Handy tips for a novice gundog trainer

GUNDOG TRAINING

I have greatly enjoyed many years of both driven and rough shooting, and while I have always admired the gundogs worked by friends I have never felt I had the time to commit to having a dog myself. I now feel the time is right and have decided on a labrador. Sadly, I don’t have any group training clubs nearby, so most of the work would have to be undertaken by me. Do you have any wise words to get me started?

First, I would advise you to do your research carefully, so you buy a healthy, well-reared puppy from a responsible and experienced breeder. Explain to anyone you approach about buying a puppy that you are a novice trainer and need a well-bred animal that will not be too challenging. No point in buying a Ferrari when a Land Rover will do the job well. Read as much as you can and enjoy some of the many training videos on offer. This will help you decide the right approach to put into practice in your own training.

Always remember that it is the bond that you forge with your puppy in the early days that will lay the foundation for your training later on. You are both going to be on a learning curve, so it will be a great experience all-round if the puppy has total belief in you. Your best bid for success will be achieved through an equal partnership, rather than by trying to dominate the puppy.

A lot of first-time trainers see experienced handlers blowing whistles and waving their arms about and making the whole process of training appear complex. While advanced training does demand more know-how from the handler, I always ask Guns about to train a dog for themselves for the first time what is the most basic thing they need theirs to do. The answer is always the same: “Retrieve the game I shoot.”

Don’t get too hung up in the early stages about more advanced methods of working your dog. In essence, what you are wanting is a reliable, wellbehaved and responsive gundog that is steady to shot game, has the ability to hunt when required and can retrieve the quarry effectively. If you focus on the basics and work as a team, I am sure you will succeed. JH

You need an equal partnership with your puppy to train it