VC Lakewood's Augustine Altman (Austin) was born on 6/13/2009 and is the son of Crystal Creek's Austin (sire of
Brush Dale's D Litter) and Crabtree's Daisy Belle. Austin is owned by Rod Jensen of
Lakewood Kennel in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
Austin has a dense, soft, roan coat. Austin weighs approximately 40 pounds and is 20.5" in height, which is at the lower-end of the height scale for males. In addition to having a physical structure that compliments KD's, exceptional hunting skills, and high test scores, Austin was selected for breeding because of his smaller size. The German judges who most 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 were certified Excellent from OFA.
Austin is an excellent hunter with a classic point.
Scout, from Brush Dale's D Litter, is a half-brother to Austin. Austin has the looks, temperament and hunting ability desired in an SMCNA stud dog. Austin's owner describes him as being a sweet dog with tremendous prey drive who is highly cooperative in the field. Austin is a pleasure to train and hunt behind.
Austin has taken NAVHDA's Natural Ability (NA), Utility (UT), and Invitational 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 must prize in the NA Test 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 NA Test. Gun sensitivity/shyness is also evaluated. The maximum score which may be achieved in the NA Test 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 of testing. Only dogs who have achieved a Prize I in Utility are eligible. This limits the entry to exceptional animals who have demonstrated a high level of training and tests their skills in the advanced work. Austin passed the Invitational Test and is a Versatile Champion!
