VJP - Spring Natural Ability Test

The VJP is a test that evaluates the natural abilities of a young versatile hunting dog.  Most of the pups who run a VJP are between 6 and 18 months of age.  A full VJP (with 5 dogs) will usually last for an entire day.  A VJP consists of three main phases of judging: Search, Pointing, and Tracking.  Your pup will be expected to search a field, find and point at least 1 wild/liberated bird, and track wild cottontail rabbits/jackrabbits in another area. 

The VJP judges evaluate 5 attributes throughout the day.  Those attributes are as follows:

1. Tracking- A dog is required to demonstrate a willingness, desire and ability to concentrate under difficult hunting conditions. The manner of the dog is also noted.

2. Nose - The degree of accurate scent discrimination and how sensitive the nose is, are evaluated. The nose is evaluated during Search, Pointing and Tracking.

3. Search- A dog is evaluated on the desire to find game, style, and stamina coupled with an impressive search pattern.  A dog is also evaluated on how steady it is to gunshot.

4. Pointing- A dog is evaluated on the duration and intensity of the point, and must indicate the location of the game.

5. Cooperation- The ability for the dog to remain attentive and to be a team member is a very highly valued trait. The dog needs to demonstrate the ability to know where the handler is, be able to change direction with the handler and have the ability to note the location of his handler when working out of sight.

A dog can be rated on a 1-11 scale for each of the 5 attribute categories.  Dogs that have an exceptional performance in the natural ability categories (all 5 categories in a VJP) in extreme conditions can also earn a 12.  The tracking and nose scores are multipled by 2 and added to the search, pointing, and cooperation scores for a final score.

For more information about the HZP (fall advanced natural ability test), click HERE.

For more information about the VGP (association utility test), click HERE.