SO YOU WANT TO RUN MASTER?

So you want to run Master tests?  Whether you and your dog are moving up through the program and Master seems like the next logical step or you're jumping into hunting tests cold, you could be in for a big surprise. While there is often no consistency in the level of difficulty or the standard of judging expectations, there is a standard set of requirements that should give us an idea of what must occur at a Master test (see sidebar). At first glance it may look like no more than one more marking series, one more blind and one more bird, but there is much more to Master than the requirements imply.

 If you have run Senior tests you are familiar with the marking requirements of a land double and water double. In Master there are three required sets of marking tests: land, water, and a water-land combination test. What is the significance of a water-land test as compared to a basic land test or a set of water marks?  If we look at the overall perspective of dog work, we often see that many dogs are quite good on tests that consist of land marks. The percentage of good work drops considerably when we move to water tests. The water-land combination gives us aspects of both types of tests. Depending on the ground, land and water available there may be very little difference between the water-land combination and the water test. In the truest sense of testing philosophy, the two very different locations of birds play equal roles and present dogs with options. Would you rather take land to get the bird or go through water? Where would you rather look for that bird, land or water? The water-land combination can present some very interesting testing situations given the fact that the average dog would rather hunt on land than water. It usually proves to be an excellent way to evaluate training and perseverance.

The marking tests are all described as being "multiple marks" with at least one set consisting of at least three birds (a triple). This gives Master judges all kinds of possibilities when they design their tests. The limiting factor is often only a matter of time and worker help. You may see the minimum marking requirements of two doubles and one triple or you could see a test that is all triples or even a quad (four birds down). For example, you could see a mark and then be told to leave it, run a blind, see another mark, run another blind and then given the go-ahead to pick up the marks. Is this scenario a legitimate double? Technically yes, because the dog has been presented with two marks before being sent for the last mark down. Some judges like to throw a straight triple, tell you to leave those and pick up a blind and then come back and retrieve the marks. This is an extreme example of testing a dog's trainability and marking and, while such tests often border on the ridiculous, they do occur. Most of the time you will see standard doubles and triples that test a variety of hunting concepts. These by themselves can be enough of a challenge to you and your dog.

Blinds are the next order of business. In Senior you may have seen blinds that are every bit as difficult as anything seen in Master. It is also quite likely that you will have run the land blind and water blind required in Senior as a double blind. In Master you will have a minimum of one more blind. The requirements call for two blinds run in the same series (double blind) and another blind. Because of time constraints you will almost always run marking series with blinds. Blinds can be located anywhere in Master. They can be found between marks, on the way to marks, under the arcs of falls and just behind gun stations. You may be asked to run a blind before your dog even sees a bird thrown. The placement of blinds in relationship to marks is not only more difficult, there will be more distractions and diversions. It is very common to see "poison" or "leave-it" birds where your dog sees a bird fall, is ordered to leave it and sent on a blind. In the world of field trials this is termed a "poison" bird, and the dog never picks up that thrown bird. In hunting tests all birds seen must be retrieved so a "leave-it" bird is probably the more correct terminology. You could also see a diversion bird thrown on the way out or on the way back from a blind. It is illegal to throw a diversion bird on the way out to a mark, but it is allowable on a blind.
Just as the blinds themselves are more difficult, the judging of blinds is more stringent.  Sloppy work that can pass as a Senior blind will not make the grade in Master. A dog will be expected to stay within the parameters of the line to the blind. A few random refusals may be overlooked, but repeated refusals and poor lines will probably fail.

The complete article can be found in the July-August 2003 issue.