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The purpose of an AKC field trial is to determine the relative merits of a retriever in the field. Retrievers have been bred to accompany a hunter in the pursuit of game. They are expected to sit quietly, without fussing, whining, or interfering with another dog's turn, until told to go and retrieve fallen game. When ordered, the dog should quickly and briskly retrieve the game without wandering off to investigate their own interests.The dog should return by a straight route and deliver the game to hand without having done any chewing or destruction to the game. The dog should then again take its place to await further orders.
Accurate "marking" is of primary importance. A dog which marks the fall of a bird, uses the wind, follows a strong cripple, and will take direction from his handler is of great value.
Field trials are avidly participated in by both amateur and professional handlers. They compete in different categories.
Amateur status is currently defined as a person who, for a least one year, has not earned any part of his or her livelihood from the training of a dog for hunting or field trial competition and/or from the handling of a dog in field trial competition at any level.
The dogs are judged for their natural abilities which include memory, attention, nose, courage and intelligence, perseverance and style. The dogs are also judged on the abilities that they have gained through training, which include steadiness, control, obedience to directions and delivery of the game to the handler's hand. The dog's natural abilities are considered to be of greater importance than abilities acquired through training. Dogs are also tested on both land and water. The difficulty of the tests are supposed to be beyond what the average hunting dog is expected to know. However, the concepts and skills needed for the tests are based on those found in typical hunting situations.
Field trials are extremely competitive. There has been continuing improvement in the training and skill levels in field trial dogs. Factors such as terrain, wind, and the combination of how the "marks interact with each other contribute to the difficulty level in most field trials. It can take years of training (for both dog and handler) to achieve the skills for a dog to compete successfully.
Some field retrievers are so active that they are difficult to live with and must be maintained in kennels; however,a typical field retriever is a family companion and shares the owner's home. Most possess a high level of desire, trainability, and a pleasing temperament.
This sport is less-damaging to the joints of the average dog than agility or flyball, however, these animals must also be maintained in a superior physical condition.
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