Coach watched intently as three gunshots sounded to simulate birds shot in quick succession in three locations. But he stood by his trainer, Ray Shanks, until given the command to retrieve the first bird. Then he bounded into the grass, following Shanks’ commands before bounding back to Shanks with a bird in his mouth.

Coach was one of 89 dogs to run in a retriever master test at Old Oak Kennel west of Blooming Prairie on Saturday. For professional trainers like Shanks and amateur trainers alike, the judged tests offered a chance to show off their dogs’ skills and earn titles and standards for pedigrees.

By successfully completing the master trials, the dogs earned the highest American Kennel Club hunting status.

“This is certainly a high achievement,” Shanks said.

Dogs first earn junior and senior status, and a senior test was also held Sunday with about 16 dogs.The tests are pass fail based on standards set in the AKC rulebook.

Saturday’s tests were put on by the Southern Minnesota Hunter and Retriever Association and Old Oak Kennel owner Rick McConico, a professional dog trainer.

“We are known for having the best hunt test in the Midwest,” McConico said.

McConico said their test is well organized, efficient and use fresh birds, which makes it a much sought after event for trainers.

“Everybody wants to be in our test,” he said.

McConico called his training grounds one of the elite facilities in the Midwest. Longtime friend and fellow trainer Alice Xander of Pardeeville, Wisconsin, agreed the site was great for the test.

“This place is gorgeous, wonderful,” she said after a retrieval with her dog Lille.

Old Oak typically has trial events each May and July, but it was able to add a September event this year because Labor Day weekend fell late in the month and a Wisconsin trial was held last weekend, which opened up this weekend.

Dogs average ages 3 to 7 for the test but there’s no age requirements. The tests include a series of retrievals, including land and water tests. Gaining titles and meeting standards improves a dog’s skills through trainings and improves the animal’s pedigree and value.

“It takes talented animal to get to this level, that’s for sure,” Shanks said.

Shanks, a trainer based in Georgia most of the year, trains at Old Oak Kennel from June through Labor Day because it’s too warm to train in the South. He had 22 dogs in the test Saturday and is currently training 32 total dogs.

Along with Shanks, trainers came from as far away as Louisiana and Texas, along with a few from Wisconsin.

Though McConico and his wife, Andrea, own the grounds, they let the retriever club train on the grounds on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The McConicos opened Old Oak Kennel about nine years ago. The business averages 25 dogs every month, brought for all types of training, including simple obedience, hunting, gun dogs, competition and more. The length of the dogs’ stay depends on the type of training it receives.

—Jenae Hackensmith contributed to this report.