The following outline was prepared for a presentation we made to the Valley of the Sun Poodle Club (Phoenix, Arizona) in May 2008. We hope that this will help to answer most questions hunters have regarding the viability of hunting with a poodle as well as to offer guidance in getting started with the training of their poodles. We hope to be residing at our Utah training grounds in 2009 and will then be able to begin training other people's poodles.

Why use a poodle for hunting?  They can do everything other retrievers can do and they don’t shed—making them more house-friendly for allergy sufferers like us.

Pros to the Hunting Poodle:

1. Are excellent trackers
2. Are highly intelligent (this can also be a detriment, see below)
3. Are driven to succeed
4. Have great endurance and perseverance
5. Are excellent life companions

Cons to the Hunting Poodle:

1. Unless trimmed very short, coat care can be a nightmare (they bring back nearly everything they come in contact with, deeply imbedded in their coats).  Thanks to neoprene vests, short hair is no longer life-threatening in cold water—but vests are not allowed in hunt tests.
2. Ear care (constant swimming requires frequent ear cleaning)
3. Intelligence can cause over-assessment at times (a Labrador will just go; most poodles have to evaluate the path to and from the bird before going—putting the dog and handler at risk of “timing out” in hunt tests.   However, there are poodles who buck this trend, while maintaining high intelligence).

Puppy Selection:   If you are looking to hunt title a poodle, Standards are the only variety allowed to compete.  However, we have been contacted by a couple of hunters who use miniatures for upland hunting, with the same success we have had with our standards.

1. Evaluate the parents’ health (only buy pups whose parents have been genetically-tested) and drives (if you are lucky, you’ll find hunting parents).  While the latter is of primary importance in other retrieving breeds, this one criteria challenges a hunter looking for a poodle, because few are used for this purpose (at least when compared to poodles as a whole).  Case in point: only 6 poodles have been NAHRA titled (North American Hunting Retriever Association, the oldest retriever association in existence) which includes poodles at all skill levels, as of February 2008. Additionally, AKC hunt titled poodles make up just 0.02% of poodles registered over the past 10 years. AKC Stats as of 5/20/08:
   370,917 poodles registered with AKC from 1998 through 2007 (10 years)
   91 Hunt-titled poodles to date (broken down by level, as follows):
   - 68 Junior Hunters
   - 17 Senior Hunters
   -   5 Master Hunters
2. Select a pup scoring a 3 or low-4 from the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test.  This enables you to rule out the most dominant and most passive pups, then you can evaluate based on:
   • Retrieve drive.  We expand Volhard’s “Retrieving” test by dragging a bird wing across the floor, seeing which pup most enthusiastically chases it.  We are looking for a pup that will chase, retrieve and return the object thrown or drug (we also throw small bumpers or rolled up socks).  If none return with the object, you at least want one that will pick it up and play with it, with tail up.  We even expand to a “tracking” test by placing a wing (with meat on it) in the corner of the pen when we think no pups are watching.  We are always amazed at how well some of them use their noses at a very young age.  Again, you want them to return the wing to you.  NEVER let them eat the wing. We also test a pup’s birdiness by watching its reaction to a live pigeon (flight feathers removed).  A pup that will chase the bird and attempt to pick it up is very desirable.  (Pigeons are used because they do not peck hard, you don’t want to use a bird that can injure or cause pain to the pup.)
   • Sound Sensitivity:  Careful attention must be paid to a pup’s sound sensitivity.  While a pup sensitive to sound can still score an overall 3 or low-4 on the Volhard test, he may not be the pup to have in the field, where frequent gun fire occurs.  I am not saying you should rule out a pup that is startled by a cap gun, I am talking about a pup that runs away with tail tucked (the latter is one to avoid).
   • Conformation:  Structure is very important to a dog’s ability to swim long distances with potentially heavy birds in its mouth.  You want a dog with a “broad” and deep chest for effective swimming (avoid dogs with narrow chests).  Additionally, dogs with ewe necks are almost forced to have to carry heavy birds out of the water to swim effectively (not comfortable for the dog, resulting in reduced performance; perhaps even preventing their ability to return with the bird).

How to Train:

Ultimate goals (each item listed below is important, regardless of whether you are interested in hunt titling your poodle, having it as a hunting retriever/companion, or both):

1. Heel
2. Sit and Stay (Steady to Shot)
3. Ability to pivot at the line, alongside its master
4. Ability to Mark multiple birds and run cold blinds
5. Ability to memorize and obediently comply with multiple hand signals and whistle commands
6. Retrieve and Return, delivering to hand
7. Honor other dogs (and hunters)

Step-by-step training instruction would require pages of text.  Probably the most important lesson I can offer is to have fun with your dog (you want them to want to work for you).

Recommended Training Books:

• Game Dog, by Richard A. Wolters.
• Top Dog, by Joseph Middleton (based upon Wolters’ training, with force fetching integrated)
• Smartwork, by Evan Graham, which is only available atRush Creek Press.

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