Stewardship in Action: Working Together to Move the Breed Forward
- Jeff Mizenko
- Jul 6
- 4 min read
Key Takeaways
Stewardship is a shared responsibility.
NAVHDA testing provides objective feedback—not just scores.
Every Prize and No Prize contributes valuable information.
Volunteers make meaningful evaluations possible.
Better information leads to better breeding decisions.
Several weeks ago, Brenda and I submitted an article to the editors of Versatile Hunting Dog magazine entitled "The Burden of Stewardship." While we're still waiting to hear whether it will be selected for publication, the process of writing it challenged us to think more deeply about what stewardship really looks like. Over the past two weekends, as Cedars Point dogs participated in NAVHDA testing hosted by the Sioux Falls and Black Hills Chapters, we were reminded that stewardship is much bigger than any one breeder or kennel.
It is a shared responsibility.
Stewardship Begins with Community
Before mentioning a single score, we'd like to recognize the Sioux Falls and Black Hills NAVHDA Chapters and, more importantly, the many volunteers who made these testing weekends possible. Most people only see a few minutes of a dog's performance in the field or water. More commonly, they see a photograph in front of the chapter sign or, if they're fortunate, an action shot of the dog pointing or retrieving. What they rarely see are the dozens of volunteers working behind the scenes to make those moments possible. Behind the scenes, however, are countless volunteer hours spent by planting birds, dispatching ducks for the mark or then labeling them to be used again for the correct track, planting ducks for the duck search, gunning, judging, organizing and cuing handlers, preparing meals, organizing and preparing test paperwork, maintaining grounds, and keeping dozens of dogs and participants moving efficiently throughout the day. These tests simply would not exist without people willing to give of their time so others can objectively evaluate dogs.
2026 Cedars Point NAVHDA Test Results
Thus far in this testing season, Cedars Point dogs have been represented in Natural Ability, Gun Dog, and Utility testing.
Utility Test
Cedars Point Cypress ("Sage") – Prize I, 201/204, qualifying for the 2027 NAVHDA Invitational.
Gun Dog Test
Cedars Point Glitzy Spitz – Prize I, 160/168, earned just eleven weeks after whelping her first litter.
Natural Ability Test
Cedars Point In the Zone ("Goose") – Prize II, 104/112
Cedars Point Heinous Hydra ("River") – Prize III, 100/112
Cedars Point Hulking Hagrid ("Spezi") – No Prize, 92/112
Cedars Point Hellbound Hela ("Finley") – No Prize, 92/112
Cedars Point I've Got Your Number ("Briar") – No Prize, 86/112
Looking Beyond the Score Sheet
Certainly, the standout performances belonged to Sage and Glitzy. Earning a Utility Prize I and qualifying for the Invitational is an exceptional accomplishment requiring years of training, dedication, and teamwork. Likewise, watching Glitzy return to the field just eleven weeks after raising her first litter and earn a Gun Dog Prize I was especially rewarding.
Why Honest Evaluations Matter
But if stewardship teaches us anything, it's that the score sheet never tells the whole story.
NAVHDA tests evaluate what a dog demonstrates on a particular day under a unique set of circumstances. Training, maturity, weather, handler experience, excitement, and confidence all influence a dog's performance. A dog that swims confidently at home may hesitate during a test. Another may point birds consistently throughout training yet make an unexpected mistake during evaluation. Likewise, a dog may exceed expectations in an area that had previously been uncertain.
Those moments do not automatically define a dog's genetic potential. Instead, they provide another piece of objective information that helps owners continue their training and helps breeders better understand the strengths and opportunities within their breeding program.
That is why honest evaluations matter.
Every Prize and every No Prize adds to our understanding. A No Prize is not simply a disappointing outcome; it is feedback. Sometimes it points toward additional training. Sometimes it reflects maturity, experience, or confidence. Sometimes it reminds us that dogs, like people, do not always perform at their best on a given day. The value lies in understanding why a dog performed as it did and using that information to become better trainers, handlers, and breeders.
As breeders, we have the responsibility to look beyond individual performances. We look for patterns across litters, across generations, and across many different owners and environments. Every evaluation contributes another piece to that larger puzzle, helping us make more informed breeding decisions in the future.
None of that would be possible without our puppy owners. Nor would it be possible without the trainers, handlers, judges, and volunteers who help transform individual evaluations into knowledge that benefits the entire versatile hunting dog community.
Every owner who chooses to have a Cedars Point dog evaluated—whether they train and handle the dog themselves or seek assistance from others—becomes an active partner in stewardship. By stepping to the line and allowing their dogs to be evaluated objectively, they provide information that benefits not only their own dog, but future litters and, ultimately, the breed itself.
For that, Brenda and I are deeply grateful.
Stewardship is a Shared Responsibility
Congratulations to everyone who invested their time, knowledge, and effort in preparing, handling, and evaluating Cedars Point dogs this season, and to every volunteer whose work made these testing weekends possible.
Moving the Breeds Forward
Stewardship isn't measured by the number of Prize I scores a kennel produces. It is measured by the willingness of breeders, owners, trainers, handlers, volunteers, judges, and clubs to participate in the honest evaluation of versatile hunting dogs and to leave the next generation better than the one they inherited.
About the Authors
Jeff and Brenda Mizenko own and operate Cedars Point Kennel in western South Dakota, where they breed, hunt, train, and evaluate Small Munsterlanders. Their breeding program emphasizes objective evaluation through NAVHDA testing, health screening, conformation, and wild-bird hunting. Through the Cedars Point blog, they share practical experience, research, and observations intended to help puppy buyers, owners, breeders, and the broader versatile hunting dog community make informed decisions that support long-term stewardship of hunting dog breeds.
Comments