousins, it has no major health issues although as with many breeds with pendulous ears, it can be prone to ear infections.
The Slovak Rough-haired Pointer is a gundog breed developed after World War II in Slovakia. It is known by many confusingly similar names in English, including the Slovak Wirehaired Pointer, the Slovak Pointing Griffon, the Slovak Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, and the Slovak Wirehaired Pointing Dog. Its closest relative is the Bulgarian Hound.
The Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla is the English name of the Drótszőrű Magyar Vizsla, a dog breed originating in Hungary, with the name translating directly as Hungarian wirehaired pointer. The English plural is vizslas or sometimes vizslak, based on the Hungarian plural vizslák [ˈviʒlaːk]).