“The purpose of a Spaniel field trial is to demonstrate the performance of a properly trained Spaniel in the field. The performance should not differ from that in any ordinary day’s shooting, except that in the trials a dog should do his work in a more nearly perfect way. The function of a hunting Spaniel is to seek, find and flush game in an eager, brisk, quiet manner and when game is shot, to mark the fall or direction thereof and retrieve to hand. The dog should walk at heel or on a leash until ordered to seek game and should then thoroughly hunt the designated cover, within gunshot, in line of quest, without unnecessarily covering the ground twice, and should flush game boldly and without urging. When game is flushed, a dog should be steady to flush or command, and, if game is shot should retrieve at command only, but not until the Judge has instructed the handler. Dogs should retrieve quickly and briskly when ordered to do so and deliver tenderly to hand. They should then sit or ‘hup’ until given further orders.”

…from the AKC Field Trial Rules and Standard Procedure for Spaniels

The video below of our AFC JoJo’s Easy Keeper and his trainer, Gary Riddle, at a Utah field trial in September of 2021 demonstrates all of this to near perfection! Gary and Keeper finished 1st out of the 25 dogs that started this trial…