Dachshunds are one of only a handful of dog breeds eligible to participate in field trials. The purpose of field trials is to give breeds designed for field work the opportunity to exercise their natural abilities — their penchant for hunting, following a scent, and cornering vermin.,

Dachshund field trials are different from field trials for other dogs, like retrievers. Dachshunds are best at tracking small game through dense brush and alerting hunters to the location of the game. In a Dachsie field trial, you reenact this scenario under controlled conditions (no wildlife gets hurt). Dachshund field trials are based on Brace Beagle field trials, in which a pair, or brace, of dogs track a rabbit.