2010 DWNA-VDW Meet and Greet

October 2, 2010 By Dave 1 Comment

The DWNA-VDW conducted a Meet & Greet  September 17 th, 18 th, and 19 th in Pelican Lake, WI.  It was the first Meet & Greet since being recognized as an independent member club of the German Verein for Deutsche Wachtelhunde (VDW) Club.   The goal of the Meet & Greet was to bring DWNA-VDW members together and conduct un-official VDW hunt tests.  It was the first time such hunt tests have been conduct in North America. These were not complete hunt tests as too many Wachtelhunds were present.  We tested retrieving and blood track objectives of specific hunt tests.   These tests are very different from other hunt tests in North America.

The Meet & Greet a success and was a great time for all attending.   We all enjoyed meeting each other.  For some, it was the first time we had met in person.   Above all, it was an invaluable learning experience!

We had a schedule for the event, each day breakfast,  lunch and dinner were provided.  Friday: introductions during breakfast, a Club meeting, lunch, then the feather drag, evening was get together time.

Saturday: breakfast, fur drags, lunch, more fur drags, dinner, evening get together were Trista combined everyone’s pictures and showed them on our large screen television.

Sunday: breakfast, blood tracking, lunch, more blood tracking and goodbye’s!

Attending were:

  • Dave and Loni Pepe, our hosts with Bell Vom Flint Hills, Kelly Vom Eagle River and Frost (AKA Falk) Vom Dolmar.
  • Kraig and Trista Glazier with Duke Von Der Balthasarley; Helena, MT.
  • Jim and Colleen Cowgill with Jade Vom Eagle River and Brie (AKA Gretta) Vom Blue Moon; Nine Mile Falls, WA.
  • Chris and Becky VanDamme with Quito (AKA Diesel) Vom Morretal; Union Grove, WI.
  • Dave Dyer with Findus Vom Wolfsberg, Dahlia Vom Auberg, and Duke Vom Copper Hill; Galesburg, MI.
  • Bret Hestetune with Jezebell Vom Eagle River; Virginia, MN.

We had several guests:  Dave Black arrived Friday morning to purchase Brie (AKA Gretta) Vom Blue Moon from Jim Cowgill.   John Fetzer, VDD-GNA and JGHV Judge, arrived to attend our meeting.   He offered comments, advice and encouragement in starting  DWNA-VDW club.   We had another guest arrive Sunday from GreenBay, WI just to see our Wachtelhunds and watch them work.   He had never seen a Deutscher Wachtelhund, he ended up  having lunch and spending day with us watching the dogs perform blood tracking.

The DWNA-VDW has been breeding to VDW standards, but now that the DWNA-VDW is officially recognized and a VDW member club, we must begin focusing on meeting VDW  hunt test standards.  In Germany, only dogs that have passed a specific hunt tests may be bred.   The Meet and Greet  was an opportunity for club members to get some experience at these tests.

Participants in the Meet and Greet were able to participate in the following hunt tests:

  • 150 meter (164 yards) pheasant drags and retrieves, with two 90 degree turns
  • 300 meter (324 yards) rabbit drag and retrieves, with two 90 degree turns
  • 400 yard blood tracks in wooded areas, with two 90 degree turns

The feather, hare drag and blood tracking tests are part of the Versatile Ability Tests (EP/EPB).  The Versatile Ability tests are conducted in the fall.   The EPB is without hare track.   The EP is with hare track.  These hunt tests normally include other tests: flushing in wooded areas, gunshot soundness (to determine gunshy) in wooded areas and on water, blind water retrieve, flushing of live duck from marsh grass, obedience, and blood tracking.  Each test is scored with a multiplier and weighted factor based on the dogs performance.

Here is an example of a complete EPB hunt test and it requirements, multipliers and weighted factors.

Each hunt tests will be discussed in a separate post.  Please continue to read and enjoy some photos of a great time.

Some introductions.

Getting to know each other.

Filed Under: 2010 DWNA Meet & Greet, slider

About Dave
Current DWNA-VDW Chairman. A 28 year USAF veteran, retired rank Major. Education: University of New Hampshire; AA, BS, BGS; Georgia College, MBA. I first learned of the Deutscher Wachtelhund while living in Germany from 1988 to 1993. I obtained a German Jagdschein (hunting license) in early 1988. Purchased my first Wachtelhund in 1991 and brought a pair of them to Alaska in 1993. While in Alaska, I bred Wachtelhunds between 1995 and 1998, selling 33 Wachtelhund pups from four litters. I have been promoting the Deutscher Wachtelhund in North America since 1995. In 1995, I worked with Gary Gerhrman, of Ontario, Canada; to get the United Kennel Club (UKC) to recognize the Deutscher Wachtelhund. In January 1996, I was the first to register nine Wachtelhunds with the UKC, my initial pair and seven pups. In 2000, I provided VersatileDogs.com with their Deutscher Wachtelhund description. In 2002, I wrote another Deutscher Wachtelhund description for Fancy Publications, Inc. included their published Dog Bible. In 2000, I visited Germany to attend a Wachtelhund field trial, meeting Eberhard and Lutz Morgenstern. Wachtelhund judges for the German State of Sachsen. Lutz gave me his personal book and notes from his Wachtelhund Formwertricher (Conformation Judge) School and the VDW Hunt Measurement Rules and Judging Book. In 2004, I again returned to Germany to pick up a male Wachtelhund pup, Duke von der Balthasarley given to Kraig Glazier. I owned a total of 7 Wachtelhunds. I currently have three; a 7 year old female, a 3 year old female and a 5 month old male. I've imported over 40 Wachtelhund pups for other people, some have already been bred, other's will be bred in the future. In 2004, I started working with the VDW to establish a Wachtelhund club in North America. In 2006, with the help of Bill Wright we incorporated the Deutscher Wachtelhund North America, Inc (DWNA) Club in Wisconsin. The DWNA started taking memberships in January 2008. By 2009 we had 30 plus members and 6 kennels registered. Today we have 60 plus members. In 2010, I returned to Germany to attend the VDW annual meeting and gain DWNA-VDW member status.

Comments

  1. Wayne Hohnson (http://DeutscherWachthundofNorthAmerica) says:
    August 22, 2011 at 8:22 am

    I moved to the Pelican lake area about 8 yrs ago and met Dave and Loni a few months ago, even though we only live one mile apart, him and Loni are some of the nicest people you could ever meet, well that is as long as continues to come to my bar and has his one pizza a week.
    Anyway Dave brought both of his dogs in the bar last week to show me just what type of dogs these are which then got me reading more about them, and the more I read the more I realiize that this breed of dog is ranked right up there with the best when it comes to hunting .
    At first I thought he was just another dog owner like everyone else that has his favorite dog just like anyone else and it’s better than any other dog, but after spending 5 minutes with his dogs I was convinced that this breed is truly a great all around dog and I will own one someday.
    So Dave some day when my occupation is more laid back and I have more time I will take you up on that pheasent hunt offer with my DW. Thanks again. Oh you better hurry in the pizza is getting cold

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