I agree with Matt. But, what do you mean by "fancy titles" and ribbons? Field trial titles and ribbons? Yes, I would agree, they are fancy in that they do not prove the dog can hunt. <br> <br> In my view, you should not be going into the marsh with anything less than a dog that has the ability to earn a Hunting Retriever (HR) title from the Hunting Retriever Club. If you are going to use a dog to be a useful waterfowl hunting/conservation tool, this is the level that you need to shoot for. Better yet is a Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH) caliber dog. <br> <br> Yes, they give out ribbons and titles for "meat" dogs. These are not "fancy" by any means. The Hunting Retriever Club tests dogs (pass or fail; no 1st place, 2nd place. etc.) for the qualities needed in a meat dog; marking and memory, control, nose, desire, etc. HOWEVER, I don't train for ribbons and titles, I train for a dog that is a pleasure to hunt with. I train my dog to be under control and to be able to bring back 100% of the birds that I might drop from the sky. The titles and ribbons are icing, they are not the goal. <br> <br> Don't sell the HRC program short. It gives you a clear goal, a target to shoot for and attain. We have a saying, "Train like you hunt, and hunt like you train." Field trial training doesn't cut it. HRC hunt test training does. I recommend that you hook up with an HRC club close to you. This may be West Central Ohio HRC. Good people. <br> <br> Links:<br> Rules: http://www.ukcdogs.com/hr/rules/index.shtml<br> Seminars and Hunt Tests: http://www.ukcdogs.com/hr/upcoming/index.shtml<br> Club Map: http://www.hrc-ukc.com/clubinfo.htm<br> Club Contact Info: http://www.hrc-ukc.com/Club%20Map%20Legend%20Presidents%20Information.htm<br> Membership Application: https://secure.ukcdogs.com/forms/huntretrv.html