Click to visit NAVHDA.org
Home
About NAVHDA
About Our Chapter
Join Our Chapter
Annual Fun Hunt
Training Days
Testing
Hunting Dogs
Chapter Calendar
NAVHDA Forms
Contact Us
Visit navhda.org

About NAVHDA
NAVHDA is an excellent compliment to the activities of sporting dog breed clubs and field trial organizations. It was created to supplement the activities of those clubs by providing a proven, standard method of evaluating the performance of all versatile hunting dogs, consistent with North American hunting practices, regardless of breed.
NAVHDA is organized on two levels:
The first level, NAVHDA International, operates under bylaws approved by its membership. These bylaws provide for officers elected by popular vote who, together with appointed directors, constitute an Executive Council charged with furnishing direction and guidance to NAVHDA programs.
The second level, the local chapters of NAVHDA, are the "grass roots" organizations which sponsor the training and testing programs. Western Illinois is one of many sanctioned chapters throughout the United States and Canada.
[Local Chapters, Contacts & Web Sites]  [Chapter Locator Map]

The Versatile Hunting Dog Breeds
The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association defines versatility as "the dog that is bred and trained to dependably hunt and point game, to retrieve on both land and water, and to track wounded game on both land and water."
In the field, a versatile dog should exhibit a fine nose, staunch pointing and the desire to search for, track and retrieve game in a cooperative manner. A versatile dog needs to further prove his independence, stamina and quality of nose by transferring his search for, and retrieving of game, to the water. True versatile dogs should perform all tasks with enthusiasm and be willing to work with, and for, their handlers.
[Register your dog with NAVHDA]

The Versatile Breeds
There are several breeds of versatile dogs common in continental Europe, and with four exceptions, all were developed during the last decades of the 19th century. The four exceptions are much older breeds that provided a base for some of the others. These are the weimaraner, the Vizsla, the Brittany, and its German cousin, the Small Munsterlander.
The tracking hound, pointer and waterpudel were the basic breeding stocks most widely used to develop the short and wirehaired groups. The longhaired group evolved from the Small Munsterlander and flat-coated retriever.
Currently NAVHDA recognizes and maintains studbooks for the following breeds:
[click camera images to view breed photos]
BIBracco Italiano Photo 1 Photo 2
BABraque D’auvergne Photo 1 Photo 2
BBBraque Du Bourbonnais Photo 1 Photo 2
BFBraque Francais Photo 1 Photo 2
BSBrittany Photo 1 Photo 2
CFCesky Fousek Photo 1 Photo 2
DPDrentse Partridge Photo 1 Photo 2
ESEnglish Setter Photo 1 Photo 2
FPFrench Spaniel Photo 1 Photo 2
GLGerman Longhaired Pointer Photo 1 Photo 2
GSGerman Shorthaired Pointer Photo 1 Photo 2
GWGerman Wirehaired Pointer Photo 1 Photo 2
GOGordon Setter Photo 1 Photo 2
IRIrish Red & White Setter Photo 1 Photo 2
ISIrish Setter Photo 1 Photo 2
LMLarge Munsterlander Photo 1 Photo 2
PTPointer Photo 1 Photo 2
POPortuguese Pointer Photo 1 Photo 2
PPPudelpointer Photo 1 Photo 2
SHSlovensky Hrubosrsty Stavac Photo 1 Photo 2
SMSmall Munsterlander Photo 1 Photo 2
SPSpinone Photo 1 Photo 2
STStichelhaar Photo 1 Photo 2
VIVizsla Photo 1 Photo 2
WMWeimaraner Photo 1 Photo 2
GRWirehaired Pointing Griffon Photo 1 Photo 2
WVWirehaired Vizsla Photo 1 Photo 2
© ILLOWA NAVHDA, Inc.