# field events/training



## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

for those that might be interested, I thought I might describe what is involved in competing in field events. I know most of you do not use your goldens for hunting or competing in field events, but you may be interested to know what we do.
Field events are divided into field trials and hunt tests. At field trials you are competing with the other dogs. they give 4 placements and JAM's (judges award of merit to fninishers that do not place. divided into open, amateur, qualifying, and derby. The open and amateur are the big time stuff where field champions and amateur field champions are made. qualifying is much the same tests as the first two, just a little easier.. the derby is for dogs under 2 years old... 
In hunt tests you are running against a standard and receive a pass or fail .. enough passes and you can earn titles in this venue also. hunt test titles inclde Master Hunter, Senior Hunter, and Junior Hunter in AKC. Hunting Retriever Champion, Hunting Retriever, and started Retriever in UKC/HRC.
I primarily run hunt tests in both AKC and UKC. I have two female goldens..Casey is almost 10 and dixie just turned 3. Casey has her HRCH in UKC and her SH in AKC. Dixie has her SH in AKC and needs two more passes for the HRCH in UKC. 
At the top level you are doing mostly triple marks (three birds fall while the dog sits at heel and watches). the dogs must remember where all the birds are then pick them up one at a time and return with them ... the best job is a straight line to the marks without variation due to factors (hills, brush, water, etc). They then do blinds. A bird is placed where the dog does not know where it is.. usually in a line between the marks you just did.. you line your dog up and send it... if off line you blow your whistle and give her hand signals (over, angle back, or straight back) to direct them to the bird. the perfect job here is again taking a straight line from handler to bird... called lining the blind.. all of this is done on land as well as water.. Most of the stuff I do is at distances of 75 to 150 yards.... judges can make it very difficult by how they place the birds.. running right through a previous bird to pick up another one for example.. hills, brush, wind.. all factors that come into play.. the high level of the trials get out to 300 and 400 yards. 
the trials are dominated by the big time pros.. and of late, many of the hunt tests have a majority of pro trained and handled dogs.. 
the sport is dominated by labs.. probably 90% or more of the dogs running these are labs. some goldens and fewer yet chesapekes, flat coats, irish water spaniels, tollers, and I have even seen a couple standard poodles running. 
It is very difficult and we train almost every single day. Your dog needs to be well schooled in the basics of obedience as well as all the skills needed to make these retrives. It is 15 degrees right now and we are getting ready to head out to train.. yes.. we are nuts.. 
But it is really rewarding to walk up to the line with little 43 lb Dixie and have her blow away the competition.. and she does it at times.. 
It is not a sport to get into if you cannot take losing..because you are going to lose sometimes.. The dogs love it..both the training and the competition.. they dont know they are competing, they just know they are getting to retrieve, and they dearly love that.. 
in spite of this being so long, it is a short description of it.. for those that may be interested.. and, of course, we take 2 months a year off to duck hunt... and they love that even more than the competition.. 
thanks for listening to me ramble about a sport I dearly love.


----------



## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

I know what AKC is...I think. What is UKC? And I'd be interested in how you train for this. I don't see me committing...heck...don't even have a backyard right now. But it would be nice to have him learn some skills he was bred to do.


----------



## MegB (Jul 19, 2005)

Wow, that sounds awesome! I have read a little about field events, and I am hoping to catch some on TV if I can find them, but I have never seen it actually done. That a dog can track three birds at once after they have fallen seems amazing to me. 

Like you said, I have read that it takes a great dog, and a thick hide to do field trials. No matter what, you WILL lose at times, because the competition is stiff. But I think it must be very rewarding to challenge your dog with what he was really bred to do. And I would think the dogs just thrive on this sort of activity. 

Thanks for the great info, Greg, and I wish you and the girls much continued success!


----------



## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

This might be a dumb question but do dogs HAVE to fetch bumpers before thye can do field work? Our agility instructor's wife does field with Tollers and is always trying to steal Boo and get him to fetch a bumper because she thinks he'd be good at it. But he only fetches tennis balls. She says he's a disgrace to field Labs


----------



## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

katieanddusty said:


> She says he's a disgrace to field Labs


Is she at least half joking when she says that? :lol:


----------



## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

we mostly use bumpers in training. so it would be handy if he would retriever a bumper. early in their training they are taught to "fetch" whatever you send them for.. so unless you have the luxury of being able to train with birds every day... yeah, he needs to fetch a bumper... 
UKC is United Kennel Club.. just another registering entity, much like AKC.. my girls are dual registered with AKC and UKC. You can run the UKC stuff without the registrations, but you can't earn the titles. 
A good place to start and easier is the WC and WCX titles that GRCA has. You can go to the GRCA web site and get the rules on that. It is actually a recognized title that you can put at the end of your dogs name... 
Rover WC or Rover WCX.. both my girls did the WCX when they were pretty young and the test was real close to me.. 
I believe the WC is two single retrieves on land and two on water.. all ducks... 
The WCX is a land triple, a water double, and an honor (they have to sit and watch another dog work without "breaking").... 
For someone just starting out and doesnt want to get into it too deep, I reccommend "The 10-Minute Retriever" by John and Amy Dahl. available at Amazon... For more in depth I like Smartworks..volumes I and II.. by Evan Grahm. Both books take you through the training of a retriever. 
I warn you, if you get into it and get a ribbon...I dont care if it is in a puppy stake.. you may become addicted... and there goes all your time and money and .... well, it is a bad addiction..


----------



## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

It sounds amazing. I'd also love to watch any events on television. Anyone who knows of any events should post the times and channels here..... Maybe in the Events section?

I'd love to watch more of all of it.....showing, field events, agility. We've even looked into some of the local flyball events.


----------



## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Thanks! I bet I could get him to fetch a bumper if I worked enough at it. To get him to play with anything but a ball I have to take all the balls out of the yard and wait 10 minutes while he runs around looking for it  I'll look for those books, thanks ... Do you know if the Lab club has a WC test, or can Labs participate in GRCA tests?


----------



## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I can get Samson to fetch ANYTHING. I throw it, he'll want to go get it.....

Sounds like in these events, I wouldn't be throwing it.....that's where the training would come in.....:lol:


----------



## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

Katie, if you were close to me you could teach us agility in turn for giving field lessons.. i have always wanted to try that.. dixie is so small and quick i always thought she would be good at that..but because of her size she would probably have to compete with those border collies and from what I have seen, they are really good at it. And then I don't know if one dog could handle two such extreme sports..


----------



## jeffreyzone (Feb 8, 2006)

Thanks for the excellent information, Greg. I've wondered how to get started with field work, and whether it's possible to participate on a lower level than the activities I've seen on television. The GRCA sounds like the way for me to take Dottie. She isn't registered, so we might be in it for the glory only. But still, it's obvious that this is an awesome way to strengthen the bond with a Golden while doing something that is so integral to the purpose of the breed. She would love the activities you described; I've watched her mark things on occasion.

I like the experience you described of showing up with your petite Golden girl and having her smoke the competition. That has got to be a terrific feeling.

Rick, you mentioned flyball...that looks like a ton of fun! I've looked around to see about signing little Barrington up for flyball training, and there is one group nearby who offers this sort of thing. Barrington would be a really good "small dog" for a team, because he is extremely fast. We retriever people have so many great opportunities, don't we?


----------



## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

jeffreyzone said:


> Rick, you mentioned flyball...that looks like a ton of fun! I've looked around to see about signing little Barrington up for flyball training, and there is one group nearby who offers this sort of thing. Barrington would be a really good "small dog" for a team, because he is extremely fast. We retriever people have so many great opportunities, don't we?


We've got a couple different groups in our area that run them.....I'd love to look more into it..... It really does look like fun.....


----------



## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

Mine likes his dokken! His foot is broken in 4 places though now, so he down. Hope it heals ok, I sure miss having him out there.


----------



## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

Nothing like a Working Golden! But, it is a lot of work for the handler also. Many, many practice sessions! My Margo (pictured below) has the first leg of her JH. She is awsome in the field, but just won't do it in competition. We're hoping to get her JH and WC this year.


----------



## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Rick,,,We were at Maggies lesson last week and her trainer brought up that he thought Maggie would be great at flyball and wanted to know if he could train her for it after she gets done with her reg training


----------



## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Maggies mom said:


> Rick,,,We were at Maggies lesson last week and her trainer brought up that he thought Maggie would be great at flyball and wanted to know if he could train her for it after she gets done with her reg training


Are you gonna do it? I've really got to make some phone calls and check more into it. I would like to try and I know Samson would love it.


----------



## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

First she has to get thur her regular training, I think im going to....


----------

