SELECT THE RIGHT BREED

It is important to choose the right breed of gundog based on both your own lifestyle and your own needs in the shooting field. A retriever is generally well suited to sitting steadily at a peg and retrieving to hand when called upon, whereas a spaniel is usually more at home when crashing through cover and flushing game. Consider carefully the sort of work you’ll be expecting your gundog to undertake and choose accordingly. This said, with good training both breeds can be excellent all rounders. Some of the best dogs I have seen in cover have been retrievers and the very best retriever I have owned is not a labrador, but a small springer spaniel bitch.

Within each breed there is great variety, too. A dog with a lot of field trial breeding in its pedigree can have more drive and pace than one from normal working lines. If you plan to compete with your dog then speed can give you an edge, but it is actually an undesirable quality for a dog that will be expected to find the balance between steady gundog and family pet.

The best approach is to choose a puppy from parents that are successful in whatever discipline you aspire towards with your dog. Research the parents properly and answer these questions: Are they proven in the shooting field? Has the breeder undertaken the appropriate health tests? Are you able to meet the parents and ideally see them working before committing to a puppy?