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.
Gundog training: How do I train my gundog to 'get back' when out on a pheasant shoot?
My labrador has wanted to retrieve from a very early age but now his technique has gone to pieces. I don’t want to deter his enthusiasm.
My gundog is easily distracted and would drop a retrieve and chase if given the chance. What do you suggest to overcome this problem?
One of my three gundogs is very possessive and is so eager to please that when I throw a ball she will either steal it or stop the other two dogs from retrieving it, leading to squabbling. How can I p...
I was recently pulled up by a professional trainer for giving my gundog too much encouragement. Is there a happy medium between encouragement and disipline?
Because of my work commitments I have decided to send my 12-month-old gundog away for training. Do you think she will be mature enough to take out this next season into the beating line?
I have been training a young spaniel myself and although it's my first I feel that I have done a good job installing all the basic sit, stay, walk at heel and stopping on the whistle commands.
I have a 14-month-old labrador bitch that has been rather sensitive to train.
Gun dogs: When beating, I can’t stop my spaniel running ahead to the front of the wood before working back to the line of beaters. The walking guns love him for pushing game back to them but it’s ...
My labrador bitch is now 18 months old and I’m intending to pick-up with her this season. My inexperience led me to concentrate too much on marked retrieves in her early raining which has meant ...
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