Tips: Preparing A Young Gundog

It’s always an exciting prospect, albeit tinged with a degree of trepidation, for owners with young dogs that are about to embark on their first season in the shooting field.

For any dog, whether its future role be at the peg or in the picking-up team, undertake its introduction to “big school” with care and consideration. No matter how much preparation and training you have dutifully applied, the first shoot day brings a whole new set of experiences and temptations.

So if you intend to shoot over the dog I’d advise leaving your gun at home for the first day at least. And if you aspire to being a key player in the picking up team make sure you go along to the first few shoot days with the sole purpose of allowing your dog to spectate and soak-up the atmosphere.

Don't let your dog into the action too soon. Patience will pay off.

Believe me it will not be time wasted. Allowing young dogs plenty of opportunity to become accustomed to all that’s going on around them on a shoot day is essential and will pay big dividends in the long term.

Don’t take a new young dog out with an older dog. You need to focus all your attention on the youngster and carefully watch his reactions to everything that’s happening. This day is very much an extension of your training.

Make sure you choose your dog's first retrieves carefully

And when you feel you have a dog that’s steady and calm and can be allowed its first retrieve, make sure it’s an easy one; a bird that it has marked, and preferably a very dead hen pheasant or tidy partridge. The last thing you want is a fluttery cock bird with too much life left in its spurs or worse still a “dead” bird that suddenly gets up and starts running!

Treat young dogs carefully, calmly and quietly on their maiden voyage and there will be no need to man the life boats when the seas get choppy!

Jeremy Hunt
Fenway Labradors
jeremy@fenwaylabradors.co.uk
07798 826179

Jeremy is the owner of Fenway Labradors has been breeding Labradors for over 25 years and is based in Lancashire, England.

Jeremy runs gundog training days offering individual or small group training sessions, by the hour, half day or full day.