Hunt tests and titles · NAVHDA
North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association
Utility Preparatory Test.
The midway checkpoint between NA and UT, measures progress toward the finished Utility dog with the same judging standards at less stringent performance limits.
Who can run
No age restriction.
What the dog has to do
Water: water search, walking at heel, steadiness by blind, retrieve of a duck. Field: search (25 min), pointing, steadiness on game, retrieve of shot bird, retrieve by drag (~50 yds). Throughout: nose, desire, cooperation, obedience.
How it is scored
Point-index system, 13 subjects across water group, field group, and judged-throughout. Maximum 184 points. Prize I 157 · Prize II 116 · Prize III 79.
The subjects, and the numbers
| Subject | Scale | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Water Search | 0–4 | Index 4 · max 16 |
| Walking at Heel | 0–4 | Index 2 · max 8 |
| Steadiness by Blind | 0–4 | Index 2 · max 8 |
| Retrieve of a Duck | 0–4 | Index 3 · max 12 |
| Search | 0–4 | Index 5 · max 20 |
| Pointing | 0–4 | Index 4 · max 16 |
| Steadiness on Game | 0–4 | Index 3 · max 12 |
| Retrieve of Shot Bird | 0–4 | Index 3 · max 12 |
| Retrieve by Drag | 0–4 | Index 3 · max 12 |
| Use of Nose | 0–4 | Index 6 · max 24 |
| Desire to Work | 0–4 | Index 5 · max 20 |
| Cooperation | 0–4 | Index 3 · max 12 |
| Obedience | 0–4 | Index 3 · max 12 |
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.
No spam, ever. Weekly, and only when there is something worth reading.
Your dog, against this standard.
The KENAI app keeps every training day and reads it against the UPT: which subjects are covered, which are thin, what the next session should be. A read, never a prediction.
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