The drills · Versatile Puppy · 05 of 11
Versatile breeds · Puppy
First Feathers.
A wing or a dead pigeon to carry and strut with. Interest is the goal, possession is fine at this age; never pull it from the mouth.
Where it sits
First Feathers is drill 5 of 11 in the versatile puppy program. Seven weeks to six months: the window that never reopens.
Before it: Crate & Settle
The crate is a den, not a penalty box. Feed in it, ride in it, nap in it, a pup that settles travels to birds its whole life.
After it: Gunfire Done Right
Distance plus dinner: a helper fires a starter pistol 100+ yards out while the pup eats. Close the gap over weeks, reading the pup, never the calendar. One scared meal can cost a season.
What it builds toward
This drill feeds the NAVHDA Natural Ability (NA). What that test judges, from the rulebook.
Run it with your dog.
Open the KENAI app, log a training session, pick First Feathers. The record keeps the day; the app reads the days against the test ahead. Free to start.
Get the app