Carole Field and her German Shepherd Dog "Ritter" (SD DASH UCD ROM NWGC UNJCH CH Cher Car’s Days of Future Passed SPOT-ON)
About Carole
Carole Field's first spoken word as a child was "Nitti," the name of her beloved German Shepherd Dog—an early indication of the lifelong passion for dogs that would shape her future.
Today, Carole is an accomplished canine sports professional, judge, trainer, competitor, writer, photographer, and dog club leader with more than 40 years of experience in competitive dog sports, canine training and coaching competitors at every level.
Throughout her career, Carole has handler/owner/trained 14 dogs of multiple breeds to more than 230 titles across AKC and UKC performance events, as well as Schutzhund, French Ring Sport, and K-9 Pro Sports. Her accomplishments include a season-long World Number 1 Ranking, numerous Hall of Fame inductions, High-in-Trial Awards, Total Dog Awards, Championships and Grand Championships. Her dogs have also enjoyed remarkable success in personal protection competitions, with an amazing track record: entering 40 tournaments, winning 23 trials, and placing second in 10 others. Among their victories are The Dog Sports Open, Sun Dog Street Dog Trial, The K9 Summerslam, Mr. K9's Ladies Only Invitational, Sun Dog Pro-Am Trial, the Windy City K-9 Club Personal Protection Dog Trial, and the 4-Thought "Street Wise" Civil Protection Dog Trial. At the latter event, Carole became the first female handler to win the competition and the first competitor to earn championship victories with two different dogs.
From 1985 through 2006, Carole owned and operated a retail pet supply store and an all-breed dog obedience training school in Chicago. During those 21 years, she provided both private and group instruction in obedience training, behavior modification, and canine sports, working with everyone from first-time pet owners to advanced competitive performance teams.
Since 2006, Carole has been licensed as a UKC All-Breed Performance Judge, authorized to judge Dog Sport (Obedience, Protection, and Police Dog titles), Terrier Racing, Nosework, and Socialized Pet Obedience.
More recently, Carole has earned national recognition in UKC Nosework competition, accumulating more than 110 titles, including Elite Nosework titles with three different breeds—Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd Dog, and Parson Russell Terrier—as well as 14 Champion and Grand Champion titles. Her dogs have earned multiple Top Ten rankings, Hall of Fame inductions, and several "youngest dog" milestones in the sport.
In 2007, Carole fulfilled a lifelong dream by moving to the country of St. Johns, Michigan. Today, she works as an independent management professional providing support services to the pet care industry while continuing to compete, teach, judge, write, and contribute to the advancement of canine sports.
Throughout her career, Carole has handler/owner/trained 14 dogs of multiple breeds to more than 230 titles across AKC and UKC performance events, as well as Schutzhund, French Ring Sport, and K-9 Pro Sports. Her accomplishments include a season-long World Number 1 Ranking, numerous Hall of Fame inductions, High-in-Trial Awards, Total Dog Awards, Championships and Grand Championships. Her dogs have also enjoyed remarkable success in personal protection competitions, with an amazing track record: entering 40 tournaments, winning 23 trials, and placing second in 10 others. Among their victories are The Dog Sports Open, Sun Dog Street Dog Trial, The K9 Summerslam, Mr. K9's Ladies Only Invitational, Sun Dog Pro-Am Trial, the Windy City K-9 Club Personal Protection Dog Trial, and the 4-Thought "Street Wise" Civil Protection Dog Trial. At the latter event, Carole became the first female handler to win the competition and the first competitor to earn championship victories with two different dogs.
From 1985 through 2006, Carole owned and operated a retail pet supply store and an all-breed dog obedience training school in Chicago. During those 21 years, she provided both private and group instruction in obedience training, behavior modification, and canine sports, working with everyone from first-time pet owners to advanced competitive performance teams.
Since 2006, Carole has been licensed as a UKC All-Breed Performance Judge, authorized to judge Dog Sport (Obedience, Protection, and Police Dog titles), Terrier Racing, Nosework, and Socialized Pet Obedience.
More recently, Carole has earned national recognition in UKC Nosework competition, accumulating more than 110 titles, including Elite Nosework titles with three different breeds—Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd Dog, and Parson Russell Terrier—as well as 14 Champion and Grand Champion titles. Her dogs have earned multiple Top Ten rankings, Hall of Fame inductions, and several "youngest dog" milestones in the sport.
In 2007, Carole fulfilled a lifelong dream by moving to the country of St. Johns, Michigan. Today, she works as an independent management professional providing support services to the pet care industry while continuing to compete, teach, judge, write, and contribute to the advancement of canine sports.
Credentials of Dog Sports Trainer Carole Field
- 1984: DOG WORLD AWARD
- The Dog World Award is received only by a rare few individuals. It is awarded for superior scores in 3 consecutive AKC Obedience Trials.
- 1985-2006: FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF TRAINING
- Ruff N’ Stuff Dog Obedience (private and group all breed obedience training and behavior modification) in Chicago, Illinois.
- 1985-1989: ALL BREED OBEDIENCE INSTRUCTOR
- River Forest Dog Training Group (Advanced Obedience and Protection Dog Club) in Chicago, Illinois.
- 1989-1990: BOARD OF DIRECTORS & INSTRUCTOR
- K9 Obedience Group (Advanced Obedience and Protection Dog Club) of Chicago, Illinois.
- 1989-1993: BOARD OF DIRECTORS & INSTRUCTOR
- Westside Dog Training Club, Inc (AKC Competitive Obedience Training Club) of Chicago, Illinois.
- 1994: DIRECTOR OF TRAINING
- Westside Dog Training Club, Inc (AKC Competitive Obedience Training Club) of Chicago, Illinois.
- 1994-present: DOG WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
- Professional Member. Nationally published writer and photographer specializing in working dogs and canine sports. Clients have included the U.S. Postal Service (Military Working Dogs commemorative stamp project) and IAMS™ (Mars, Inc.) for the IAMS Dog Breed Guide.
- 2006: UKC PERFORMANCE JUDGE licensed for FAMILY OBEDIENCE
- UKC Judge #6689 licensed to judge all UKC Dog Family Obedience titles.
- 2006: UKC PERFORMANCE JUDGE licensed for DOG SPORT
- UKC Judge #6689 licensed to judge all UKC Dog Sport Protection and Police Dog titles.
- 2006-2025: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Capital City Dog Sport Association (Competition Dog Training Club of St. Johns, Michigan) offering UKC Dog Events, Schutzhund (LV/DVG America IGP), French Ring Sport (NARA), and Mondioring (USMRA).
- 2009: UKC PERFORMANCE JUDGE licensed for TERRIER RACING
- UKC Judge #6689 licensed to judge all UKC Terrier Racing Trials. 2012: UKC SENIOR PERFORMANCE JUDGE licensed for TERRIER RACING
- UKC Judge #6689 Terrier Race License granted "Senior Status" to judge all UKC Terrier Racing Trials and to accept and instruct apprentices in the Terrier Race Judging program.
- 2012-present: CO-FOUNDING MEMBER and BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Dutch Shepherd Dog Club of America (UKC Club #USA-123 CON NA) of St. Johns, Michigan, the UKC National Breed Club for the Dutch Shepherd.
- 2014-present: UKC PERFORMANCE JUDGE - licensed for NOSEWORK
- UKC Judge #6689 licensed to judge UKC Nosework Trials.
- 2016-present: UKC PERFORMANCE JUDGE - licensed for SPOT
- UKC Judge #6689 licensed to judge UKC Socialized Pet Obedience Testing.
- 2024-present: AKC CGC Evaluator - AKC evaluator #109823 licensed to administer the AKC STAR Puppy program, Canine Good Citizenship testing, AKC Community Canine (advanced level of CGC), Urban CGC, Video Home Manners, and Trick Dog tests. 2025-present: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Michigan Performance Dog Club of Perry, Michigan, offering UKC Dog Events (Nosework, Shed Hunt, Dock Jumping) and Protection Dog Training. Other Qualifications Include Carole Field is qualified as either a Master Trainer or Professional Trainer according to the guidelines of the following organizations:
- National Dog Trainers Association
- National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors
- Society of North American Dog Trainers
- Association of Pet Dog Trainers
- International Association for Dog Behavior and Training
- Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers
- International Association of Canine Professionals
LaRue was my second nosework dog, but my first to earn the Elite Nosework title!
LaRue was the 358th dog to earn the Elite Nosework title since the sport began in 2015
Ritter was the 65th dog of all breeds to earn the Elite Nosework title in 2024