The saying "It takes a village" certainly applies when raising dogs to their highest and best potential. Field Bred Cockers is managed by the Barnhart family.

Gene and Vicki Barnhart split time between their home and their primary breeding facility near La Center, Washington.

Gene is the trainer with 30 years’ of experience training bird dogs at every level from amateur to professional. “The hard stuff doesn’t work” and “you can’t leave a fingerprint on a dog” are two things we hear Gene say a lot to our clients. Gene guided at Highland Hills Ranch for many years before running a large wingshooting operation at another Oregon ranch.

Vicki is Gene’s wife and is masterful at breeding, whelping, raising and socializing our puppies. Vicki is wonderful at keeping up with our clients over the years and making sure all of her pups are continuing to thrive.

Our Facility

Our facility at Vallivue Sporting Dogs, is designed especially for the dogs. Dogs have private runs with cozy dog house that are secure inside of a large arena, each night they are tucked in a warm crate. These dogs have so much personality they enjoy telling us when its feeding time and defiantly if we are late. The facility is set on a private drive overlooking a grass meadow. There is large grass field and a pond for play time, along with indoor space to play and socialize with one another. The dogs enjoy our training camp and go home with a smile.

FAQs

Do I have to be a hunter to get one of your dogs?

No, we have many non-hunting clients that respect and want the strong health and intelligence characteristics of a field bred dog. Typically our non-hunting clients are active and looking for an equally active adventure partner on the trail.

How energetic are your dogs?

Field cockers are filled with happy energy and always ready to go and please. They need normal, regular exercise and are not meant to be inside-only companions We personally use and encourage place training for the home. This teaches your cocker when it’s go-time and when it’s time to hang out.

Do they shed and require grooming? 

Yes cockers shed and we recommend grooming. On an anecdotal, non-scientific shedding scale of 1-10 with a poodle being a 1 and a golden retriever being a 10, we would estimate a field cocker to be between 4-5. We have our groomer give the dogs a “field cut” around four times each year to remove feathering behind legs, in between toes, and on undercarriage. This is essential in Oregon for cheatgrass prevention! ShowSheen is great to spray on after bathing or when needing to brush out a cocker after a muddy or thorn-filled day in the field.

How long does it take to get a field cocker from you?

Generally speaking, six to twelve months but this can vary with Mother Nature! Due to high demand and cocker litter sizes being on average four to eight pups all our pups are sold long before they are born. Please fill out the information on our Talk to Us so we can learn about your goals, timing, and get the process started for reserving your future pup, Super Pup, or Home + Hunt Ready field cocker.

What do you recommend for training?

Field cockers are very intelligent which is a great thing if trained well and a liability if not trained. The best investment you can make is putting quality time into training your dog. Many of our clients are successful doing the training themselves while others outsource to a professional trainer. Whichever path you ultimately choose, the importance of the training investment is nonetheless the same. For clients doing training themselves we guide them towards the European spaniel methods and placeboard methods with many examples on YouTube. For those wanting professional training, our internal and Lead Trainer Gene Barnhart is hands down the best there is and is.

What birds are good for hunting with a field cocker?

Upland birds are best suited for field cockers. If they’re in thick, heavy cover that’s even better for a cocker. “Cocker” comes from Woodcock which is an upland bird that lives in heavy cover just to give you an idea. Personally we hunt our cockers on pheasant, quail, chukar and hungarian partridge and grouse. Jump shooting the occasional duck and watching a cocker water retrieve is also fun but not our go-go. We also have great success hunting cockers behind pointing dogs; this requires a cocker to be reliable at remote sit which we teach via placeboards.

What do you feed your cockers? 

We feed Purina Pro Plan Sport 30/20 year-round to our dogs including puppies and pregnant females. This food is a 28% protein, 20% fat which is a great balance between performance and maintenance foods. On average our adult cockers eat 1/2 cup in the morning and 3/4 cup in the evening of this specific dog food.

What products do you use and recommend your dog owners have on hand for their dogs?

First is high quality food (see above). Second is a safe place to keep your dog and we recommend Ruff Land Kennels either medium or mid-size crate. Third are placeboards and slip leads from Cato Outdoors for training.

What is the lifespan and how much do they weigh?

Typically 12-14 years and between low-20 pounds to low-30 pounds.30

Testimonials

My Aggie is the best dog ever. She is a hunting machine and a wonderful family companion. She is smart, loving and obedient, all I could ever ask for in a best friend!

Jim Trolinger

I purchased a hunt ready dog from Field Bread Cockers (FBC) in 2017. I wanted to pick the color. Jack urged me to take the dog in his judgment was best suited for my needs (not the color). He was spot on. Our dog, Jewell, is the perfect companion, house dog and eager, aggressive and responsive hunter. Their team socialized and trained her expertly. The breed is extraordinary, of course, but the preparation Jewell received is amazing. In addition, FBC is always available for follow up consultation and assistance. Terrific people and terrific cockers.

Jonathan Harnish

Jack, I wanted to thank you again for Wheeler, our absolute dream dog. I’ve had many great dogs over the years, but Wheeler is truly the most special. We feel so lucky to have him. He has so many great qualities, and we are definitely a cocker family for life. We’ve never had a sweeter dog around kids. We have two girls, 3 and 5 who absolutely adore him. Your home hunt ready program really delivered! Wheeler has been a blast to hunt on wild birds. I have loved watching him progress over the last year, now just getting started on his second season. Thank you for all your advice, knowledge, and for making the process so fun. I can tell you really love these dogs, and have such a passion for the Field Cocker.

Cameron  MerrillPalos Verdes, California

About twenty months ago I purchased a Field Bred Cockers from Gene & Vicki Barnhart. I named him Mugsbe. Mugs for short. My experience with Gene & Vicki was outstanding. Having started and operated Bear Creek Labradors of Colorado for 12 years. I have more than a little experience with canine operations. I am a lifelong upland bird hunter. Having trained too many to recall. Mugs is one of the best dogs I have ever owned or trained. He handles very easily and is wicked smart and birdy. When he was 8 mo. I took him on several week-long hunting trips. He stole the show. This year he was even better. Just last week he made retrieve on a winged rooster at 500 yards. He finds birds like he has strings tied to them. This my first Field Bred Cockers, having been a Lab guy for 50 years; wish I knew about this breed 50 years ago. In the house he is as lovable as he is driven in the field. Gene Barnhart has been training dog breeds for many years. The man is as good as it gets.

Bill & Kathy Trautman

Gene and Vicki did an outstanding job with the breeding and training of our English Cocker Spaniel. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND their kennel. After meeting the Barnharts, touring their property and seeing all of the dogs in their kennel, the choice was obvious to get a started pup from them. Their breeding program and ethics are exceptional, and Gene is a very gifted and natural trainer. Throughout the months of training we received weekly updates with photos and videos. At six months we picked up our very well mannered, healthy and confident pup. He immediately bonded with us and has adapted to our home life and training program very well. He has demonstrated that he is very biddable, with a strong prey drive and a solid retrieve. We look forward to spending many years with this amazing companion at home and in the field.

Andrew Ferre

Brian Thurston

17:58 25 Nov 22

After 30 years of owning Labs we felt it was time for a change. We still wanted a great pet as well as a reliable hunting dog.We chose Gene and Vicki Barnhart at Field Bed Cockers because I had been introduced to English Cockers through Gene when I was on a hunt in Oregon. In my opinion they are one of the foremost breeders and trainers of this breed in the country.We placed a tall order as we really wanted a female of a specific color. Gene and Vicki did not disappoint!In early April of this year we picked up Stella...a big personality in a small package.It is now November and all we can say is we're hopelessly in love with this vivacious, intelligent and loving 4 legged child.Furthermore I just returned from a week pheasant hunt in South Dakota and this dog is as birdy as they come! She hunts with the pointers and the labs and covers anything they can, but returns to me mostly with just a whistle. Gene gets a five star credit for that too!End of the day we have a pet that is everything and more we hoped for and feel that if you are considering the breed you owe it to yourself to reach out to the Barnharts.

Nick Olsen

16:14 18 Nov 22

We bought our second English cocker from Gene and Vicki. Jax is 10 months old now and after 30 days of training with Gene, he is flushing and retrieving pheasant and chucker in the field! Jax is a good-looking dog and a great addition to our family. I would highly recommend Vallivue when you are considering purchasing your next dog. Gene and Vicki are very helpful starting with the selection process, the puppy raising tips and the training to get your dog ready for the field. It's obvious that they both have a lot of experience and a passion for their dogs and will be there to support you and your dog to reach your goals. Thank you, Gene and Vicki!

Randy Partipilo

05:30 16 Oct 22

Gracie is our first Field Bred English Cocker after having both Springer Spaniels and a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. We did our research and all roads led to Gene and Vicki of Field Bred English Cockers. Gene is well known in the bird dog business after 35 years of breeding and training. All the well known hunting preserves in the NW have good things to say about Gene. At 8 months we took Gracie out for her first pheasant hunt and she is a hunting machine and a loving companion at home. Our vet here in Sisters, Oregon, said she is an excellent healthy specimen for the breed and we couldn’t be more happy with her. This kennel follows up with pups they sell and enjoy photos and videos of their progress. Thanks Gene and Vicki!Randy & Jo PartipiloSisters, Or

Cynthia Trowbridge

22:18 17 Sep 22

I have known Gene and Vicki since 2014. Gene has trained two of my dogs for hunting. We are very pleased with the resulting bird work and manners. Very conscientious folks with an excellent, long-term record in breeding and training dogs.