Gary Overs and his Golden Retriever Tuck are back in town, and they brought with them the highest possible title in the hunting dog world. After a nerve-wracking six-day competition in Saskatoon, Tuck has earned the Grand Master Hunter title.
For Gary, this has been the highlight of his career.
“That was the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life, in 43 years of training dogs, and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Now it also becomes the proudest thing I’ve ever done,” Gary said.
Tuck is from one of North America’s premier dog breeders, and when the pandemic hit back in 2020, Gary dedicated himself to Tuck’s training. Now, after two intense years, Tuck is the youngest dog to win the prestigious title at only three years of age.
Testing to earn the Grand Master Hunter title normally takes place over five days, but for this event they went on for six days. Each day is dedicated to one specific test, and tests usually take around six to 12 minutes each. As the week progresses, the difficulty level increases.
Each test is scored as a pass or fail. “If you fail today, you’re out of the competition,” Shelley Overs said.
Gary said he had a close call early on due to nerves, but after four anxious days he was able to recover.
“Out of my nerves – and like I said it was one of the most nerve-wracking things – I blew my whistle (early)… Two years of training, just for this competition, and I blew it!” said Gary. “I was like a deer in the headlights.”
Dogs are marked on trainability, perseverance, and in total there can be five or six levels. “To pass this test, you have to get a 50 per cent mark in each of these levels,” said Shelley. “But your overall mark has to be 70 per cent to qualify.”
“So, my scoring dropped down. In the competition, we call that ‘bleeding,’” Gary explained. “It took me four days to get out of that mistake that I made.”
Others weren’t as fortunate, as 23 dogs were eliminated throughout the competition. “Each day we lost dogs,” said Shelley. “On Tuesday we lost a couple… Thursday we lost nine dogs…”
A total of 35 dogs from across the country competed. “(The dogs came) from Vancouver Island all the way to Toronto basically,” Gary explained.
The title isn’t exclusive to only one dog but is a shared title for all dogs who qualify. Tuck won along with 11 others at the event, but this shared victory makes the feat no less impressive.
“There are master tests that are extremely hard, and this is a step above that,” said Gary. “It’s the hardest award that you can achieve in the hunting world.”
Tuck has been invited back for next year’s competition in P.E.I. and doesn’t have to qualify to compete. Gary said he’s seriously considering it. “I’ll run this test again and see if I’m capable of pulling it off twice in a row. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and the hardest test I’ve ever seen.”
Although it hasn’t had time to sink in yet, Gary said this accomplishment is an affirmation of all his effort, experience, and training. “I guess it means that I know what I’m doing,” he said.
Tuck’s breeder is Zaniri Golden Retrievers in Ladysmith, B.C., and at this competition alone, 11 Zaniri dogs were competing.
For Tuck, the competition was more akin to a family reunion, as his breeder, canine mother, his canine father’s owners, and some of his litter mates were also in attendance. “We kind of had everybody involved in the making of Tuck there,” Shelley said.
The owner of Zaniri Golden Retrievers, Mary Shrillabeer, was able to witness Tuck’s achievement and she’s proud of him. “Reputable breeders love to see their puppies earn achievements,” explained Shelley.
Tuck’s full name follows the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) naming convention. His registered name is ‘Zaniri The Duck Stops Here.’ As per convention, the first portion of the name gives recognition to the breeder, and the CKC issues a set of naming rules for the dog’s new owner to work with.
“A lot of the breeders will have a specific theme for their litter, but his breeder did not. We wanted something related to hunting,” explained Shelley.
Gary is resuming classes this fall and plans to pursue agility and obedience training with Tuck. Earlier this spring, Tuck qualified to take the highest obedience test, and Gary said he may pursue the Grand Master Obedience title next.
“That would be my next goal. I’m always trying to better myself,” Gary said.
Gary Overs was born and raised in Moose Jaw. He has been training since the age of 20 and opened Gary Overs Kennelling and Obedience in 1991. In 2006 he opened the K-9 Academy.
Gary Overs Kennelling and Obedience is located at 860 High Street West and the K-9 Academy is located at 1254 Ninth Avenue Northwest.
Classes will resume Sept. 19. To enrol your dog in training with Gary Overs, call 306-692-6011.
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