Hunting Retriever Monthly Group

Our Hunting Retriever group classes, led by Helen, are suitable for...

• Progressive hunting retriever breeds e.g. spaniels.
• Dogs who are ready to move up from our Graduate Foundation course.
• Dogs which have passed their Gundog Club Grade 2 field assessment and/or are working towards Grade 3 and above.
• Those looking to work their gundog in the shooting field.
• Handlers looking to participate in working tests and trials.
• Pet gundog owners who want to continue gundog training beyond the basics as a fun hobby and to give their dogs an outlet for their natural hunting desires.
• Dogs who have been introduced to the sound of shot, and are not gun shy.

Our Hunting Retriever group classes are held monthly.

This gives you and your dog plenty of time to practice what you have learned in between sessions. The sessions are 3 hours long, so there is plenty covered.

Each month, the tasks will be set to the ability of the dogs and handlers in attendance. Group numbers are limited to 10 dogs and handlers.

This is a rolling course, there is no start or end date.

Each month, the Hunting Retriever group classes will include a mixture of…

• Progression in the topics covered in the Graduate Foundation courses.
• Breed-specific exercises and scenarios working at The Gundog Club's Grade 3 level and above.
• Progression in more advanced directed retrieves, including blinds and memories, with the difficulty of the retrieves based on the level of the handler and dog.
• More challenging retrieving scenarios, including obstacles and difficult terrain.
• Water retrieves from in or over water.
• Hunting at a more advanced level including more challenging environments including woodland, cover crops and farmland.
• Progression in more advanced stop whistle.
• Progression in heelwork building towards longer distances and more reliable duration.
• Progression in wait/stays including building duration in the stop.
• Isolation of cues

Each Hunting Retriever group session will cover the above elements and may include one of the following main topics…

• Hunting and retrieving in a variety of different environments
• Going for a Bumble at a more advanced level with challenging distraction Switching to a working walk and back again
• Heelwork and how to build reliability
• Marked retrieve scenarios, including steadiness and multiple shot
• Water work, including a variety of different scenarios - distance over water, blinds, and multiple retrieves
• Retrieving out of flowing water (river)
• Hunting with live game and retrieving cold game
• Transition from hunting to retrieving and back again
• Stop whistle
• Building chains of behaviour

NEW for 2025: On the 7th December 2025 we will be holding a special festive fun day with the HPR and Retriever groups. It will be a full day (9am to 1pm) of fun gundog games and competitions.