Hunting Dog Training
What Is the VGP? A Guide for Versatile Hunting Dog Owners
What Is the VGP? A Guide for Versatile Hunting Dog Owners
The VGP — Verlorene Gebrauchsprüfung, or Utility Field Test — is the highest-level hunting dog test in the German versatile hunting dog tradition. The most versatile huning dog test on the planet. If the HZP is where a young dog proves its potential, the VGP is where a finished dog proves it can do it all.
It is not a test for the faint of heart. The VGP evaluates a dog across a full range of hunting disciplines — upland bird work, waterfowl, tracking, and more — over the course of a demanding test day. A dog that earns a strong VGP score is a dog that can handle real hunting situations, in real terrain, under real pressure.
What Does the VGP Test?
The VGP covers a broad range of skills that a finished versatile hunting dog must demonstrate in the field:
- Search and pointing on upland birds
- Steadiness to wing and shot
- Retrieve of feathered and furred game
- Water work — retrieve from water, swimming ability
- Drag track — feather and fur, at distance
- Obedience and cooperation with the handler
- Blind retrieve and advanced field skills (depending on organization)
Each element is scored, and the total score determines the dog's rating. A dog must meet minimum thresholds across all categories — there's no hiding a weakness.
Who Is the VGP For?
The VGP is designed for serious hunters and breeders who want to prove their dog is a complete hunting partner. It's the standard used by VDD-GNA, NAJGV, and other German breed organizations to evaluate dogs for breeding eligibility.
If you're running a Deutsch Drahthaar, Deutsch Kurzhaar, Pudelpointer, or another versatile breed under a German testing organization, the VGP is the test your dog is ultimately being built toward.
How to Prepare
Preparation for the VGP takes years, not months. A dog entering the VGP should already have a solid HZP behind it and consistent field experience across multiple seasons. The VGP rewards dogs that have been hunted hard and trained consistently — not dogs that have been drilled for a test. We put a guide together that you can download below.
Download the DRAHT CO VGP Guide
We put together a comprehensive VGP Guide to help handlers understand the test structure, scoring, and preparation requirements. Download it, print it, and use it.
Enjoy articles this? Visit our Hunting dog Hub for more resources, checklist and hunting dog education.
Also available: VGP Checklist — printable training tracker