LabKennels.com - puppies,labs

Bella is a Berg Brothers Dog from Minnesota. The lineage shows many American Field Champions. Bella is a tri-color that weighs about 48 lbs. She has her Natural Ability title with NAVHDA with a Prize 3. Her hips are OFA excellent, elbows normal and has a clear CERF (eyes) She has a very stanch point. She was professionally trained by Curt Fry of Slamming Point Kennels.

Major is tri-color and weighs about 60 lbs. His hips are OFA good, elbows are normal and has a clear CERF (eyes). Major, also is a house dog, is calm and "quiet" and has a real love for kids. He is an awesome dog to watch in the field. Major also is trained by Curt Fry of Slamming Point Kennels of New Brighton, PA. Curt would be more than happy to talk to you about either Major or Bella. Major has his AKC MH title and NAVHDA Versatile title.

Bella and Major are both registered AKC, Field Dog Stud Book and NAVHDA.

Below is some information from our trainer, Curt Fry about Major:

Major is an extremely talented, intelligent dog. His first exposure to hunt test competition came in 2006 when he was awarded a Natural Ability Prize 1 within the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) testing system, scoring a maximum score of 112 points. The NAVHDA Natural Ability test measure a young dogs ability to find and point birds, retrieve from the water, and track wounded game.

Major continued his training and matured into an exceptional bird dog. In 2010 and 2011 major competed in the American Kennel Club (AKC) Master Hunt Test competition and passed 6 out of 7 test to earn his Master Hunter (MH) title. The Master Hunter Title is reserved for exception dogs that demonstrate at the highest level the ability to find birds, point/retrieve and be steady to wing, shot, and fall.

Next Major competed in NAVHDA at the Utility Level. The Utility Test measures a finished bird dogs ability to hunt in the field and find and point game as well as retrieve on land and water. The dogs need to be steady to wing, shot, and fall. They are required to perform a duck search in a swamp, and track and retrieve a duck at over 100 meters. They also need to show obedience and remain by a duck blind while the handler walks out of sight and shots are fired. Lastly they have to heel through heeling stakes on their way to a duck blind. In November of 2010, Major earned a Utility Prize 1 scoring a maximum score of 204 points. By earning a Utility Prize 1, Major was qualified to run at the NAVHDA Invitational to compete for the coveted title of Versatile Champion (VC).

The NAVHDA Invitational is reported to be the toughest test in the gun dog world and is reserved for only the top performers in NAVHDA (Only Prize 1 Utility Dogs are eligible). The dogs must run in the field with a brace mate for an hour and demonstrate strong search, pointing, backing, and be steady to wing, shot and fall. They must execute a 100 yard blind retrieve across water, and honor another dog during a duck retrieve. Lastly, they must perform a double mark retrieve of two duck on the water in the reverse order in which they are thrown with a diversion shot. And, during judgment, they are off lead and must be heeled to each venue off lead. It is truly a tough test and only about 50% of the eligible dogs earn VC titles.

On September 15, 2011, Major and his trainer/handler Curt Fry of Slamming Point Kennel, arrived in Bloomingdale, OH to run in the NAVHDA Invitational. The weather was poor at best with high winds and steady rain. In the end, Major and Curt executed each phase of the Invitational Test to the highest degree of competency and scored a maximum score of 200 points and earned Major’s Versatile Champion Title (VC).