DL-GNA 2024: Unleashing excitement for the year ahead!
Happy 2024! I hope you had an adventure-filled hunting season and your year ahead is off to a great start. The DL-GNA Board has been hard at work planning for the upcoming training and testing season, and have a few updates to share with the membership.
Membership Renewals
2024 Membership renewals are due! As a DL-GNA Member you will receive:
Quarterly Communications
Invitation to all DL-GNA events including DL-Fest
Access to the Members-Only area of the DL-GNA Website
Access to Virtual VJP, HZP, and VGP Training Sessions
Online access to the Deutsch Langhaar Mitteilungen (quarterly newsletter of the Deutsch Langhaar Verband).
Memberships not renewed by March 1, 2024 will no longer be active and will be removed from club email distributions.
Barkonomics: Unveiling the Facts and Figures of Our Club!
We currently have 17 certified stud dogs and 11 certified breeding females. Many thanks go out to owners of these dogs for all the hard work put in to achieve this important certification. We have a few dogs that are right on the cusp of certification and we look forward to getting them over the finish line soon!
Additionally, 4 dogs had x-rays submitted for evaluation; all four received an “A” hip rating along with ED-free elbows and OCD-free shoulders. We appreciate the owners doing the full evaluation of hips, shoulders, and elbows because it provides additional data points on the genetic health of the dogs we are producing, above and beyond the requirement of just hip evaluations.
Speaking of health monitoring, this year our parent club in Germany instituted a monitoring program for Juvenile Cataracts. We conducted a large screening event at DL-fest in November and continue to encourage members to have their dogs screened by a DACVO (canine ophthalmologist) to help monitor this condition and, eventually, to help eradicate it from the breed.
The 2022-23 breed year saw just three litters born in North America with a total of 18 puppies. These puppies will be eligible to run in the VJP and HZP this spring and fall and we encourage all the new owners to run in these tests. The test data is valuable to the club and the breeders to make sure that critical hunting skills are being passed forward in our breedings. But more than that, the tests are a great way for you to set training goals with your dog and work toward the testing milestones as you strive to develop a great hunting partner.
SAVE THE DATE!
We are excited to announce a new location for DL-Fest in 2024! This year the event will be in Aberdeen, SD on November 1-3, 2024. Event will be held at the Richmond Pavillion. We are excited to host our event in Aberdeen and look forward to seeing members old and new. More information will be provided as we get closer to the event.
Training
What are your training goals for 2024? Are you signed up to test a dog in the Spring Puppy Test (VJP)? Maybe you are interested in learning more about the Fall Breed Test (HZP), or maybe even taking you and your dog to the next level of being an awesome hunting team and interested in training for the VGP? Or, maybe need to do a bit of a tune up on the trained retrieve? Whether you are planning to test your dog, or have tested a dog in the past, we hope that you will consider being a part of our second annual virtual training group. Last year the group met virtually with folks from coast to coast to talk about what is needed to prepare for the tests. Everyone that attended found the sessions to be valuable. If you are intersted in participating, contact Troy Hohlweck for more information.
Testing
DL-GNA is excited to announce that we are partnering with the Kleine Munsterlander Club in North America (KlM-GNA). We will be co-sponsoring a VJP with their club in Illinois. More information located here.
If you would like help finding VJP opportunities from other JGHV clubs that may be closer to you, please contact Joe Wapenski.
We are also beginning to plan HZP tests for the fall. If you are interested in testing your puppy, please let us know so we can plan as best as we can.
Upcoming Events
This year DL-GNA will plan to attend two trade shows with our dogs to help promote the breed. If you are in the MN or SD area, we hope you’ll consider helping at one of these events.
PHEASANTS FOREVER - PHEASANT FEST BOOTH:
DL-GNA will plan to sponsor a booth at the National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic held in Sioux Falls, SD March 1-3, 2024. Please contact Paul Buenzow if interested in assisting with the booth.
MN GAME FAIR BOOTH:
DL-GNA will plan to sponsor a booth at the MN Game Fair held in Ramsey, MN over 2 weekends in August. Please contact Jack Sudyk at if you are interested in assisting with the booth.
