[Kelly Greenwood]

Raw data gathered from AKC.org

Below is number of dogs competing per class divided by number of titles per class for the year. So as an example 6.2 dogs entered Junior for every Junior title in 2011.

Dogs competing (dogs competing per title achieved)
............. JR ................. SR ............. MH
2011 .... 9948 (6.2) .... 7600 (8.6) ... 16424 (23.1)
2010 ... 10182 (6.4) ... 8247 (9.3) ... 15374 (25.8)
2009 ... 11543 (6.7) ... 8252 (9.9) ... 13140 (23.8)
2008 ... 11475 (6.9) ... 8594 (9.9) ... 13060 (22.6)
2007 ... 11960 (6.7) ... 8440 (10) .... 12606 (25.0)
2006 ... 11889 (6.8) ... 8416 (10) .... 13351 (29.5)

Number of AKC titles Per Year (only includes Chessies,Curly's,FCR's,Goldens,Labs,Tollers,Poodles)

.............JR ...... SR .... MH .... FC ... AFC
2011 ... 1610 ... 882 ... 712 ... 67 ... 67
2010 ... 1590 ... 891 ... 597 ... 63 ... 52
2009 ... 1731 ... 836 ... 551 ... 67 ... 50
2008 ... 1669 ... 866 ... 579 ... 61 ... 65
2007 ... 1795 ... 840 ... 504 ... 80 ... 58
2006 ... 1748 ... 837 ... 453 ... 72 ... 53


HUNT TESTS
Dogs Entered/ Number of Tests (Average number of dogs entered per test) Includes all dogs entered in Retriever Hunt Tests.

2011 ... 33,972 ... 376 (90.4)
2010 ... 33,803 ... 388 (87.1)
2009 ... 32,935 ... 377 (87.4)
2008 ... 33,129 ... 372 (89.1)
2007 ... 33,006 ... 357 (92.5)
2006 ... 33,656 ... 349 (96.4)

FIELD TRIALS
Dogs Entered / Number of Trials (Average Number of Dogs entered per Trial)

2011 ... 36,617 ... 301 (121.7)
2010 ... 37,914 ... 293 (129.4)
2009 ... 38,173 ... 281 (135.8)
2008 ... 38,491 ... 284 (135.5)
2007 ... 39,385 ... 268 (147.0)
2006 ... 39.623 ... 256 (154.8)

At current rate of decline by 2072 there will be 0 dogs entered in field trials but 841 field trials to enter.

 

[Brad B]

Interesting, thanks for taking the time to do that.

 

[FOM]

At current rate of decline by 2072 there will be 0 dogs entered in field trials.

I'm thinking I won't mind too much

 

[A team]

First of all this is great information and very interesting, secondly you have too much time on your hands;-)

 

[Losthwy]

Interesting stats. So much for Master Tests getting "easy", shoots that theory down in flames. There was a recent thread about how Master Hunter titles were becoming less meaningful because they were becoming too easy. Rubbish. From what I saw this weekend from not watching a HT for a few years they are getting more challenging.
The field trial numbers are interesting as well. It raises the question do Field trials have healthy future? My feeling field trials will be here in 40 years but it will be greatly changed and diminished as we currently know them. Baby boomers have kept the sport going, but where are the next trialers coming from? About 75% of current field trialers come from HT tests ranks. Most of today's HT folks know they can't compete with the time and/or money it requires to be competitive in the field trial game. The lack of grounds, water, competing against year around pro train dogs all point to a less robust field trial future.

 

[Kelly Greenwood]

I'm thinking I won't mind too much

I won't mind too much either, course I would be 105. ;-)

 

[Kelly Greenwood]

First of all this is great information and very interesting, secondly you have too much time on your hands;-)

I should have gone dog training today.;-)

 

[Thomas D]

Interesting stats. So much for Master Tests getting "easy", shoots that theory down in flames. There was a recent thread about how Master Hunter titles were becoming less meaningful because they were becoming too easy. Rubbish. From what I saw this weekend from not watching a HT for a few years they are getting more challenging.
The field trial numbers are interesting as well. It raises the question do Field trials have healthy future? My feeling field trials will be here in 40 years but it will be greatly changed and diminished as we currently know them. Baby boomers have kept the sport going, but where are the next trialers coming from? About 75% of current field trialers come from HT tests ranks. Most of today's HT folks know they can't compete with the time and/or money it requires to be competitive in the field trial game. The lack of grounds, water, competing against year around pro train dogs all point to a less robust field trial future.

I don't disagree, but the 'titles awarded per entries" could be skewed if in 2006 not as many dogs with a MH title were running. Thus, more titles would be awarded. With raw numbers it's sometimes easy to draw conclusions either way.

 

[A team]

I should have gone dog training today.;-)

Should've called me.

 

[Jennifer Henion]

Thanks for doing that Kelly. I was surprised that the Field Trials had so many dogs entered. More than the hunt tests... Did i read that wrong?

Jennifer

 

[FOM]

Thanks for doing that Kelly. I was surprised that the Field Trials had so many dogs entered. More than the hunt tests... Did i read that wrong?

Jennifer

And look how few title...amazing!

 

[Jennifer Henion]

Yes, we need to switch to the British style field trials!!! They're more fun, too! Not that I've run a field trial... too chicken so far. But I have run in the former and it's major fun.

 

[Kelly Greenwood]

Thanks for doing that Kelly. I was surprised that the Field Trials had so many dogs entered. More than the hunt tests... Did i read that wrong?

Jennifer

One thing to remember is that there are 4 classes in field trials but only two give out Chamionships (Titles) the Derby and the Qual do not have any titles.

 

[Kelly Greenwood]

I don't disagree, but the 'titles awarded per entries" could be skewed if in 2006 not as many dogs with a MH title were running. Thus, more titles would be awarded. With raw numbers it's sometimes easy to draw conclusions either way.

Actually the big jump in MH entries in 2010/2011 is probably (just a guess on my part) due to the new MNH akc title. If that is the case we probably had more titled dogs running in the years since then. The Master nation al require you to qualify each year with 6 master passes in a 12 month period regardless of titles. So if we had a signifigant influx of MH dogs running in MH then the pass rate has gotten slightly easier in the last two years.
What we need is the data for # of entries per dog till titled in master, or pass rate for dogs without a title for the past 5-10 years.