Accidental Bird Dog
Hi Friends,
If you’re a proud member of the upland-bird-dog-obsessed gang, you probably have an idea of who Zara, aka The Accidental Bird Dog, is.
I’ve been following her and mom Terry Ann over on Instagram for a while, so meeting them in person and getting to witness Zara in action last year was a great treat.
Zara is Terry Ann’s 10-year-old Vizsla, affectionately referred to as her “accidental bird dog.” Originally, Zara was simply supposed to be a running partner. In fact, she didn’t show much inclination for hunting at all during her initial puppy temperament test; which was fine with Terry Ann, as she had zero intention of training Zara for hunting or any other dog sport.
For the first few years, Zara enjoyed the companion lifestyle, living a wonderful life of running, playing, and snuggling. But when her breeder encouraged Terry Ann to enter a beginner-level hunt test, they gave it a shot.
With minimal training, Zara’s natural instinct took over and she earned perfect scores.
From that moment on, Terry Ann was hooked and wanted to continue training Zara for advanced competitions, even though she had virtually no experience. But despite everything, they both dove into the bird dog world wholeheartedly and after several years, the hard work, dedication, and training began to pay off.
Zara is now an AKC Master Hunter,
a NAVHDA Versatile Champion, and has multiple AKC field trial placements and wins!
Remembering how she felt in those early days of training and wanting to help others navigate the world, Terry Ann now coaches other bird dog owners, helping them find success in field trials and pointing dog events,
Spending the day with Terry Ann and Zara in the field was a dream come true.
They are both kind and welcoming as can be, and also pretty badass. Zara made finding the birds seem effortless and you could also see how much she wanted to please her mom.
Cedar had just been born when we did this photoshoot and I distinctly remember telling myself, ‘One day, you’ll have that with your pup.’ I just couldn’t wait.
Coaching for events
Through her online coaching, Terry Ann helps bird dog owners discover the joy of competing with their dogs and guide them on their journey into hunting events.
The first call I made after signing Cedar up for her first Junior Hunt test was to Terry Ann. She guided me through the process and gave actionable tips that helped me prepare, and boosted my confidence.
I’m very proud to say Cedar aced all 4/4 runs that weekend and completed her AKC Junior Hunter title.
When she’s not coaching
Terry Ann also offers graphic design for websites, print pieces, and logos, along with realistic colored pencil portraits of your bird dog through her studio,
On Point Design.
A part of the Her Upland Network
Terry Ann hosts a podcast dedicated to hunting dog competitions, major bird dog sport organizations and events.
Episodes also provide tips for success in various types of field trials, hunt tests, and NAVHDA tests, along with problem-solving common issues, and if you’re like me, how to get past the intro-level stage.
A few months ago
Cedar and I had the opportunity to do some wild timber doodle hunting with Terry Ann and Zara down in North Carolina.
What a magical day watching the pups work together.
A few hours in, Zara went on point and I brought Cedar to heel. Terry Ann held her while I went up and flushed.
The bird went down and Zara went in for a beautiful retrieve. She brought it back to Terry Ann and then pranced over to me, bird still in mouth, for the most adorable victory lap I’ve ever seen.
A little while later, Cedar pointed some birds, Zara backed, and Terry Ann flushed and shot her own too.
From there it was point after point, with miss after miss. But hey, 2 out of 6 ain’t bad, and any day spent in the woods with friends and dogs can’t be beat.
