212. When Is Your Dog Ready for a Charity Working Test?

Abbie Reed of Riverlily Working Dogs joins Jo to break down what a charity working test actually involves, from the admin behind the scenes to what your dog needs to be able to do on the day. They talk through the six tests you're likely to face, how judges assess you differently to an official working test, and why your own mindset does more heavy lifting than your training log.

In this episode:

• What separates a charity working test from an official Kennel Club test, and why unregistered and crossbreed dogs are welcome
• The basic skills your dog needs before you enter: steady to shot, steady to a thrown dummy, a clean retrieve, and a stop whistle
• A walkthrough of a typical test day, from signing in and the exercise area to being called forward by the judge
• The six common tests you might face, including the double mark, replacement blind, and the water splash
• Why eighty percent of how the day goes comes down to the handler's mindset, not the dog's ability
• How volunteering or helping at a test teaches you faster than training your own dog ever could

About Abbie Reed

Abbie Reed runs River Lily Working Dogs in Hertfordshire, where she's organised ten charity working tests over the last twelve years. She competes and picks up herself, and she's spent years watching handlers of every level walk into the test ring, which makes her the person to ask when you're wondering whether your dog is actually ready.

Key takeaways

• You don't need a perfect dog to enter a charity working test, you need a dog who's had the basics installed and will have a go.
• Judges at charity tests are more lenient than official ones, but they still expect a certain level of control before you toe the line.
• A zero doesn't mean failure, it means you've found exactly what to train next.
• Volunteering at a test teaches you faster than training alone ever will, because you get to watch dozens of dogs and handlers instead of just your own.

Resources mentioned

Riverlily Working Dogs — Facebook (Friends of Riverlily Working Dogs, and Riverlily Working Dogs), Instagram, website currently being updated

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