Living with a pet gundog - how to manage a non-working hunting dog in the home

Did you know that gundogs are the largest group of pedigree dog breeds registered with the Kennel Club each year? 

While hunting and shooting are no longer widespread household hobbies, our purpose-bred gundogs, selected for their ability to hunt and retrieve quarry, remain in high demand both as working dogs and increasingly as non-working, family pets.

This is because, alongside their hunting skills, they have also been bred over decades for their sociability, friendliness, intelligence and trainability (biddable nature) which makes them extremely attractive and desirable as pets. 

Looking at the Kennel Club registration data from the last 10 years, on average, 95,793 gundogs are registered each year. As well as representing 38% of all puppy registrations, this makes gundogs by far the largest breed group, with Utility coming in second at 61,320 average registrations per year, and dwarfing the other five breed categories, which sit at around 20,000 registrations on average per year.*

More gundog puppies will also be born and unregistered, and more still will fall into the non-Kennel Club recognised gundog breeds** and popular crossbreed categories like Cockapoo and Labradoodle.

And yet, despite the gundog breeds accounting for such a large percentage of dogs, gundog training is far from the top of most popular dog training disciplines.

If you have recently got a pet gundog, you might not have realised or fully understood what your dog’s breed was designed to do and what impact this has on your day-to-day life and training.

If you are struggling to train them basic obedience like recall or loose lead walking, or if you are finding it a challenge to get them to settle in the house, or if you cannot seem to stop them from chasing, lunging on the lead, stealing food from the kitchen worktops, destroying your shoes or furniture, or growling when you go near them and their favourite chew toy, it can be hard not to think there is something wrong with your dog, or your training methods. 

But the truth is, nothing is wrong with you or your dog - they just need you to see them, understand them, appreciate them and train them, like the gundog they are.

It is easy to assume that gundog training is exclusively for people who want to work their dogs in the shooting field. And some gundog trainers may also uphold this view too. 

But from our point of view, there is nothing better or more necessary than taking part in breed-specific gundog training and giving your non-working dog the chance to do what it was bred to do, in a fun and controlled way, using ethical, positive reinforcement-based methods.

In this month’s blog, we’ll take a look at the dangers of not doing breed-specific training with a pet gundog, the benefits of getting involved in gundog training even if you don’t want to work your dog on a shoot, and what fun, hobby gundog training involves and how to get started.

Why pet gundogs need to be trained as gundogs, even if you don’t want to work them on a shoot.

Now, there is no shame in owning a gundog breed and having absolutely no desire or intention to work them on a shoot. 

But there is a growing danger that more and more ‘working line’ dogs are missing out on vital opportunities to do what they were bred to do as they end up in pet homes with owners who don’t realise the importance of gundog training, even for non-working dogs.

You might have bought your pet Labrador, Golden Retriever, Spaniel, Setter, or Vizsla with the expectation that they will simply fit into your everyday life like any other breed of dog.

Before they arrived, you might have imagined them sleeping next to you while you work from home, having a leisurely stroll on your daily dog walk, or inviting them to accompany you on trips to the local dog-friendly pub and days out to the beach.

What you’ve got instead is a ball of chaos and energy that struggles to settle anywhere, let alone somewhere exciting like a busy pub.

A hunting machine that pulls you from scent to scent on what has now become known as the daily drag.

A dog you don’t trust off-lead in the local park or countryside because you’re never sure if they will come back when you call them.

Indeed, owners who are uninitiated to a gundog’s way of thinking and naive to their hunting prowess do struggle to teach reliable recall and loose lead walking, or heelwork, in the presence of distractions such as wildlife and scent.

We all remember the desperate cries of Fenton’s owner as his Labrador failed to recall, choosing to chase deer through Richmond Park instead.

But on top of that, with no outlet for their innate desires to hunt, chase, and retrieve, pet gundogs are more susceptible to developing lasting and damaging behavioural problems.

Sadly, we have seen it all: resource guarding (e.g. growling when you go near their favourite chew toy), constant frustration barking, obsessive shadow or tail chasing, destructive chewing, stealing from worktops (including foods that are poisonous to dogs) and general over-arousal and over-excitement.

Even those pet gundogs participating in other activities such as scentwork, canicross, agility, and hoopers can still present owners with challenges. 

While training activities engage their brains and ensure they get plenty of exercise, they still do not allow them to express their natural behaviours.

Scentwork is a passive indication, whereas hunting is active. Agility, hoopers and canicross may be physically active, but running through and over obstacles is not what these dogs were primarily bred to do, and so they can still lead to frustration-induced behavioural problems.

The best gundogs thrive, and make excellent pets, when owners combine these dog sports with gundog work and when their in-built genetic “gundog” needs are being met.

Why exercising your pet gundog more will not help them to settle in the house

Many pet gundog owners think that they can simply tire their dogs out by giving them plenty of exercise.

However, allowing a gundog breed to free run for two or three hours a day is a recipe for disaster.

Gundogs were bred to work all day, week in, week out, for months during the shooting season. When we give our gundogs more and more exercise, we are only helping to improve their fitness level, and this, over time, will create an athlete, not a relaxed or sleepy dog.

What’s more, while you think letting them off the lead is helping them to “burn off excess energy”, the reality is that you are encouraging them to go off and be “self-employed”. 

Allowing them to do whatever they want repeatedly teaches them to disengage from you when you're out and about - no wonder they don’t want to stay close or come back to their “boring” human when called away from enticing scents and wildlife.

Similar problems also occur when owners focus only on the retrieve, e.g. throwing an endless number of balls for their pet gundog to fetch in the park.

Yes, the dog is more likely to want to be with you (well, your ball), but it will still be getting fitter every day, and you will soon create a “wired”, adrenaline-filled, ball-obsessed dog.

As long as they are getting plenty of mental stimulation and brain work (such as short daily training sessions involving the activities they were bred to do such as hunting/scenting, e.g. searching games, and retrieving, e.g. structured set ups involving the retrieve of a variety of articles from a variety of situations), our gundog breeds only really need 20 to 30 minutes of free exercise per day.

Essential training and life skills for pet gundogs.

Incorporating breed-specific training and gundog activities into your non-working pet gundog’s daily life is essential if you want to avoid the long list of problems commonly associated with bored Labradors, Spaniels, and HPRs. 

Below, we will look at some of the basic gundog behaviours. You’ll quickly see how a lot of these are just general obedience skills, but why it’s important to approach these from a gundog’s mindset. For the gundog specific behaviours, we have also added how training these will benefit you as a pet gundog owner, even if you don’t want to go hunting or shooting with your dog.

Focus in the environment

One of the biggest challenges gundog owners face is competing for their gundog’s attention when the dog’s instincts to hunt, chase and retrieve are so strong. Whether it’s fresh wildlife scent, rabbit pooh, a rustle in the hedge, or watching a bird taking flight, it can seem like a constant battle to even get your gundog to focus on you, let alone respond to your cues. Focus in the environment is one of the very first things we help pet gundog owners to achieve, as with consistency, you can gradually shift the balance so that connecting with you and taking your cues become more meaningful and valuable to your gundog than whatever else is going on around them.

Come/Recall

Teaching your gundog to return promptly when called is a vital cue for everyone’s safety. In gundog training, recall is ‘proofed’ around lots of exciting distractions and paired with very high-value rewards, which means that your gundog will learn that it pays to return to you even if there are scents, other dogs or wildlife around.

Heel

No one wants a dog that drags them about on the daily walk. Pet or working, if a gundog is walking next to your leg in the heel position, by the laws of physics, they cannot be simultaneously pulling on the lead!

Self-control aka steadiness

Gundogs need to be steady and not run in on retrieves or when the hunting line has stopped for safety reasons. Teaching pet gundogs steadiness helps them self-manage their impulsive desires and can stop unwanted behaviours like suddenly lunging on the lead, stealing food, or running after a squirrel they’ve just spotted.

Stop whistle

We need to teach our hunting gundogs to stop to flush, and our retrievers need to stop to look at us for directions if they cannot locate a dummy or bird. For pet gundogs, the stop whistle, like the recall, is a safety feature. It’s an emergency stop that might prevent them from jumping a barbed wire fence or jetting off to greet a reactive looking dog on a lead.

Retrieve / Delivery to hand

We harness natural retrieving instincts by teaching our gundogs to fetch and return items gently and efficiently. This is of paramount importance when working to guarantee that all game ends up on the table as part of a nutritious meal.

If your pet gundog does not have a suitable outlet for their retrieving desires, you might have noticed their intense passion for picking up an array of household items. This can be a daily frustration - especially if your pet gundog is carrying your expensive shoes off to their bed to ‘kill’ and ‘consume’ them.

Teaching gundogs to retrieve on cue and to learn that not everything is theirs to retrieve can significantly reduce this activity in the house. Even if they persist in carrying, if you have taught them to deliver to hand, instead of destroying things, they should learn that it is more valuable to share their new treasure with you.

Hunting

We can teach our hunting dogs to put their noses down and follow scent on cue while staying close to us. This is used for finding and flushing game. While this doesn’t seem useful for pet gundog owners, the games and exercises used to teach our dogs this skill can help them to learn that hunting with us, and listening to us while hunting, is much more rewarding than going self-employed and becoming deaf to our calls.

Hopefully you can see how these behaviours will all positively impact your life. It should also be noted too that gundog training is great fun and a fantastic way to establish and build a wonderful relationship with your dog.

How to get involved in gundog training with your pet gundog

Even if you have no interest in shooting, gundog training as a hobby sport has so much to offer. 

And it’s not just about having an obedient pet gundog and preventing behavioural problems either. 

Pet gundog training can help you meet like minded dog people, is a good way to keep fit and active yourself, and there are also plenty of certificates to aim for and working tests to enter for those who like collecting rosettes and being competitive.

If you would like to get started with gundog training, we always recommend thoroughly researching any potential trainers to ensure that you are comfortable with the methods they use. 

All of our gundog trainers at Clicker Gundog are accredited or are working towards their accreditation as gundog training instructors with the Gundog Trainers Academy and animal training instructors with the ABTC (Animal Behaviour Training Council). 

They are required to adhere to a Code of Practice, so you can be confident that all our trainers only use the most scientifically sound and ethical methods of animal training and strictly prohibit harsh handling and any punitive tools or techniques.

If you would like to get started with your pet’s gundog training, here are some options for you: 

1. Got specific pet gundog problems? If you’re trying to fix your pet gundogs bad habits or behavioural challenges, then a 121 training session would be the best place to start. We can tailor the session to you and your  dog and focus exclusively on the areas you’re struggling with. We can teach you gundog-specific exercises and games to help with a wide-range of pet gundog problems and challenges. Click here for more information: https://clickergundog.co.uk/collections/121-gundog-training 

2. Got a gundog puppy? If you’re getting or have recently brought home a gundog puppy and would like to get their training off to the right start, we host a monthly gundog puppy training group as well as occasional evening classes. Click here for more information: https://clickergundog.co.uk/products/puppy-gundog-monthly 

3. Want to immerse yourself in a new hobby? If you want to get involved in gundog training with a dog of any age, and are also looking to meet like minded people and really get stuck in with training, then each year we host a week-long Beginner and Pet Gundog training camp. Click here for more information: https://clickergundog.co.uk/products/beginner-gundog-camp 

4. Getting started with an older dog? If you’re new to training with an older dog, we have a monthly Beginner and Pet Gundog training group. Click here for more information: https://clickergundog.co.uk/products/beginner-and-pet-gundog 

If you’re not sure what would be best for you, please email hello@clickergundog.co.uk 

*The average annual registration total for each breed group has been calculated from The Kennel Club comparative tables of registration for the years 2015-2024 inclusive as follows: Gundogs: 95793, Hounds: 22480, Working: 13288, Terrier: 19347, Pastoral: 13613, Utility: 61320, Toy: 20749. https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media-centre/breed-registration-statistics/

**Over the decades, social influences and various types of shooting have led to the evolution of a diverse range of gundogs, and today, the Kennel Club officially recognises 38 breeds within the gundog category.