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American Field Trials
American field trials are competitions predominantly for dogs of the hunting breeds to demonstrate the practical side of their natural abilities. Pure bred dogs have natural talents that are prevalent within their specific breeds.
Trials are designated to add championship points to a dog’s title within the American Kennel Club (AKC). If a dog wins at trials, Field Champion is added to his title in the AKC registry or Stud Book. Often various gun clubs will also sponsor competitions. These are not always nationally recognized or condoned by the AKC. Dogs and trainers endure difficult tasks until one is judged the winner. They are generally divided into categories: pointing breeds, retrievers, spaniels, Beagles, Basset Hounds, and Dachshunds. All official trials are sponsored by dog clubs that are approved by the AKC. The trials are set to show off the skills of these dogs in a number of ways: retrieving, flushing, or pointing. • Retrieving is a task where the dog demonstrates the ability to remember ("mark") the location of downed birds and to return the birds to their handlers. • Flushing is a skill for locating birds within gunshot of hunters, scaring (or "flushing") it into the air and retrieving the bird after its been shot down. • Pointing is the ability to find birds, point unfalteringly and retrieve the downed birds, both on land and in the water. The American Field Trials are dependent upon the breeds and their natural skills. There are special requirements that must be met in order to enter your dog in a trial. Dogs must be AKC registered and certified in order to compete in an official trial. They must either appear in the AKC Stud Book or be part of a registered AKC litter. Proper papers must be presented at the time of registration. DNA testing to verify bloodlines is sometimes required. All dogs must be owned by a resident of the United States and be presented at trials by that owner or an AKC approved handler. At the time of trials, a dog must be healthy, free from recent exposure to disease, and not have been in a kennel with any exposure to communicable disease 30 days prior to trials. It is important to begin training at the earliest stage of development. As soon as puppies can obey simple commands, it would be a good idea to begin formal trial training. It is very important to establish basic behavior commands, such as sit or stay, before moving on to any official trial training. For example, retrieving can be taught by using a dummy and a clicker. Certain commands need to be ingrained first, such as showing the dummy, touching with the mouth, and learning to hold the dummy gently in the mouth. | | Often owners use formal trainers, but this can be quite expensive. Many breed clubs offer less pricier training programs for beginners. It is best to determine what trial a dog can compete in by contacting the local AKC breed organization nearest you. Some competitions will take an “unfinished” dog, or an amateur. This would be a good starting point for a beginner wishing to compete in future American Field Trials.
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