Pet Gundogs
About gundog trainingDogs in general are human’s best friends and have been accompanying us for centuries. Today we can select from countless breeds and we often choose by the look of the dog rather than perhaps the character we buy into or consider our life circumstances versus the daily training and time requirements of our four-legged family member.
Gundogs rank high in the most wanted dog breeds across the UK yet most of those hounds once bred as hunting companions will never ‘work’ or might only get a ‘part-time’ job. The majority will simply become pets. But whoever owns a gundog breed or in fact any dog should be clear about the responsibility they take on in training this dog to turn it into a well behaved companion to be proud of.
The journey from cute puppy to (pet) gundogHow did you end up with a gundog in your life?
Did you visit a Game Fair and watched one of the amazing dog displays? Does a friend have a Labrador he takes shooting or your colleague at work tells you episodes of his fun-loving Cocker Spaniel?
Surely one of those or similar reasons made you decide to get a dog. If you had a dog before you have previous knowledge but be aware dogs are different and even within the same breed and even the same litter each dog comes with an individual character.
No matter which dog breed you have, gundog or not, puppy training is essential to build up the correct foundations for later in your dogs’ life and your relationship with him.
Let’s assume you got yourselves a beautiful gundog and your friend has long asked you that if you were to get a dog why not join him on the local shoot for a few days beating or picking up; great days out and hugely enjoyable amongst likeminded people.
But before the fun and joy can begin you need to put a fair amount of time aside to train your dog. Otherwise you may only be invited once.
There are divided opinions whether a gundog should be kennelled or live indoors. It is to personal taste and some ‘professionals’ own between 10 and 20 dogs which makes living indoors perhaps challenging.
A lot of people see no right or wrong towards in or outdoor living of the dog, I believe it depends to large extent on you and the relationship you want to form with your dog.
Dogs don’t speak our language so we need to teach them what we require from them in return. Dogs can feel your emotions but they cannot read your mind. You have to develop common ground and communication both, you and the dog will understand and accept. If you can get to this point you are already a long way down the line of training a dog successfully.
Gundogs have originally been bred to be workers so even if your dog is only going to be a pet or part time employee you should train him and provide activities he can enjoy and will stimulate him along the line of his genetic pool. A tired dog is most likely a happy dog without mischief. Don’t be fooled, tiring a dog does not always require miles and hours of walking, it is the interaction with your dog and the use of his brain that will make him most satisfied.
How we can helpTown and Country Dog Training offers you different levels of gundog training in group classes, or one to one lessons if you prefer. We run puppy training to set you off in the right direction from the start, and should you only want a well-behaved pet of any breed we run pure companion classes too.
I am lucky to have owned dogs for more than 25 years and each and every dog taught me new things or challenged me in a different way. Over time I had the pleasure to benefit from the knowledge of the many experienced trainers I spent time with which broadened my horizons as to how achieve the best result in training your dog the way you wish to.
Each and every dog should be taught basic manners and commands like sit, walking to heel on a loose lead and recall when commanded. From there you can advance in any direction. Teaching your dog to sit and stay brings you already closer to the peg.
Our approachNeedless to say, that apart from the practical approach a certain amount of theoretical knowledge will complement the experience. Having read many books, written by a variety of experienced authors from different training angles, at the end I tend to revert back to the Pet Gundog series by Lez Graham. Her books are easy to follow and are filled with practical advice from puppy to advanced (pet) gundog. All books can be purchased from our shop, or you can pick up a copy when you come training with us.
Socialising is another often used key word but is sometimes mis-interpreted. Socialising should mean familiarising your dog with the environment he lives in and his daily challenges like cars, joggers, bicycles, playing children, vacuum cleaners and many more day to day events. What socialising should not mean is running mayhem with other dogs whilst learning to ignore you because the sniffs and smells are far more interesting than returning to you.
When you train and have more than one family member you all have to learn the same language to communicate with your dog. Be consistent, persistent and insistent to make your dog understand what is required in terms of his behaviour. Take time and accept setbacks, it will not always be straightforward. If you get to the point of having trained your dog in the basics you can advance in different directions and if you would like to take your gundog shooting or beating, or perhaps you have a competitive strain and fancy entering gundog working tests we can teach you what it takes to send the dog to retrieve a dummy or game. Have a look at our range of classes or contact us for more information.
The way we train will teach you to own and handle an excellent gundog and/or a loving pet that everybody will admire for its impressive behaviour. One does not exclude the other.
It does take time and patience but if you follow the advice you will succeed.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER
