I would say that my pup Zip is a meat dog. Blue collar, white collar or no collar - he's a fine pup in my book!

I never wanted a hunting dog to impress others or one to win me a ribbon and I don't need another person's approval to know what my dog means to me.

I finally have a beautiful hunting dog - a dog I've waited some time for - and if someone wants to tell me he's no good without a stamp or ribbon then I will just laugh - because if we both have fun in the field then we are doing it right!

I believe a field trial dog is also a meat dog but not all meat dogs would have a chance in a field trial probably few.

This is outside of my world a bit. It's never occurred to me to go the field trial route, but I've always thought of it as a means to an end for a dedicated trainer. Are we implying that the purpose of trials isn't to better train and develop a hunting dog for.. you know.. hunting? I want my dog to hunt, it would be nice if he was better behaved doing it, training for field trials would probably help that.

As long as it's not one of those show-dog perversions I'll take it.

The kennels were Magnum comes out of Winddrift kennels are from a long line of field trial dogs of the UK and Ireland were the field trials are way beyond what the field trials are here.One dog hunts while the others are walked at heel during the field trial until their turn. In the UK and Ireland there isnt mutch hunting land and its private on large estates were by invitation only your aloud to hunt or field trial and untrained dogs are not welcome for many reasons.Their field trials are with wild game not planted pen raised birds.The dog is expected to hup on the flush and only retrieve when the command is given(steady to wing and shot).All of these well trained dogs out of these kennels in the UK are expected to trial at this level such as Squareclose kennels.These well trained dogs are definitly field trial level and great meat dogs also.Kristine flies to the UK about once a year to see the trials and brings top level dogs from the UK and Ireland back to the US that is how Magnum came about and has a great UK field trial dog Finn that I saw trained to this level at under one year old who is also a great meat dog.You can see a great example of the difference between a field trial dog and a meat dog on tape on My outdoors tv.com Bird dogs forever scroll to the cocker spaniels and play the diference is about ten birds to one wich means more birds in the bag.With the pro there is a cut in wich dogs will be trained and another cut during training wich ones have it in them to trial.I have one threw great breeding makes both cuts.

Any dog that can put a bird up is good in my book. Watching a good dog work is really a thing of beauty, but at the end of the day I'm happy with a dog that puts a few birds up for me and has fun doing it.

Of course, I have been awaiting the opportunity to weigh in on something like this.

Just who, pray tell, established the performance standards for Retrievers?

Certainly no one who was around when the Sport got started here.

The Hunt Test exists because there was so much objection over where the Field Trial was going.

Going 400 yards for a mark as The measure of merit is sheer stupidity.

While Bill can do such a thing, and is the only pinpoint marker I have seen out here, it falls far short of defining retriever performance.

It is supposed to be a test of intelligence and style.

Sending your dawg down a canal full-length is the most idiotic thing I ever heard of.

Wastes a lot of time.

What if it's freezing cold?

The Field Trial and the dawgz that perform in them are a thing of the past.

It gets even worse.

The Hunt Test is supposed to be for the preservation of "Old-Style" bloodlines, where the dogs are slow and deliberate, and are better hunters.

Not so!

After much conditioning, I took Bill to a Hunt Test last year.

He was not only the only old-style dawg there (24" tall and 115 lbs), he was the only retriever there, as far as I'm concerned.

He was the only big-chested, long-legged dawg, and he was the only pinpoint marker there.

He was also the only one there who was sharp on blinds.
He ran faster than any dawg there, and straight to the marks.

Don't listen to this ridiculous nonsense.

Pritch is no less legitimate than any other breed you will see in modern times.

There's more, but why bother?

The entire scene was idiotic, and I am questioning the wisdom of putting in another appearance.

Certainly, I am not going to salvage the Breed by myself.

I wached a Boykin in the flushing dog finals last year cover ground like any large breed.What a hunter!Its all for fun whatever breed is yours and what level you want your dog.

dighunter-- I've never been to a hound trial, but the retriever field trials/hunt tests I've been to have been very well run and fair to all who participated. -D

There's different types of trials, and groups, so it depends on which you like.

I have fun with the "Treeing Feist Assoc." Small dogs, running, lots of barking. A fun time was had by all.

Nobody looks too close at pedigree, only how they go after small game. Heidi has fun, I have fun, others laugh, and everyone's happy.

Doesn't seem like too many people are pro-trails on here, but to each his own. I think that it is a matter of preferance A. and a matter of how much time and training you would like to put in toward the trial specific objectives B. I have been training my 7 month old Britt to eventually be a trail dog. We will most likely run in NSTRA trails. To me it really can't hurt and I think that people hating on the trials is only what seperates the two categories. Sure there is a distinction between close working and rangey dogs, but once again...to each his own. Like I said I am just getting my feet wet here, but at first glance trials should be a way for people to work their dogs in the off season. After all, what it boils down to is a dog using his nose to find something, and that is what makes them happy. Do you think that they know they are in a controlled setting with planted birds?...of coarse not. Its all hunting to them, just may not be to the owner, which is what i am seeing above. Bottom line is I am in it for my dog....all year long; and if we cant hunt, we sure as heck can trial.

my lab hunts very well and looks good doing it. he loves it and i love sharing it with him. his collars are either hunter orange or camo, not white oe blue.

Time to clean the loft and train.

I will take a well trained meat dog any day. I have a black Lab male that slightly cuts corners on retrieves and does other things that would get him docked points in a field trial, but he has instincts you just can't teach a dog. His mother is the same way. You can keep your field trial dogs. I'll take my meat dogs any day as long as they are well trained and obedient. After all, I'm pretty sure wearing one of those blue ribbons in the blind would just flare ducks anyways. :)

I like hunting with a dog that allows you to take your limit.

Meat dog, meat dog, meat dog. Bring me the bird to hand, doesn't have to be pretty or anal with the how.

I like a big tall Labrador that weighs between 90 and 100 pounds that goes after geese and ducks without quitting, even 400 yards in freezing water for sailers. Also one that will kick a little ass on any bird thieves that stray near his birds. Oh yeah, and one that you can leave in the truck with it unlocked. :-)