Hunt tests and titles · NAVHDA
North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association
Natural Ability.
Measures seven inherited abilities in the young dog, the impartial early read on what the pup was born with. No steadiness required; the pup must point but need not hold through the flush. Judged against a standard by three judges, never against other dogs.
Who can run
Up to and including the day the dog reaches 16 months. Older dogs may run for evaluation only, space permitting, no prize.
What the dog has to do
Prize I in practice: a perfect 4 in Nose, Search, and Desire plus 99 total. Field phase (minimum 20 minutes in bird cover), tracking phase (flightless pheasant or chukar), water phase (willing swim, twice), physical exam.
How it is scored
Each subject scored 0-4, multiplied by a fixed index. Maximum 112 points. Prize I 99 · Prize II 80 · Prize III 58, and the dog must meet the minimum in every subject to prize. Gun-shy dogs cannot receive a prize.
The subjects, and the numbers
| Subject | Scale | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Use of Nose | 0–4 | Index 6 · max 24 · Prize I 24 (4) · II 18 (3) · III 18 (3) |
| Search | 0–4 | Index 5 · max 20 · Prize I 20 (4) · II 15 (3) · III 10 (2) |
| Water | 0–4 | Index 5 · max 20 · Prize I 15 (3) · II 15 (3) · III 10 (2) |
| Pointing | 0–4 | Index 4 · max 16 · Prize I 12 (3) · II 12 (3) · III 8 (2) |
| Tracking | 0–4 | Index 2 · max 8 · Prize I 6 (3) · II 4 (2) · III 2 (1) |
| Desire to Work | 0–4 | Index 4 · max 16 · Prize I 16 (4) · II 12 (3) · III 8 (2) |
| Cooperation | 0–4 | Index 2 · max 8 · Prize I 6 (3) · II 4 (2) · III 2 (1) |
Source: NAVHDA rulebook (PDF), verified July 2026. KENAI restates nothing the rulebook does not say; the rulebook governs. NAVHDA website
The preparation sheet.
The standard, the subjects, and the week-before list on one page, built to print and take to the truck. We send it to the email you give, and you get the Weekly Read with it. Unsubscribe any time.
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Your dog, against this standard.
The KENAI app keeps every training day and reads it against the NA: which subjects are covered, which are thin, what the next session should be. A read, never a prediction.
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