What is it?

Field work is similar to hunting with your dog. Your dog will learn to retrieve training dummies and birds under your direction. At advanced levels dogs will take hand signals to a downed bird in the field, remain sitting at your side while birds or dummies are thrown and generally be an effective, obedient hunting partner. Field work is extremely popular among retriever enthusiasts and a number of tests are held on the lower mainland and throughout the province each year.

Who can participate?

Anyone with a golden retriever (or any breed of retriever) can take part in the sport. A dog must be registered with the appropriate registry in order to be able to compete and earn official CKC, UKC or AKC titles.

How do I get started?
Contact the Field Rep for the GRCBC and they can help you find a training group or individual to get you started.

What if I want to compete?

A good idea is to attend a few hunt tests or Working certificate events to familiarize yourself with the requirements for the various tests and titles. Offering to help out at a test is a great way to meet people and learn more about the sport.

What titles can my dog earn?

Titles that can be earned in the CKC Working Certificate Program are the Working Certificate (WC), Working Certificate Intermediate (WCI), and Working Certificate Excellent (WCX). Dogs can earn Junior Hunter, Senior Hunter and Master Hunter titles in the CKC and AKC Hunt test programs. The CKC hunt test program also offers a Grand Master Hunter title. In the UKC hunt program, dogs can earn Started Hunting Retriever, Hunting Retriever, Hunting Retriever Champion, Upland Hunter and Grand Hunting Retriever Champion titles. CKC field trials offer Junior Field Trial Retriever, Qualifying Field Trial, Amateur Field Trial and Field Trial Championships.

Where can I find out more about this?  

Additional information about the programs mentioned in this summary can be found at (LINK). Contact your GRCBC Field Rep for information about local training groups and upcoming field events.