Retriever earns national honors

Abby, a yellow labrador, and her owner, Dan Tongen, earned 1,000 points and qualifications in 50 Senior level tests in the North American Hunting Retriever Association (NAHRA) hunt test program. Abby was named a Grand Master Hunting Retriever Champion for her success in the field.

Tongen is the husband of Maple Lake Elementary teacher Carol Tongen.

Travis Lund, member and past president of the Four Points Retriever Club, said that fewer than 40 dogs in the nation have earned this achievement and only two from Minnesota have achieved this level of success in hunting tests.

Abby and Tongen earned their elite status at the Midwest Retriever Club hunt test on July 25 and 26 at Chichaqua Bottoms Wildlife Area in Elkhart, Iowa, near Ankeny.

To achieve Senior level a dog must complete multiple retrieves on land and water, blind retrieves on land and water, a trailing test to simulate the search for a crippled bird, and an upland hunt where the dog must be steady to flush and shot.

According to the NAHRA, Senior level dogs must demonstrate complete control at all times and remain steady under all conditions. They handle sharply and mark precisely. These dogs must be able to work cover and water, run multiple marked retrieves and blind retrieves on water and land and be steady to shot and fall.

Read more about this top dog in this week’s Messenger.