| With
the recent publication of the proposed rules for the
U.K.C. Natural Ability Test it is appropriate to make
sure that everyone understands really what a Test D'Aptitudes
Naturalles is all about. Thank you to Pierre Willems
for contributing this article.
The
T.A.N., more often spoken of as the "TAN", is
a Test for Natural Ability (Test d'Aptitudes Naturelles,
in French).
It exists since some 15 years and is now widely
spread in France among all the breeds, as it exists in
many forms, adapted to the kind of breed. So, the TAN
for a pointing dog is not the same as the one for a Retriever,
or a Pug, or a German shepherd, etc… More: The TAN
can be (slightly) different from one breed to another
of the same kind, as the official regulation allows some
flexibility to the clubs to determine at what level they
want to place this test.
The
official booklet issued by the french kennel club ( S.C.C.
= Société Centrale Canine) says:
- Article 1: The following
rules has been developed to promote, inside the french
breeding, the dogs owning the hunting qualities that
every pointing dog should show, as a minimum. (The
underscoring is mine. P.W.).
- Article 2: The proofs
considered tend to test the aptitude to hunt, but
not the level of training.
These two articles are a clear definition of what a
TAN is…and what it is not:
- A basic test for MINIMUM
qualities,
- Not a competition.
It is a common, but MAJOR error for some people to
judge a TAN as a "Low level field-trial"!
The people invited to judge at a TAN should always keep
in mind that errors are to be accepted, and that those
that can be cured or improved by some training do not
forbid the allowance of the TAN.
On the reverse, the lack of the basic qualities should
be strictly penalized.
The TANs are organized by breed clubs. They concern dogs
of a maximal of 36 months of age (Many organizer specify
a minimum of 6 months, which is not mentioned in "the
law"! Yet if it would probably be ridiculous to enter
a 12 weeks old puppy, considering the precocity of the
Epagneul Breton, many puppies under 6 months pass their
TAN, sometimes brilliantly! P.W.)
To organize a TAN, it is necessary to have the disposal
a ground with sufficient cover to make sure that the
game can hide, yet move freely, and so that it will
be found by scent, and not by sight. Harsh cover will
be avoided.
The game will be chosen among cheap varieties, such
as the quail, but other upland birds such As pheasant
or partridge may be used. It will be released at least
15 minutes before the test starts, and out of the sight
of the dog's handler.
The test goes on from 5 to 10 minutes, and the dog should
be given as many rounds as necessary to come in contact
with game.
What
is to be checked? Three characteristic behaviors
are to be considered:
1) The searching instinct:
The examiner (Who it is
not compulsory a judge, but can be an "expert")
will consider the activity and the passion showed
by the dog, without paying too much attention on the
way the dog explores its ground. (A dog showing a
restrained quest, staying very close to its handler,
is to be penalized, yet, as this happens quite often
with dogs who have never had an opportunity to meet
game before the test, this should improve after a
first "contact". P.W.)
2) The pointing instinct:
It is compulsory that the dog shows its ability to
find some game. A point, out of sight of the bird
is obligatory. Bumping into a bird will not be penalized,
and flushing is not to be considered in the final
judgment. (The rule does not say how long the point
should be held. Some examiners consider that it should
be so long that it allows the handler to come along
its dog, but this can then be very different from
one dog to another, and so penalize the dog who shows
the most passion by questing widely; But the majority
considers that a few seconds steadiness -3 to 10 seconds-
is satisfying, as some training will improve this
greatly. P.W.)
3) The balance of the character:
The examiner will check
that the dog does not show signs of an unbalanced
character (The rule does not definite these signs,
yet aggressiveness, fear of unknown people, lack of
contact between handler and dog, could be considered,
in my opinion. P.W.) . More specifically it is compulsory
that the dog shows no gun shyness at all, which is
tested by the shot of blanks by a gun or an alarm
pistol/revolver or heavy caliber (This means at least
a .32… yet, the most used are .22 blank pistols!
Mostly the gun is shot by the examiner who is often
far away from the dog. The gun should be fired close
to the dog, as it happens when hunting. P.W.)
The steadiness to shot will not be considered, but
any sign of fear will be considered as a failure at
this test. The TAN will be awarded to any dog who succeeds
the entirety of these three tests. Once a dog has been
awarded the TAN, it will not be authorized to participate
to another identical test.
A dog failing one or more of the three items tested
will just be adjourned, and so it is allowed to enter
another TAN, as long as it has not reached the 36 months
age limit.
A TAN is a test, NOT A COMPETITION,
so there should not be any placement, just a
"Pass" or "Fail"!
My personal
comments:
If it is obvious that dogs have some experience
of encountering game (often country dogs vs city dogs)
are in a better position than others: It is the responsibility
of the examiner to give all the possible chance to every
dog to show its ability. In the practice, many dogs are
so brilliant that they do not even need the 5 minutes
that are in theory the minimum to satisfy to the test.
On the opposite, some dogs may need more than one try
to succeed. It is my opinion that the jury should become
more and more severe as the dog comes closer to the age
limit. As there is no way to know how many times a dog
made attempts, it is unfortunately not possible to limit
this number.
- I believe that the dogs should be presented individually
at the test by preference in the order of growing
age, so avoiding to influence the examiners opinion
by too closely checking of dogs of different age…and
experience.
- It is the responsibility of the examiner to try
and determine what is natural and what is due to training.
In my opinion, handling by professional handlers should
be avoided.
- The TAN is conceived to check the MINIMAL requirements
expected for a hunting/pointing breed.
Consequently, there is no reason for
pride by satisfying the test. This is just NORMAL!
Consequently also, a dog not TAN-awarded
should be considered with suspicion before thinking
of breeding it!
- Pierre WILLEMS
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