Though edible rewards are banned by many professional trainers, or viewed as bribes by others, some advocate the use of gundog training with treats. David Tomlinson decides whether reward-based training is useful, or best avoided. We may be resist to treats, but are we over-reliant on the gundog whistle? Read…
Days in the beating line or on the peg may be on hold for now, but our gundogs remain busy come summertime. Most gamebirds are currently off the menu but there are still pigeons to pot and bunnies to bag. Others are revising retrieving in theory, rather than practice. It’s…
Today, the gundog whistle is essential kit, but look back to a century ago and all that is to be found clamped between the owners’ lips are pipes. David Tomlinson wonders if we are over-reliant on gundog whistles. For more on gundog training, read 9 gundog training tips from The…
Learning how to get a gundog steady to game is one of the greatest challenges for amateur dog handlers. David Tomlinson offers his advice on hares, deer, sheep and everything else so irresistible to gundogs. For more advice on training the perfect peg dog or picker up, following these 9…
Guns with an obedient, well-behaved dog at their side are a select society. But often the story is one of blushing guns, furious headkeepers and naughty gundogs – as Robert Gibbons discovered. To spare your blushes in the field, follow The Field’s 9 gundog training tips. NAUGHTY GUNDOGS When I…
Turning a dog from an unruly pup to the perfect peg dog requires much time and patience. There may be tears, strops and tantrums (both human and canine). But there is also the promise of thrilling days in the field and a lifelong bond. Whether you’ve got a lab more…
Do you practise with your all-rounder all summer but find yourself with a tearaway during the season? If so, says Janet Menzies, you've probably exposed your dog to too much beating and too many birds.
More than one gundog is a pack, it is essential that you keep the upper hand with labradors, spaniels, and everything else
Gundog hereditary diseases are the product of decades of selective breeding for pure-bred, pedigree dogs. After generations of using closely related animals, it is hardly surprising that many of our favourite working dogs now suffer serious genetic disorders. David Tomlinson investigates the plight of the pedigrees. For more on gundogs…
Dogs are great levellers. Picture the scene: you have gone to the local country fair and paused to watch the gundog scurry. The standard isn’t high, so you decide to give your dog a run. It may be several months since the end of the shooting season, but a retrieve as…
