The North American Hunting Retriever Association, Inc., (NAHRA), is a not for profit corporation existing by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware with its Principal Office at P.O. Box 5159, Fredericksburg, VA 22403.
NAHRA was created in 1983 to preserve the hunting instincts of our retriever breeds. For years, small groups throughout the country conducted gun dog stakes and tested dogs, one against another, to find the top dog.
NAHRA revolutionized the retriever world by testing dogs against a written hunting standard. Today, NAHRA has clubs throughout North America and continues to test and reward the hunting retriever and to maintain computerized records of those dogs and their working accomplishments.
The principal purpose of the corporation is to educate the public in the use of purebred hunting retrievers as conservation animals and to promote the field-testing of retrievers in simulated hunting situations.
NAHRA’s purpose in establishing this concept is to discover and reward dogs that can fulfill the hunter’s needs in the field by performing in a manner consistent with the demands of actual hunting conditions. The purpose is not to confront the dog with trick problems, but rather to test the dog’s natural ability and acquired training. NAHRA Field Tests utilize duck blinds, numerous decoys, boats, calls and other hunting implements in a manner
simulating normal hunting. Under the NAHRA concept, the objective is to recover the bird as quickly and efficiently as possible, to create the least amount of disturbance in the marsh and upland and to give the hunter the maximum amount of time to actually take game.
Dogs are placed in five categories based on ability not age: Beginner, Started, Hunter, Intermediate and Senior. Dogs do not compete against one another for placements, but rather their performances are judged individually against a “standard.”
The North American Hunting Retriever Association, Inc., acting through its Board of Directors, may, at its discretion, grant permission to clubs affiliated with it to hold Approved or Licensed Hunting Retriever Field Tests.
NAHRA’s purpose is to discover and reward dogs that can fulfill the hunter’s needs in the field by performing in a manner consistent with the demands of actual hunting conditions.
* Conservation of game through the development of trained retrievers.
* Founded in 1983, NAHRA is the first organization dedicated to preserving the skills of a hunting retriever.
* NAHRA originated the use of “standards” to test retriever skills using realistic hunting scenarios.
* Dogs compete against a set of standards set forth in our rule book, not each other.
* Advanced titles require dogs to demonstrate proficiency in both upland and waterfowl work.
* Field tests are realistic, simulated hunting scenarios, with distances and conditions that hunters would encounter in the field.
* NAHRA has affiliated clubs throughout the U.S. and Canada. Find a Club.