AKC HUNT TESTS

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AKC Retriever Hunting Tests are designed to give the dog owner a good, basic hunting dog and provide a place to run and compete. The dog is not competing against other dogs, but against a standard. This standard was established by AKC as a means of judging good hunting retrievers and is modified periodically as and when needed.

Dogs are evaluates by judges at three different levels:

• Junior: Test consists of two single marked retrieves on land and two single marked retrieves on water.  
• Senior: Test consists of a minimum of four situations including one double land mark, one double water mark, a land blind, and a water blind. One of these situations will include a walk-up. Diversion shots and honoring are required. The test may include trailing, quartering, and flushing. Blinds should not be run between marks.
• Master: Test consists of a minimum of three series including multiple marks on land and water. At least one of the situations will include a diversion bird and one of the situations will include a walk-up. Water and land blinds will be encountered with at least one double blind. Diversion shots and honoring is required. The test may include quartering, flushing and trailing.

All dogs six months of age or older from the following breeds are eligible to participate in Retriever Hunting Tests: 

AKC Recognized and FSS Breeds

   Airedale Terriers

American Water Spaniels

Barbet

Boykin Spaniels

Chesapeake Retrievers

Curly-Coated Retrievers

Drentsche Patrijshond (Drent)

English Springer Spaniels (11/1/22)

Flat-Coated Retrievers

German Shorthaired Pointer

German Wirehaired Pointer

Golden Retrievers

Irish Water Spaniels

Labrador Retrievers

Miniature Poodles

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers

Small Munsterlander

Spinone Italiano

Standard Poodles

Vizsla

Weimaraner

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

Wirehaired Vizsla (6/1/22)

Rules and eligible breeds are always being updated. Please visit the AKC website for the most up to date information.