Gundog training

[Riverhousepuppy]

Hello
We have a gundog puppy and I have wondered about taking her to gundog training, i definitely wouldnt want her to go to shoots regularly and dh is really anti, but I think the training could be good for her and for us to understand how she thinks.
Has anybody ever done the training but not gone to shoots, was it worth it, what sort of thing did you learn and did your dog love it?

I did it,never went to any shoots. We both enjoyed it, my dog is really well trained now as I use the same commands. The best bit is whistle recall. My dog will also go in the direction of my arm or a whistle pip.
I would have gone to shoots as it seemed a good social event with a pub lunch thrown in the middle. Unfortunately my dog refuses to put anything furry or feathered in his mouth 😂

I think you are right in that it would be beneficial for her and help you understand her drives and instincts and motivations a little better.

However, I also very much see your DHs perspective.

I strongly feel that working breeds should be bred with the intention of retaining the ability to work, I would always opt for the working bred pup over the show line but i am opposed to ‘country sports’ and the idea of taking a beagle on a rabbit hunt or a Labrador on a pheasant shoot would repulse me.

I would do the gundog training, with dummies, but no way would I attend an actual shoot or field trial (where I believe, but may be entirely wrong, that real animals are shot)

IMO the gundog breeds really benefit from gundog training, esp the working lines: it exercises their brains as much as their bodies and shows you how to do the same. And it does help you to understand how they think and what their drives are, and should give you enough control that you can walk them off-lead without being worried that they will go self-employed for half an hour at a stretch, or chase a deer into the next county.

What you learn:
'steadiness': the dog being able to just sit there while other stuff goes on. Sit there with a rabbit in the hedge. Sit in the boot of the car with the tailgate open on a hot day while you wander across the under-used car park to chuck a poo bag into the bin. Steadiness is taught first, because it underpins everything else. As the dog gets steadier, training moves along.
Walk at heel, on and off-lead.
Whistle commands: recall and stop (we had a stop failure this morning, Dog2 was too far away from me when a roe deer got moving; she recalls quite quickly though and was back within half a minute. But stop whistle work is now on the training menu...)
Teaching the dog to hunt and retrieve under control: this is the bit that really works their brains. I can sit Dog2, walk out of her sight, lob a dummy into the undergrowth or the grass, and then either direct her onto it or get her to hunt it up. She will also go back a couple of hundred yards for a dummy that she has been told to mark, and then been heeled away from.

I beat on a local shoot and would probably be taking Dog2 out this year with me, but the shoot is off due to Covid. I eat meat, have no issue with game shooting and plan to work and trial Dog3.

Gundog training can be great for gun dogs(!)

Do be really careful and research your trainer. Some gundog trainers are still in the dark ages with regards to training. Only last week someone was saying that they were told to squeeze the dogs ear to make it let go of the dummy and the marching up the dog with the hand in the air bellowing stop. Some many better, kinder more effective ways of training.

If you dont fancy shoots have a look at working trials, some of the gundog skills are used in that and a fun time can be had by all