Hi

Can anybody give me any contact details for gun dog training in the Warwick area? I am drawing a blank on finding anything.

Thanks
Lynne

Lynne, what type of gundog?

Barney is a working cocker spaniel and is one year old. We don't seem to be getting anywhere with 'normal' obedience classes as all he wants to do is sniff around! The only thing I really want to achieve is to get to off lead control as at the moment his attention is on chasing birds or rabbits in a completely uncontrolled way so he doesn't get any off lead exercise at the moment which can't be good for him and various people have suggested finding a local gun dog club to channel his extincts in a controlled way.

Hoping you can help.
Thanks,
Lynne

I totally agree Lynne :-)
Don't try and *fight* the instinct .. use it to your advantage and you will end up with a happier dog and have some fun too.

Have a look at this link for starters: Working Spaniel Links.
I am sure that someone here can point you in the right direction.

Coventry Gundog Society - Runs summer courses for working Springers and Cocker spaniels. Contact J.Curson 01212 427284

You could try speaking to Covnetry Gundog Society although im afraid i only have the phone number for the show secretary

Thanks very much for the info - I'll get in touch with them.
Lynne

Goink, the secret of good off lead control with gundogs, is to make yourself, and whatever you ask the dog to do, more interesting than anything else going on. If you watch good handlers and dogs, you will see that the dog's world revolves around it's handler/owner. Many dogs simply aren't interested in much else when it's working time. The world could be coming to an end, and they will still be sat there waiting for the next command, expectantly looking at their owner.

How you get there is the big difficulty, and on which I'm no expert, but a gundog club is a good place to start. Some owners just seem to have a natural talent for getting the dog to do what they want, to the exclusion of everything else. I think that many are extremely single minded, and don't allow the dog to do anything other than participate in training, and make absolutely sure that they are the pack leader. Some, and I'm included in this, send their dogs away for training, working on the theory that others are better at it.

If you go to a gundog club, just be open minded about their training ideas, as some find them quite firm and single minded. But what you will notice though, is the trained dogs don't mess around, don't run off, don't fight or growl, and are safe to approach and be with.