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Getting started in field trials

21K views 107 replies 43 participants last post by  Marvin S 
#1 ·
So a couple of the other threads on here got me thinking...just how does one get started running field trials?? I'm sure there are probably a few others that may be wondering the same thing, so why not put together a list of things a newbie needs to know before showing up at their first trial. Personally I know very little about them, so maybe some of the experienced folks can post some tips/information resources, etc. Try to keep it serious and provide legitimate information for anybody who wants to know. Personally I've went and watched 2 separate trials, one being the Canadian national amateur last year, and that day I think I was easily the youngest person there (33) I could be wrong but it seems to me it could very well be a dying sport. So how about it folks how about a little FYI/FAQ for Newbie Field Trialers.

For a starting point, let's say we already have:
* field trial quality pup
* a copy of one of the training programs (Lardy/Graham/etc)

Personally my biggest question would be:
* what should the dog be capable of handling? (Training requirements?)
 
#2 ·
A good dog (black:) ) able to be trained is key!! Along with what you mentioned. I believe another thread talked about dog's pedigrees which is important in selecting a dog. IMO A place to train and join a club to support the sport. Your own training equipment (throwers, BB etc) if you will be training alone at times. IMO Good luck to you!!!
 
#3 ·
You will think this is not serious but it is.

1) Get a checking account with a lot of money in it that you don't need or want.

2) Get a thick skin.

3) Be prepared mentally to never have a winner.

4) Find a good pro and send the best dog you have to him/her and just wait.

It is a tough game and not for the impatient or faint of heart. The top 1/10 of the top 1% of talented dogs in the country are successful. Al the rest never see a blue ribbon.

Others may see it different, bit that is my take.

MP
 
#5 ·
1. access to a variety of training grounds

2. supportive spouse

3. flexible job or self employed

4. competitive spirit

5. mentor with previous success in field trials
 
#6 ·
Or you could do what we did get up the nerve to send in an entry. You never know what will happen and the game is looking for people to get involved here in Canada. You are right our ages are getting up there. You will have to make so choices as training a dog takes a great deal of time and/or money if you go the pro route.
 
#7 ·
Step One: Get a good dog
Step Two: Train until you think your dog is ready for the level you will be entering than double that amount of training before you actually enter.
Step Three: Pay your money and take your chances
Step Four: Learn through competition that there are better dogs with better training
Step Five: Humbled, go back to Step Two and repeat until you either start having success or realize that you really need to go back to Step One and start a different dog
Step Six: Repeat for a lifetime

Greg
 
#8 ·
Pay your entry fee and start running. It's between you and the dog. It's not what other people think it's what you think about the trial you ran. Win or lose just love being at the line with your dog that you trained and handled and running the setup.
 
#9 ·
You coulda said the same thing about the sport dying out 30 years ago about field trialing. Back then mostly the more "mature" folks were the ones who were running dogs. It helps to have retired with some savings.
 
#10 ·
The Op has a fair question however lots of answers are available.
If you like outdoors, training a dog(s) , being committed, have available grounds, time , etc , have disposable funds, like to travel, be disappointed a lot, realize that a lottery ticket has about as much chance as all of us do( there is a group that has good success however they are mostly very experienced) then the retriever sport will enrich your life.

While it is about winning or achieving a standard the really successful folks enjoy a special relationship with their dog. If you go out in the first series or pickup in the 4th or perhaps finish; it is really about the team and are YOU happy with the work.

Enjoy the journey and you may find the destination changed.
Dk
 
#11 ·
Pay your entry fee and start running. It's between you and the dog. It's not what other people think it's what you think about the trial you ran. Win or lose just love being at the line with your dog that you trained and handled and running the setup.
 
#15 ·
This.

If you want to be one of the top dogs in the dog game, run nationals every year, etc., you need either a lot of time or a lot of money and a lot of both is better.

But if you love running the dog and training when you can and doing better over time than you used to, it is a great way to spend a weekend. Make your own yardstick for success or failure (at first, my measure of success was not having to do the walk of shame :) )other than ribbons because more often than not they go to the folks mentioned above. However, when you get a ribbon it is all the more sweet.

The people who run FTs are a small group and when you first show up they won't know you and may appear closed but they will know you the second time and will be very helpful and supportive, especially once they know where on your truck your cooler tray is and where you keep the liquor :)
 
#12 ·
I think that Mike Perry got the downside of Field Trials right, but Greg Heier got the essence of field trials. If you enjoy working with the dogs, If you enjoy watching your progress as a trainer and a handler, and your dog's progress, and are able to separate yourself from the need to acquire ribbons, you will be hooked for life. If you are doing this to acquire "success," you will be miserable.
 
#13 ·
I think all the answers are good ones. I'm giving it some thought, but don't know any FT'ers in my neck of the woods. I have a pup from FC dam AFC/FC sire with a good derby-date birthday so if anyone can give me any contact information... I'd be grateful.

Having said that, maybe one other thing should be added to the list for the OP. I have a lot of training information and it's all going to be vital. But Retrievers Online is the first resource I've read that really dissects the sport and analyzes concepts that a FT dog must know. It provides illustrations and the writing style is very readable.
 
#14 ·
I think all the answers are good ones. I'm giving it some thought, but don't know any FT'ers in my neck of the woods. I have a pup from FC dam AFC/FC sire with a good derby-date birthday so if anyone can give me any contact information... I'd be grateful.

Having said that, maybe one other thing should be added to the list for the OP. I have a lot of training information and it's all going to be vital. But Retrievers Online is the first resource I've read that really dissects the sport and analyzes concepts that a FT dog must know. It provides illustrations and the writing style is very readable.

Bolding is mine. Trust me, "if you build it, they will come." I live in a remote area, but when I started going to Derbies (which was last year with my very first field dog), I met a lot of field trial people who were very kind and willing to train with me. It would mean some traveling, but so does everything else. If you show up to a trial, you will meet some great people who will help you learn more than you could imagine. Seek and ye shall find!

Dave Kress really said it for me in navigating this sport with my first dog: Changing your destination from winning a ribbon to making it to the next series and sometimes just learning something new. That's the ticket to enjoying the sport in my view.

Here is my take on how to get started in Field Trials:

1. Read the rules, get familiar with Entry Express to find a stake near you. Go watch one first if possible. Research what a stake will present.

2. Train for that level.

3. Go do it. It's so much fun!!!!!
 
#16 · (Edited)
Great info so far folks...I might get picked on for this one, but here goes anyway...

What about the actual requirements for a Field trial? Where would a person find that info? I know when I was training my dog for hunt tests I had an actual list of requirements for each level. Ie SH= double marks @ 100, blind @ 100,walk ups, etc. Is there a similar set of elements a judge has to follow to create a fair trial? Or a similar yardstick to measure an individuals training so that can at least "think" they are ready to enter a trial?
 
#19 ·
There is no substitute for real life experience. Go watch, meet some field trial people, most are more than willing to help newcomers. Learning about field trials on the internet would be like trying to learn to play golf on the internet.
 
#18 ·
Money hole. That's so true. Whenever I've spent a slug of $$ on the game, I just turn to hubby and say "But sweetie. At least I'm not in love with horses!" Or sometimes... "Don't worry, I won't be buying that bass boat."
 
#22 ·
I like all the info offered here. I signed up for our states retriever events e mails and just got one showing the activities
for the year. So just sent em back a mail asking if I could volunteer at the events as a helping hand. I'm a good listening laborer. Figured that way I could have fun, watch dogs run, be useful and learn all at the same time. Then see if we could play.

Lee
 
#29 ·
That's the best way hands down! A worker at a field trial most always gets the attention of those experienced folks. Birds and places help too, if you have access to those! or can you shoot flyers and make them immediately dead! in a hula hoop area . I'am stretching it a bit.
 
#25 ·
Master Hunter is not normally in the field trial progression. Early on most trainers are focusing training towards all age stakes. In training, most derby dogs are doing complex blind work. The factors, distance and required precision are very different in trials than in a MH event. Successful trial dogs are trained 5 or more days per week.

A very good dog is essential in trials. The "A" level pros run dogs at all levels except Amateur. You will not see them make a lot of handlers errors. That is the competition and most of them do not have the patience to keep a mediocre dog on the truck.

If anyone thinks that any old pure bred retriever can compete in trials, look at some completed trials on entry express. Check out the pedigrees of the finishing dogs. You will find that a large number come from parents that each have championship titles. I suspect most of them have a majority of titled ancestors in the last three generations.
 
#28 ·
I agree, in fact running hunt tests with a young derby dog is something I wouldn't do. Many field trialers train from the beginning of a goal of a all-age dog (not a QAA dog) but, a dog that can compete for championship points and make progress towards a field champion and/or amateur field champion title. This starts in the Derby and many dogs have won or placed in all-age stakes as older derby dogs. If one were selecting a puppy from well bred parentage ,and field trials were the goal, I would continue to train at a very high standard, not hunt test training. Run hunt tests later if that's your desire. I assure you a well trained field trial older derby dog say 20 plus months can do high level hunt tests, some younger.
 
#26 ·
Don't let folks discourage you ...

1. Do you have a flexible work schedule?
2. Are you competitive by nature?
3. Are you committed to learning as much as possible?
4. Can you accept some failure?

If you answered yes, go to some trials, find some good training partners and patiently train your dog to be the best it can be. Don't fall in love with a particular dog, though. You can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. Sometimes, you create issues with a dog. Don't be afraid to seek the advice and help of a pro.
 
#27 ·
If you have any experience with hunt tests its not hard to make the jump to the Q. The best way to learn what you need to train for is to enter one and step to the line with your dog. When I ran my first trial I had never even seen a FT before. Everyone was very supportive and it had me hooked.
 
#30 ·
Great info so far.
Russ gave you the details you were looking for.
The resources you mention prove that you are on the right track.
IMO there is a HUGE value in hooking up as much as possible with people who are current and active. They will give you the best perspective on the demands you face in the field & otherwise. Be prepared to prove that you are worth their effort to teach you. For every 20 newbies that come along maybe one is not a time waster for us. Be patient and measure your expectations against your experience.
Ignore the naysayers.
There is far more to this than ribbons and titles. Field trials people and dogs are entertaining from all angles.
 
#32 ·
A time waster is someone who comes out to learn how to train, regularly for a week or month, and in that time gets all kinds of advice for the price of throwing a few birds, and then "POOF" they are gone.
Each session an hr or more is taken to go over all the basic details of training etc. Then they are gone. Despite their claims they never really were keeners. Out our way we have not seen a dedicated person join us in a least 6 years.
 
#33 ·
If you want to get into field trials, jump all in that is, you will have a better experience and better chance of succeding if you connect to the hip of a well connected mentor whom you can train with on a regular basis. (Daily or at least all weekend, every weekend) Secondly besides just helping you learn dog training your mentor will ideally be grooming you to judge trials and if you're a good enough student help set you up with judging assignments. You would be well advised to have at least 2 judging assignments on your circuit yearly starting as soon as possible.
 
#35 ·
Ed I agree with you, of course, and was always loth to run a 4th when one judge had never ever finished AA stake and likely had never hung around late Sunday afternoon to have even seen one.
But the point of my advice is that if one wants to be taken seriously they need to let folks know they will be seeing them in the chair often.
 
#36 ·
There's a lot of good advice here. I'll just add that because most dogs don't measure up, the question often arises what to do with those that don't. Some folks wash them out, sell them, and start over with a new prospect. Some see that dog through and may compete with it for its entire working life, even if it's not a strong prospect (you see this some with Chesapeakes); they start again when the current dog gets old. There are a few people out there who have repeatedly had good/great dogs, Derby champions, National winners and finalists, who if you go visit them you will meet their washouts hanging around the kitchen. People in the last category have an exceptional success ratio or they couldn't do this; the kitchen would be too crowded.

Amy Dahl
 
#37 ·
There are lots of other ways to prove that you are serious about the trial game than judging. Too much knowledge needed to judge for a beginner to just jump in the chair to prove that. You can volunteer as trial chairman or secretary for your local club and see what goes on behind the scenes to put on a trial. It is a ton of work that not many people are willing to do. Its a job that is important because without someone orchestrating the event there are no events. Same with judges.

Russell
 
#39 ·
I agree with those who have said you need successful, real life mentors to help you prepare a dog for trial. You can hire a pro or do it yourself, depending on your situation/goals/desires/resources.

There are a few things that I think are critical for a newer person in terms of being accepted and getting others to give you the help you need. I say this having trained with many FT amateurs and more dog training professionals than most people will ever see. Just to qualify that last statement, I worked a job for two years where there were 90-100 trainers on board at any given time. There were pros from HT/FT, Military and Law Enforcement, all kinds of dog sports including agility and schutzund. 40 year old guys who legitimately had been training professionally for more than 20 years.

Some things to be aware of about the environment you are entering:

1. Remember that anyone whose not getting paid to help you most certainly doesn't have to put up with you. even if they are getting paid there will be a limit to their patience.

2. You know NOTHING about dog training in the eyes of someone who has trained 1000's of dogs, unless you too have trained 1000's and even then you may not know anything about their venue. I don't care how talented you are.

3. If you are talented in one venue or another you might get some respect from people in another venue but they still view themselves as being superior in terms of knowledge (and in many cases they are).

4. There are many many people who are VERY set in their ways, due to success over many dogs and years. They may not be open to new ideas.

5. Personalities still exist. Someone can be an excellent dog trainer and not do very well interacting with people. Be prepared to either seek out an interpersonal style that matches your needs or adapt to what you find in the pursuit of knowledge.

Some things you should do when interacting with experienced trainers.

1. Remember my first 5 points, ALWAYS.

2. Talk less and listen more.

2a. Other than animal abuse, don't come with any pre-disposed notions of how YOU want to train, unless you know the group agrees with your philosophy.

3. Practice your personal handling/training skills away from the group.

4. Be respectful of people's time. Be punctual. Do your share of the work. Be dedicated.

5. Remember that everyone's success in a training group depends on everyone else pitching in and doing a quality job. The bird boy can be more important than the handler in a lot of situations. Learn how to FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.

6. Be gracious and grateful.

7. Ask questions and LISTEN to the answers. Put the answers into practice. Advice given but not applied (within a group of experienced people who are on the same page) is viewed as a waste of effort. Wasted effort = lack of effort later. People will stop advising you if they don't see you put their advice into practice.

Finally...

A good dog really helps, so start with the best dog you can find and don't be afraid to change dogs if necessary.
 
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