If you have a gundog or a crossbreed with gundog in them, then you may find that their high prey drive makes them a little busy and distractable at times. Gundog training classes are a brilliant way to channel that energy while having fun together.
Gundogs are beautiful dogs. They are loving, positive, and very enthusiastic. But sometimes, owners with Gundogs in pet homes can find their incessant energy a little challenging.
Gundogs are happiest if you find a way to incorporate activities into their lives that allow them to use their natural instincts in a controlled but enjoyable way.
By giving your dog an outlet for their natural instincts, you will make it easier for them to contain themselves at home and on your routine daily walks.
Imagine if your cocker spaniel or your labrador had perfect recall. If whenever you called, they ditched their frantic sniffing and immediately returned to your side. Picture your dog walking nicely on a lead next to you, rather than racing ahead and pulling your arm out of your socket.
Our puppy gundog and adult gundog training classes can help make that a reality for you. It’s a really fun way to train, and the rewards for both you and your dog are incredible.
What are Gundogs bred for?
Understanding your Gundog and what makes them tick can go a long way to making sense of their behaviour. Gundogs were originally bred to hunt or retrieve, and some breeds do both.
Gundogs are separated into four categories related to their jobs. This will give you an idea of what motivates your gundog and which natural instincts are waiting to be put to work!
Spaniels – Our spaniel breeds were bred to hunt and flush game. They can also be trained to retrieve.
Retrievers – Our retrievers were bred to retrieve on command and ignore distractions until released.
Setters and pointers – Setters and pointers were bred to find the game and then freeze, pointing the hunter to where the game is located.
Hunt, point, and retrieve (HPR) – Our HPR breeds were bred to do it all, hunt the game, point it, and then flush it out when given the cue to do so. They then retrieve the bird and return it to their handler.
How do you meet your gundog’s needs?
It’s really important that you find ways to allow your Gundog to embrace and enjoy their inner instincts. A dog who is not given an appropriate way to practise these behaviours will make their own work! And that’s where the trouble starts!
In both our puppy gundog and adult gundog classes, we harness your dog’s natural gundog abilities and sharpen their skills by teaching your dog to walk to heel, loose lead walk, stop on a whistle, and follow hand signals. We play hunting games using dummies that put your gundogs whistle stays into practise.
We break these things down into small, easy chunks to make it fun, enjoyable, and rewarding for both you and your dog.
Your dog will learn to focus on you around distractions, and they will have a lot of fun in the process.
Benefits of Gundog training
There are so many benefits to Gundog training, but perhaps the most rewarding element is the increased bond you will develop with your dog. By making time each week to do something fun together, the connection between you will grow, and your enjoyment of your dog will increase tenfold.
You will come to understand what motivates and drives your dog and how you can channel that energy in a way that is satisfying to both of you.
When you see your recall improving, and your lead walking becomes enjoyable rather than stressful, you will feel delighted that you made time for Gundog training.
Watching your dog have the time of their life while working is such a special experience. Suddenly you can look at the behaviour traits that were perhaps causing you problems before in a whole new light.
My dog isn’t a gundog but I’d like to try gundog training
We welcome all breeds at our gundog training classes. Our puppy and adult gundog training classes focus on obedience training using sit-stay, heelwork, and whistle training. Non-gundog breeds can still enjoy playing hunting and retrieving games.
Whether you have a pure gundog or another breed, all dogs and their humans can benefit from the general good manners and responsiveness that gundog training teaches.
If you’d like to book in for some Gundog fun, then you can book your puppy or adult gundog training classes here.
If you have any questions and would like to know more, please give me a call or send me an email. I am always happy to talk Gundog!
