Does your dog love to retrieve? Does he love water, getting dirty and wants to please you? This is the sport for you!!!

All registered gun dogs are eligible to compete in Retrieving trials where they are judged on their ability to hunt game in a simulated shooting situation. As well as the dogs being registered the owner must be a current financial member of the Canine Association of WA.

Your dog will learn to prove his ability to seek & retrieve fallen game and eventually obey whistle commands to stop and change direction in order to complete the exercise.

All this takes time as your dog starts in the Novice class and works his way up through the classes until he becomes a Retrieving Trial Champion.

The Retrieving Club runs beginner classes through out the year and will be only too pleased to assist in any way.

Gundog Trials

The ability and intelligence of well bred and well trained Gundogs is remarkable.

Dogs West and various affiliated clubs conduct competitive trials in the field for registered Gundogs. These events are designed to test the various breeds in the type of work for which they were developed over hundreds and even thousands of years.

They provide breeders with the opportunity to test the natural working instincts of their dogs and therefore the chance to select breeding stock on the basis of appropriate temperament and for preservation of their invaluable working instincts.

These trials provide the opportunity for owners to experience the pleasure of working closely with their dogs in a fascinating range of competitive field sports. Championship titles and minor titles are available based on performance.These events are conducted in the field under natural conditions but with simulated game and while a shotgun is fired there is no shooting of game.There are two types of trials conducted in WA:

• Retrieving trials where any registered Gundog is required to retrieve articles of fallen game with varying degrees of difficulty according to the level attained from beginner through to national Championship.

• Field Trials for Pointers & Setters and also for Utility Gundogs where dogs are assessed on their ability to find and point game and retrieve in the case of Utility Gundogs. Here again are varying degrees of difficulty according to the level attained.

Levels of Competition

Dogs begin in the Novice class and, as they gain more experience, progress through additional levels of competition. The ultimate goal is to earn the title of Retrieving Trial Champion. While all registered gundogs are eligible to participate, owners must be current financial members of Dogs West to enter.
Competitions range from the more straightforward novice levels to advanced trials that require dogs to retrieve items, from both land and water, and to handle more complex tasks such as double retrieves.

Retrieving Ability Tests (RATG)

In addition to Retrieving Trials, there are Retrieving Ability Tests for Gundogs (RATG), which serve as an introduction to the sport, providing a valuable stepping stone for gundog owners to introduce their dogs to retrieving, or to simply enjoy working with their dogs in a natural setting.. These tests are divided into two levels: Novice and Open.

• RATG Novice: In this entry-level test, dogs are judged on obedience and retrieving skills. Exercises include heeling, recalls, and two single mark retrieves over various distances, with the possibility of land or water retrieves. Dogs are also judged on their style and action during the retrievals.
• RATG Open: This more advanced level includes more challenging exercises, such as walking at heel over a longer distance, a stay with a stop on recall, and a double mark retrieve or a double rise at varying distances.
• The Retrieving Ability Tests for Gundogs provide a valuable stepping stone for gundog owners looking to introduce their dogs to retrieving, or simply enjoy working with their dogs in a natural setting.

For further information, contact Dogs West..