Field trial spaniels

About field trial spaniels

Spaniel field trials test what spaniels were bred for: hunting thick cover, flushing game within range of the guns and retrieving it cleanly. English Springers and Cockers are the core of spaniel trials UK-wide, and this page explains what the trials ask, who breeds and trains the dogs, and what to ask field trial spaniel breeders before you commit to a puppy.

What this work involves

A spaniel at a trial works a beat in front of the guns, quartering the ground in search of game. When it flushes a bird or rabbit it must be steady to the flush, the shot and the fall, and then retrieve tenderly to hand on command. Judges credit natural game-finding, marking, drive, style, control, quiet handling and clean, quick retrieving.

The regulations are strict. Eliminating faults include hard mouth, whining or barking, missing game on the beat, running in or chasing, failing to enter water, refusing to retrieve, picking the wrong retrieve, being eye-wiped and being out of control. Major faults include catching healthy game, not stopping to flush or shot, poor quartering and noisy handling. Pinch, prong and electric shock collars are banned at all RKC-licensed trials.

Open stakes take 14 to 18 runners. The Royal Kennel Club runs two spaniel championships: the Cocker Spaniel Championship and the Any Variety Spaniel (excluding Cocker) Championship. A spaniel becomes a Field Trial Champion by winning its championship, or two open stakes under two different A-panel judges, and it must also pass a Water Certificate.

The club’s code for spaniel competitors says a dog should already have been shot over, be steady to flush, shot and fall, and have picked warm, freshly shot and wounded game before it is entered. A trial is a competition, not a training day.

Who trains and supplies these dogs in the UK

Field trial spaniel breeders are private kennels, many run by handlers who trial, beat or pick up through the season. Puppies are sold privately and trained by their owners or by professional handlers, some of whom also run dogs for other owners. No organisation supplies ready-trained trial spaniels.

The Royal Kennel Club licenses spaniel trials, approves judges, runs the championships and records awards. Spaniel breed clubs and field trial societies run the stakes under its regulations, and many also hold training days and summer working tests.

Breeds and lines

The English Springer Spaniel and Cocker Spaniel are the core trialling breeds, and Cockers have their own stakes and championship. A field trial cocker is typically smaller, faster and busier than a show cocker, and an FTCh springer spaniel line is bred for drive, pace and biddability rather than coat. Welsh Springer and Clumber Spaniels are run in Any Variety stakes by small groups of enthusiasts; both are on the Royal Kennel Club’s list of vulnerable native breeds.

Health testing belongs in a good working pedigree. For Cockers, the RKC Health Standard’s Good Practice level lists DNA tests for acral mutilation syndrome and progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA) and asks breeders to prioritise genetic diversity. For English Springers it lists hip, elbow and eye testing, including gonioscopy.

What to ask a breeder

• Which trial awards do the parents hold, and what are their registered names?
• Do the parents work on shoots in the season, and can I see them?
• What are the parents’ DNA, hip and eye results?
• How biddable are the parents, and does this litter suit a first-time trainer?
• Are the puppies’ tails docked and, if so, what evidence did the vet see?
• What support do you give buyers with early training?

Legal and welfare notes

• In England and Wales, section 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 bans tail docking other than for veterinary treatment, except by a vet on a puppy of a specified working type no more than five days old, where evidence shows it is likely to work in roles such as lawful shooting. England’s list covers spaniels of any type; Wales names the English Springer, Welsh Springer and Cocker. A docked dog cannot be shown where the public pays for admission, except to demonstrate its working ability. Scotland has its own rules.
• The Animal Welfare Act 2006 duty of care applies to trial and shooting dogs as to any other dog.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a field trial cocker and working cocker puppies?

Every field trial cocker is a working cocker, but not every working cocker comes from trial lines. ‘Working cocker puppies’ usually means puppies from shooting-field parents; ‘FTCh-bred’ means the pedigree includes a Field Trial Champion. Ask how close.

Can anyone enter spaniel trials in the UK?

Any dog registered with the Royal Kennel Club can be entered, but places are decided by ballot, with preference for society members and, in open stakes, for dogs with previous awards. Most newcomers start at working tests and watch several trials first.

Is a working cocker a good family pet?

For an active household that gives it training and a job, often. A bored working cocker will find its own work, so plan exercise and training before you buy.

If you breed spaniels whose lines have proved themselves in the field or at trials, list your kennel so people searching for field trial spaniel breeders can find you. Add your listing.