The world of gundog training is a rapidly changing place and handlers are now more than ever working on improving their dogs’ skills as well as their own. During the COVID-19 lockdown I have sadly not been able to get Sika to me for training, so I am working with…
Gundog training
What you should know about slip leads
Placing a slip lead on a dog correctly and how to buy the right size
Can you train a gundog inside?
We are living in unprecedented times. The situation with COVID-19, and the resultant social distancing and isolation, is stressful for the vast majority of us. But how is it affecting our canine friends? Some may actually be enjoying having their owners around all the time, particularly if they are used…
How to teach reliable gundog recall
Teaching reliable dog recall is one of the basics of gundog training in the early days. Here's how to do it.
Gundog training you can carry out in your garden (or even inside)
Here’s a list of basic gundog and puppy training exercises that you can practise whilst you’re social distancing or self-isolating at home. You don’t need a big area either. Just patience. Getting a puppy used to a lead Place a slip lead around the puppy’s neck, pushing the stop up…
Can a working gundog also be a family pet?
Am I taking a risk having my working labrador as a house dog?
How should I start training my puppy to be a gundog?
Take things slowly, don't rush and form a bond with your new gundog puppy before starting any training
Why marking – watching the bird – is an essential skill for gundogs
Marking a shot bird is a skill that most gundogs need to develop, though some seem to have a natural ability to know where a retrieve has landed, while others need to be trained. If you plan to shoot over your dog or go picking-up with it, marking is an…
What do dogs see when being trained to retrieve?
A dog’s eyesight is far better than ours, especially where movement and contrast is concerned. It is useful to know and understand how a dog sees colour as we can use this to our advantage in training. How dogs see colour Dogs see colour in a very different way to…
How do I stop my gundog from swapping birds?
Gundog training: My spaniel bitch is doing well in her first season but last Saturday when sent for a retrieve she picked the bird then dropped it on the way back in favour of another. How can I stop her doing this?
Why does my sprocker refuse to retrieve?
I have a two-year-old sprocker that stops and hunts on command, stays very close and is highly attentive - but in the field she refuses to retrieve.
Teaching a young dog quartering
Quartering is probably the toughest lesson to teach a young gundog, and one of the most vital. Joe Irving discusses this most rewarding of lessons for the handler
Beating a gundog’s first time anxiety
Here are five tips to lessen gundog anxiety on those first few times in the beating line. 1. Keep close A dog used in the beating line should never be any further than 15m either side of you and about the same in front. It needs to hunt close and tight at all times.…
How do I stop my gundog mouthing game?
I took my 18 month-old Labrador shooting for the first time this season, allowing him to pick no more than two birds on each of the three outings.
Should you ever smack a gundog?
Gun dog discipline: A light tap on the nose as a warning for one gun dog owner may seem tantamount to cruelty to another. Justin Clarke examines how to make the punishment fit the crime.
How can I stop my gundog from dropping the dummy? (And other dummy training problems.)
How do I stop my gun dog spitting her dummy out, I have tried placing it in her mouth while saying 'hold'?
Training a young Labrador to start picking-up
Q: I have a young Labrador bitch I want to start picking-up with this season. Should I take her along with my older and experienced bitch, or would it be better to take her on her own so I can devote more time to her? A: Hopefully, your young bitch…
Should a spaniel immediately drop when it flushes a bird? (And answers to other working spaniel queries)
Gundog training: Should a spaniel always immediately drop when it flushes a bird?
How can I improve my spaniels’ picking-up skills?
Picking-up skills: I have two springer spaniel gun dogs and want to improve their picking-up skills.
My trained English springer spaniel isn’t listening anymore
Q: I bought a one-year-old trained English springer spaniel (ESS) last year and he was good out shooting last season, hunting and retrieving well when I was shooting on my own and when I took him beating. I was called abroad to work this summer for six months and when…