Gundog training has been around for hundreds of years. Dogs have worked along side humans as a team, flushing, finding and retrieving downed game.
The skills taught during gundog training mean the dogs have to be obedient and capable of working with their owners to carry out tasks in often distracting environments. As a result the dogs trained in gundog work are obedient, patient, well enriched using their natural skills and generally a pleasure to be around.
5 benefits of gundog training
- Builds a greater bond with your dog – training and working with your dog builds a strong bond and the dog will have a great desire to be with you.
- Increased obedience – gundog training is simply high level obedience in a field. Training these skills will help you in your day to day life with your dog.
- Increased self control – gundog training involves training a lot of steadiness and paitience into our dogs. This means they have more self control in other areas of their lives.
- Better listening skills – it is crucial in gundog work that our dogs listen to commands. With frequent training and building a reward history dogs listen better and are more in tune with their handlers.
- Fulfilling natural drives – with the rise in gundog cross breeds such as cockerpoos and having gundog breeds in pet homes it is important to fully understand what it is they are bred for. These dog have been bred over hundreds of years to carry out roles be that hunting/retrieving/tracking etc. Gundog work hones these natural skills and teaches you how to use them together rather than having a self employed pooch 3 fields away.
What does Gundog training involve?
When you ask people what gundog training is they often have this vision of an older gentleman dressed all in tweed with a very well behaved Labrador. Whilst that is one side of it more and more youngsters are getting involved and people are realising the benefits of training the skills even if they have no intention of ever working their dogs properly. We focus on putting the fun into training so it is something that both you and your dog can enjoy whilst building new skills. We look at heelwork, steadiness (not chasing), stays, stop whistle (emergency stop), retrieves and recall in the basic foundation level. This gets pushed on as you progress.
Can my dog do gundog training?
Gundog training can be done with any breed of dog, some will have more desire to retrieve than others but the basics are all the same regardless of breed. It allows you to bond with your dog whilst building self control.
If you would like to get involved with some gundog training check out our page alternatively, we also run 121 training if a group setting isn’t right for you.
Contact us at Info@whistleandwag.dog
