Krystal Creek's Austin was born on 4/9/2001 and is the prodigy of German imports. Austin's sire is Merkur vom Flachsberg and his dam is Lana vom Flachsberg. Austin is owned by Steve Harmeyer of Krystal Creek Kennel in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin.
Austin has a dense, soft, roan coat. Austin weighs approximately 50 pounds and is 20.5" in height, which is at the lower-end of the height scale for males. In addition to his very good conformation, exceptional hunting skills, and high test scores, Austin was selected for breeding because of his smaller size. The German judges who recently critiqued SMCNA-registered Munsters recommended we make an effort to bring down the size of our Munsters, as over the years, the average size has crept upward toward the top of the scale. Austin’s hips are certified from PennHIP, left is .46 and right is .42.
Austin is an excellent hunter with a classic point. Austin's hunting abilities are well-known among Munster owners and he has produced many puppies with exceptional hunting skills and excellent NAVHDA Test scores. Michelle has had the pleasure of hunting and training with several of Austin's prodigy, and has found them all to be wonderful dogs - both in temperament and ability. Austin's owners describe him as being one of the most stable dogs they have had the pleasure to train and hunt behind. (A stable dog is a dog that can be put in any situation and not have an adverse reaction.) Austin is a dog that will lay quietly in his run when the other dogs are being trained - not jumping around, biting at the fence, and making a lot of noise. When you teach Austin something, you rarely have to re-teach. When he was being prepared for the NAVHDA Natural Ability Test, he would point and catch five birds and then go point five more. It didn’t matter how many birds he caught, he always came right back and pointed. Austin is a natural retriever, loves people, and gets along well with other dogs.
Austin has taken NAVHDA's Natural Ability (NAT), Utility (UT), and Invitational (IT) Tests.
NAVHDA tests measure all aspects of work for the versatile hunting dog breeds. The Tests are not competitions among dogs, but rather a measure of each dog against a standard. A dog born prior to 1/1/2012 must prize in the NAT in order to be approved for breeding by the SMCNA.
A 4-point scoring system is used for all NAVHDA Tests. For each testing category there is a multiplication factor, ranging from 2 to 6, depending on the relative importance of that quality. The dogs are also examined for physical deficiencies and temperament faults at all Tests. A dog that shows any gun sensitivity or has any one of a number of physical defects, may not be used in a SMCNA breeding program.
The purpose of the Natural Ability Test is to determine the natural abilities of young dogs with regard to hunting and future breeding potential. The test is run prior to the dog turning 16 months of age. Nose, search, pointing, tracking, desire, swimming, and cooperation are evaluated in the NAT. Gun sensitivity/shyness is also evaluated. The maximum score which may be achieved in the NAT is 112, which was Austin's score.
The Utility Test is designed to test a hunting dog’s usefulness to the on-foot hunter in all phases of hunting both before and after the shot, in field and marsh, and on different species of game. While the dog that is successful in the Natural Ability Test might be likened to a promising young apprentice, the dog that successfully completes the Utility Test will have demonstrated that he is a master, or at the very least a good, solid and reliable journeyman. This test is a challenging and demanding one. Most dogs entered in the Utility Test have reached maturity, and latent faults will probably have surfaced. The maximum score which may be achieved in the UT is 204, which was Austin's score.
The Invitational Test is NAVHDA’s highest level test. The Test is designed to evaluate an exceptional hunting dog in all phases of work and a variety of hunting situations. Dogs successfully completing the Invitational Test, with a passing score, clearly demonstrate exceptional skill, ability and obedience. The maximum score which may be achieved in the IT is 200. Austin's score was 175.
