Over many centuries dogs have been bred to create different gundog breeds with each having particular strengths, whether flushing game, picking-up, pointing or sitting on the peg.

You’ll see plenty of Labradors and spaniels out in the shooting field. You may also see the odd Jack Russell, although they have really been bred for pest control.

A wire haired Jack Russell terrier

In fact non-traditional gundog breeds are sometimes seen in field – for example border collies and Alsatians can be useful for beating.

However the traditional gundog breeds really comprise Labradors, the various types of spaniels, and the HPRs.

How to choose a gundog puppy

If your heart is set on a particular breed and it can fulfil the requirements of your sport, go with your instinct. It is much easier to train a breed of dog that you have a liking for and affinity with, than one you have been persuaded by others to get.

Cocker spaniels were originally bred for hunting woodcock

Flatcoats make excellent shooting dogs, but they also excel in the show ring

British gundog breeds are highly sought-after. There are 38 gundog breeds recognised by the Kennel Club. Dogs from working strains of many of these breeds are in demand worldwide.

Gundog breeds recognised by the Kennel Club

• Barbet
• Bracco Italiano
• Braque D’Auvergne

Breeding British gundogs

The UK has long been known as the “stockyard of the world”, a tag which recognises our skills as breeders of pedigree livestock of all types. Going back centuries, the skills applied to breeding livestock in fields and stackyards inevitably spilled over into the way working dogs were bred.

The earliest keepers would bring their inherent and yet rudimentary understanding of breeding and selection and apply it to the dogs they cared for and whose job was to find game, flush it and hopefully return with it. It is safe to assume that even the earliest spaniels, imported from Spain more than 500 years ago, would have been selected and improved over generations.

The cocker spaniel is one of the world’s most oustanding flushing and retrieving breeds

Emerging supreme from this original bedrock of active flushing dogs was the English springer — and its cousin, the red-coated Welsh springer — and of course the cocker.

For the big sporting estates, there 
is no doubt that the way in which their gundogs were managed and bred was hugely significant. Dogs had to be functional, they had to work and there had to be plenty of them.

The remarkable video above was filmed on a large estate in Scotland in 1932. It clearly demonstrates just how important gundogs were becoming and why it was deemed necessary to run kennels of this size.

In the UK there was such 
a passion for gundogs and so much natural ability for clever breeding and selection that new breeds were inevitable. Breeds such as the short-legged, liver-coated Sussex spaniel developed at Rosehill Park near Hastings almost 200 years ago.

Will cross-breed gundogs ever rule in the field? 

There was even an initial cross between the Sussex and the cocker. The result produced the field spaniel, a lovely breed which may now only rarely be seen in the shooting field and has been ignored for too long.

Out with a Clumber

At the end of the 18th century the first Clumber spaniels arrived 
from France. 
The dogs were presented to the Duke of Newcastle and took their name from his estate at Clumber Park.

The Labrador retriever, initially imported as a dog to retrieve birds from water, was recognised by the Kennel Club in 1903. This breed’s versatility and trainability was seized upon by UK gundog trainers from the earliest days of its arrival.

The Labrador is still the world’s most popular dog — 150,000 puppies are registered annually with the American Kennel Club — and it is to the UK that devotees worldwide return to secure the very best genetics in terms of working ability.

British-bred Labradors are the gold standard

There has been a continual stream of gundog breeds heading to Britain’s shores over the years, mainly from Europe.

The German short-haired pointer and its wire-haired and long-haired variants as well as the Hungarian vizsla, the Weimaraner, the Italian spinone, the Munsterlander and the Brittany have all gained passionate supporters whose efforts continue to strengthen the UK’s reputation as a leading nation 
of gundog breeders.

The German wirehaired pointer is one of the many European gundog breeds that have come to our shores.

Vulnerable native breeds

Some breeds, including Irish red and white setters and Sussex spaniels, are so low in numbers that there is a real risk of them disappearing in the UK.

Some questions about gundog breeds

Q: My 16-year-old son is proving 
to be something of a natural trainer and has done a great job with my Labrador. He wants 
a dog of his own for retrieving and is open to other breeds than a Labrador. Which would you recommend?

A:  Whilst there are plenty of retrieving gundog breeds to be thinking about, such as flatcoated retrievers and curly coated retrievers, some dogs will be easy to train and others tricker. Some retriever breeds have fallen out of favour because of this and so may not be the ideal first-time gundog for a less experienced trainer to take on.

Your son should do some in-depth research, talk to different breeders and see the various breeds in action. To get the correct raw material 
to work with, it is important to buy 
from proven working stock.

German shorthaired pointer

Q: I have recently taken up game shooting and am a member of a small syndicate, shooting every other Saturday in November, December and January.  I have never owned a gundog but would like to now. Which breed would be best as a first gundog?

A: If, on the syndicate shoot days, you stand and shoot then your best bet would be a Labrador, the traditional ideal peg dog. Make sure it is well-trained – you can either do the gundog training yourself or send the dog away, depending on the amount of time and cash you have.

If yours is a stand ‘one/walk one’ syndicate you will be needed to do some beating on the walking drives so a springer or a cocker spaniel could be useful as they cover the ground so well. However a trained Labrador can do this type of work too and on balance that is the dog I would recommend for you.

A good springer is one of the most handsome of dogs

Q: I started beating last season and really enjoyed it and intend to do much more. I have noticed a real mixture of dogs in the beating line, from spaniels and Labradors to various different types of HPRs and even terriers. I would like to get a dog but don’t know what to go for.

A:  The springer spaniel is the dog for you. They have limitless energy which  is vital. While cocker spaniels are great dogs the larger springer is much better equipped to deal with all the challenges the long forays into the woods present.

Labradors are capable of taking their place in the beating line and doing a great job but it isn’t what they are best at.

The Hungarian wirehaired vizsla ia a tough, all-purpose hunting dog

Q: What I enjoy most of all is walked-up shooting, particularly in Scotland. Would a hunt, point and retrieve dog be best for me?

A: The very simple answer to this is yes.  The real joy of HPRs is not so much their ability to beat or retrieve but the moment when they actually go on point, which makes for exciting shooting.

Q: Which is the best gundog breed for trialling? I’ve been interested in participating in field trials for some time now, and while friends and family swear by either Labradors or English springer spaniels, I like the look of flat coat retrievers.

A Labrador out wildfowling

A: You can find a gundog club by visiting The Kennel Club. Not all gundog clubs run training classes but most will be able to put you in touch with a good gundog trainer.

Your sporting interests cover quite a wide range of gundog skills. A good cocker spaniel from working stock will make an excellent beating and roughshooting dog and it will have the ability, if correctly trained, to retrieve all types of quarry including geese.

However if your wildfowling is going to require a much stronger dog, a well-bred Labrador or a Chesapeake would be the obvious choice.

The German wire haired pointer

Q: I have always had Labradors through my driven shooting career. However I notice that cockers are becoming increasingly popular. Should I make a change?

A: You will miss the steady reliability of a Labrador but this will be compensated for by the enthusiasm and sheer intelligence of a good cocker. Plus which they don’t need as much room. So maybe it’s time to give one a try.

Working cocker spaniels have masses of charm

Which gundog breeds are best at picking-up? Labradors or springers?

Shooting Times contributor Jeremy Hunt says: “After a few years, a lot of thought and much experience I’d come out in favour of the Labrador as the best all-rounder on a shoot day.

“In my personal opinion, a Labrador cannot really be matched as a picking-up dog.

“However I don’t think one breed is better or superior to another – it’s more that different handlers suit different breeds.

British-bred Labradors are the gold standard

“The connection between a Labrador and his handler is easier to accomplish than with a spaniel. Busy spaniels have a tendency to be single-minded, which can be an issue for a less experienced picker-up with limited dog training. A Labrador is more often a safer bet.”

However another gundog trainer points out: “If a spaniel is properly trained, with the right amount of time and effort invested in it, it will stay on the peg like any other well-schooled dog. Labradors aren’t angels either – I’ve seen them running amok in the shooting line. It’s the trainer that makes the peg dog, not the dog breed.”

The various gundog breeds

Find out more about the different breeds used in fieldsports below.

Labradors | Spaniel | Vizsla | Weimaraner | German pointer | HPR breeds | Terriers | Lurchers