Following The Scent
Bird Dogs, Their Handlers, and Field Trialing
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I can honestly and with all my heart say that field trials are not always about winning, or at least they shouldn't be. Too many people think that when they enter their dog in the field trial the sole object is to win the trial. Some professional handlers have made an entire career out of dog owners who think this way. That's a real disgrace because if the breeders and professional trainers don't understand what the point of all this is, how can we expect to explain it to the casual field trialer? To breeders and trainers field trials should be about testing your programs. While winning is a lot of fun, and arguably the best test of your stock, it certainly isn't the only test. The list of intangibles I look for in my dogs when they run in field trials could fill an entire book itself. How well they listen shows me bidability, how well they search objectives will speak to field aggressiveness, and when trialing in open fields how well do they quarter the wind? Is their style on point something I want to see in the next generation or not? The list goes on and on. This is what breeders and trainers should be doing in field trials, professionally evaluating what sort of dog they have bred or have been hired to breed and to determine shortcomings and strengths. Whether you win or not is secondary at best. Some of my most satisfying runs in field trials have been times when I didn't even place. An excellent run could hinge on a single moment during the run when you see something marvelous reveal itself, or it may be the downside when a trait you had hoped wouldn't come to the surface does. Of course these things can be ascertained during the basic training and hunting of the dogs, but only in field trials will the dogs be pressured, with the best and worst within the dog exposed. What may take two or three years to observe otherwise can often be seen in two or three months of field trials. That is why I field trial, not to win or lose but rather to produce the best dogs I can.
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About the Book
Bird dog performance events may not be what many people believe they are. This book takes the reader behind the scenes across the span of two years campaigning. The author reports from chapter to chapter on the progress of two dogs, one already a field champion, the other a dog just getting started in field trials. More importantly, each chapter examines various elements of field trialing not directly connected to the dogs. Most of these elements are common to all breeds of bird dog performance events whether they be the pointing dogs, the flushers or the retrievers. This book looks at the interplay between the clubs sponsoring the events and wildlife managers responsible for the grounds on which they are held. It looks at the friendships and conflicts between dog handlers. This book also looks at the elation of winning field trials, but shows the follies which occur as well, and much more. If you are a hard core field trial handler you will nod your head as you read saying to yourself, boy if that isn't the truth. If you have never been to a bird dog performance event and have wondered what they are really about, this will tell you the story.
About the Author
Christopher Eckhoff has been published in Gun Dog and Pointing Dog Journal magazines among numerous other publications. The author has been a bird dog trainer for over 30 years, the most recent 24 years professionally. He is owner/operator of Upland Kennel which is located in eastern Montana. Christopher has been heavily involved in bird dog field trials since 1979. He earned field championships with four of his own dogs and currently runs dogs in the AKC Master Hunt Test program. "I have enjoyed every type of performance related bird dog event in which I have ever participated, from local bird dog club fun trials to horseback all-age field trials. Performance bird dog events, whether it is a full blown field trial for a national championship or a test program when on a given day everyone or no-one may pass, I have run bird dogs in them and alway enjoyed myself doing so", Christopher tells us.