Below is a series of articles written for the beginning field trainer by Kathy Judd of Briaryfield Labradors. Kathy and Richard Trujillo were the driving forces behind the initiation of the Hunt Test program for the Labrador Retriever Club of Southern California in the late 1980s.
These articles were written as a result of the training days that were held prior to the "Dual Challenge", which was the invention of Kathy and myself, and was a retrieving and conformation competition with a complicated scoring system. The underlying objective was to minimized handler influence and reward native ability in the field and functional structure and characteristics fundamental to retrieving in conformation, so that handlers were not allowed to help their dogs in the field or position them in the conformation ring.
The tone of these articles is encouragement and development of natural instinct rather than molding the dog to the trainer's commands. This form of training is useful to the breeder who wishes to evaluate a dog's natural abilities, and to the owner who wants to enjoy retrieving with the family companion. Serious competitors may find the process too time consuming.
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| Dual Challenge 1991 - Colemans, Kathy and test dog, Governor |
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| Dual Challenge 1991 - first land retrieve |
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| Dual Challenge 1991 - final waterlandwater retrieve |
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1991 Dual Challenge
Left to right, rear:
Nancy Martin, Ayr Labradors; Conformation judge
Charles and Maureen Coleman; Field judges
Winner, front; Hawkett's Major Impression
bred by Marty Rice
and Owner/handler Diane Matsuura
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