The right choice

Dogs, like human beings, are all individuals. Most people who decide to take on a puppy or an older dog will have a perfectly logical set of reasons for their choice. The starting point for most will be the breed. Breed traits and their qualities will be right up there on your list, especially if you plan to engage in sport or work with your dog. UK field trial enthusiasts will be choosing based on their breed group. Retriever owners get to choose between the labrador, golden retriever, flat-coat and Chesapeake. The spaniel group is spoilt for choice: springers, cockers, Welsh, clumbers and field spaniels are all there to consider. Finally, the pointers and setters include the English, red, Gordon, and red and white setters. The pointer is the breed chosen for UK Kennel Club-affiliated field trials.

While we are on the subject of field trials, your dog will need to be Royal Kennel Club registered to compete in RKC-affiliated events. This is something you must consider when deciding on a puppy. I mention this because we have several clients who initially had absolutely zero desire to be involved with field trialling, only to discover that the highly addictive sport we all love has them choosing a new dog—a process that can be a minefield. Breed, temperament, working lines and energy levels all play a role in finding the right fit for you.

Howard Kirby provides guidance

The right choice IN THE FIELD Gundogs on the hook. They find themselves with an extremely talented and well-trained dog that is ineligible to compete in field trials. Please don’t allow yourself to assume that all my observations in this article are driven by the requirements of field trials. Most working dogs in the UK spend their lives in the shooting field, on the peg, in the line, picking up or wildfowling. I do, however, think that it is essential to be thoroughly aware of how much field trial breeding affects gundog working lines in this country.

Now we start to narrow things down. Working lines, pedigree, colour and gender are choices and considerations that get us closer to a decision. Having got this far, you’re probably thinking that all the hard work has been done. But within all the breeds there is a huge variation in physical size and shape. Drive, trainability and character traits are often attributed to particular lineages. For newcomers to gundogs, all these choices and variations can make choosing a puppy seem like a minefield.

One major problem I see with clients who come to me with difficult dogs is a change in the behaviour that a particular breed is known for. A great example is the labrador retriever. Before you start ranting, I’m not about to use this article to slight the breed – in fact, quite the opposite. What I’m writing about are the changes that have come about, primarily driven by field trial breeding.

Mullenscote Gundogs is in Hampshire and we are surrounded by some of the finest partridge manors and pheasant shoots in the country. Huge numbers of shooting folk are involved and own gundogs. With so much driven shooting around us, the breed of choice is the labrador. For years this breed has been at the top of the popularity stakes, and for good reason. It is regarded as calm, quiet, easygoing and highly trainable. It is often – partly tongue in cheek – described as being born half trained, whereas a spaniel dies half trained.

A common occurrence

It is not uncommon for me to be sat opposite a couple who have owned and bred a line of labradors, sometimes for several generations. Bearing in mind that each dog could live for up to 14 years, these people may have owned a type that, for the purpose of this article, I’m going to describe as being of the traditional type – an old-school labrador. For various reasons, the last of the couple’s breed line has faded out. The new labrador, usually 10 to 12 months old by the time it arrives at our door, is likely to have a pedigree that is ‘red’ to the core, festooned with generations of field trial champions.

“Mr Kirby, as much as we love Beetle, she’s not like any other labrador we’ve ever had,” says the bemused owner. “She’s so energetic, busy, strong willed and stubborn. Why is she like that?”

The new-age labrador is intelligent, athletic and highly trainable, but so much busier than the dog that used to follow your great-grandfather loyally around the garden. It is a vastly different type of dog from labradors of the past. This type of dog will need to be trained to use its energetic mind. Without the right input this dog will run rings around an unsuspecting owner. Busy dogs will thrive on first-class instruction and clear boundaries.

Although I’ve used the labrador as an example I could be describing some of the other working breeds. Flat-coats, goldens, springers and cockers have all changed. I love the changes and development that we are seeing in dogs bred from generations proved in field trials and the shooting field – but they’re not for everyone.

The dog in front of you

Whether your puppy or older dog is busy or fairly laid back, it is essential that you are in tune with the pupil in front of you. All of us have to start somewhere, but it has always worried me that dogs are often confronted by an owner or teacher who is clueless about the skills and understanding required of a dog trainer. Imagine being in a room with a teacher who has no experience of the subject, and certainly none in teaching it. And if that isn’t bad enough, you quickly discover that the teacher doesn’t speak a word of your language.

Where am I going with this? It’s almost impossible – at best, incredibly difficult – to learn on the job. Your puppy needs to be cared for and led by an experienced leader. It will evolve and mature rapidly. Puppyhood, adolescence and sexual maturity can all happen within 12 months. It’s not uncommon for owners to say, “It’s as though he’s changed overnight.” These rapidly evolving changes in a young puppy can often leave unwitting owners floundering – either unaware of the changing training requirements or simply being left behind by a youngster that is becoming physically and mentally more independent with each passing day.

I have a couple of trains of thought going on here. First, regular assessment and flexibility in your training plans are essential. Second, and key to being able to spot and implement necessary changes, is the knowledge and experience of the trainer. Here at Mullenscote we actively encourage dog owners to learn about and study the rudiments of training well before being let loose on a real, live canine pupil.

Many people interpret this as reading a few pages of ‘How to train a puppy’ and expect to be able to teach and encourage a dog to behave. That is totally unrealistic.

Here is my advice. At least six months before you plan to bring an eight-week-old puppy into your life, start researching and studying. Ask advice from, or sign up to, the puppy course you plan to attend. Go to all the classes, make notes, watch, listen and learn. If you work hard this will give you a good insight into how to manage and start training your new puppy. When you turn up in the future with your pup you’ll be much more confident and competent. You’ll enjoy it more, be more effective and, most importantly, the puppy will be working with someone who has at least half an idea of what they are doing.

Every dog and human is slightly different. Most will be successful following a fairly standardised training plan. When and how to change, deviate or go back to the beginning will probably require an experienced trainer to guide you. You often hear people say, “You’ll probably mess up your first dog.” With all the great-quality advice and guidance you can get from top dog trainers, I’m going to stick my neck out and say that I’m not sure that’s really acceptable anymore.

Have fun with your dogs!