A good gundog is the difference between a frustrating day and a memorable one. Whether you’re starting a puppy from scratch, working through handling problems or trying to close the gap between the training ground and the real thing, the answers matter — and they need to come from people who actually work dogs.
ShootingUK’s gundog pages cover the full range: breed guides, puppy training, obedience and whistle commands, advanced handling, working tests and field trials. Labrador, spaniel, retriever, HPR — whatever you run, the content is written by handlers who train and work their own dogs.
Gear is reviewed practically. Health advice comes from experience in the field as well as the consulting room. And when the hard days come — the ones that have nothing to do with training — we cover those too.
I am considering trying for my Working Gundog Certificate (WGC) at Chatsworth in a novice working test. If I get a low score on a test, will that mean a fail for the WGC as well?
Gundog training: Test & Trials: I am new to gundog competitions; how can I find out more about the rules of field trials?
Gundog training: I notice that you often advise the use of food for rewards during training. Shouldn't a dog be happy to work for praise?
Gundog training: I recently went to a large rescue kennel and saw two spaniels in need of a home. Both are over a year old, and they were vocal and active when taken outside to a play area, but neithe...
Gundog training: I try to socialise my 5 month-old Labrador puppy as much as possible, but while she is well behaved with me on our own - as soon as she sees other people I lose all control of her.
Gundog training test & trials: Do show-winning English springers ever compete successfully in trials?
Gundog training: Will an Italian spinone or a munsterlander be expected to work with the same speed as a German shorthaired pointer in a field trial?
Gundog training: Tests & trials: If a dog that wins a trial subsequently gets disqualified, will the dog in second place automatically become the winner?
Gundog training: My pup was attacked by another at gundog training, and now he hates going there. He’s reluctant to get out of the car, and he just sits and shivers in class. He won’t do any off-l...
Obedience training: Without proper obedience training a gun dog with behavioral problems will be of no good to anyone.
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