The field test Description of Function- Retriever was used. It is an official field test from the Swedish Spaniel and Retriever club that includes 11 subtest. The dogs were tested in e.g. retrieving 3 different types of dummies, search, problem solving, game reaction and an event where any activity was left out (passivity). A certified judge scored the dogs using an intensity scale.

I video recorded 64 dogs undergoing the field test and did a behavioural analysis on the three retrieving tests and three passivity tests. The dogs were made to retrieve a regular, heavy and long dummy. Behaviours related to retrieving (e.g. running towards the dummy, gripping the dummy and returning towards the owner with the dummy) and non-retrieving behaviours (e.g. exploring surroundings and returning without dummy) were recorded. For the passivity tests, I recorded e.g. different active and passive behaviours, gazing behaviour and stress-indicating behaviours.

I also analysed the scores set by the judges, for 430 dogs, there all subsets were included.

I categorized all dogs as either field-type, common-type or mixed-type depending on field-titles in their pedigress.