Therefore, each German Longhair puppy born on this continent will have two parents that passed a natural ability level hunting test and at least one parent who has passed an advanced level hunting test.  Each dog has 2 chances to pass each test.  Before certifying any longhair for breeding, the registrar will also make sure that your longhair received at least "good" scores in nose, pointing, and search in one of three testing systems formats.  These categories were chosen because they are considered to be the most important characteristics for North American hunting dogs.

German Longhairs can take these tests in any one of three testing formats in North America.  All three formats have very similar tests.  The most preferred testing system is the Versatile Hunting Dog Federation (VHDF).  If you choose to test your longhair through the VHDF, the German Longhaired Pointer Club of North America requires that your dog at least pass the Hunting Aptitude Evaluation (HAE) by 18 months of age, and encourages you to pass your dog through the Advanced Hunting Aptitude Evaluation (AHAE) by 36 months of age.  Both of these tests are very similar to the corresponding JGHV and NAVHDA tests.  For more information on the VHDF, please visit www.vhdf.org.  The VHDF tests essentially use an 10-point scale for scoring each category (although 11s and 12s can be awarded for "extra credit".  To qualify for breeding, a longhair must receive at least a "good" score (defined as 6 and above) in nose, pointing, and search in the Hunting Aptitude Evaluation.

A third VHDF test, the Performance Evaluation (PE), can be a difficult test and is for finished gundogs. This test is usually completed within a year of having passed the Advanced Hunting Aptitude Evaluation. The PE requires your dog to point and hold steady to wing, complete a complete a duck drag, complete a marked water retrieve, complete a blind water retrieve, and complete an independent search of a water body (with no duck present).  During the field portion, dogs are run in braces and expected to honor each other.  The majority of this test is focused on steadiness and retrieving work.  Dogs do not need to pass this test in order to be certified for breeding, but it is highly recommended as everything in the test evaluates attributes that any hunter would appreciate in his/her dog during the hunting season.

Another testing option for members of the German Longhaired Pointer Club of North America is the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA, www.navhda.org).  NAVHDA is a popular gundog testing organization with local chapters all over the United States and Canada. The NAVHDA tests are modeled after JGHV tests (German testing system) and provide an excellent opportunity for longhair owners to train and test their dogs with friends.  

If you choose to test your longhair through NAVHDA, your longhair must pass the Natural Ability Test by 18 months of age.  Those who are seriously interested in breeding their longhairs are also strongly encouraged to complete the Utility Prepatory Test (UPT) or the NAVHDA Utility Test (UT) as well.  Both NAVHDA tests differ from the VHDF and JGHV tests in that they requires more steadiness and the scoring system is different.  NAVHDA uses a 4-point scale to score their tests.  To qualify for breeding under this system, a longhair must score all 4s in nose, pointing, and search in the Natural Ability Test.