Versatile Hunting Dogs are a specialty at Dog Years. We have the experience to train your versatile dog for a variety of tasks and for several different testing and hunting activities. Whether you are interested in testing under the JGHV umbrella (DKV/NADKC, VDD-GNA, etc) or in the NAVHDA system, Dog Years offers training for any or all of it.

The skills required of a versatile dog are varied, and include: Search, Pointing, Steadiness, Duck Search, retrieves of game birds, ducks, rabbits, and foxes, blood tracking, obedience, and cooperation. Therefore, the training for Versatile Hunting Dogs combines our Obedience, Pointing Dog, and Retriever training progams, and also includes tracking training.

Our training programs are structured to help your dog succeed in any of the tests you might enter. For example, the training program for a NADKC Derby dog is different from that of a NAVHDA Natural Ability dog. A basic breakdown of the training program is:

Tier I
Derby (DKV)
VJP (JGHV)
Natural Ability Test (NAVHDA)

Tier II
Solms (DKV)
HZP (JGHV)
Utility Prep (NAVHDA)

Tier III
VGP (JGHV)
Utility (NAVHDA)

There are a myriad of tasks required of a versatile hunting dog. Depending on your needs and goals, you can pick and choose among training subjects you might need help with, or we can train your dog for every element of any test. Most of our clients request training geared toward each specific test they plan to enter.

As with all of our training programs, each dog in training is treated as an individual, and trained in a manner to bring out the best in them.