How to choose your second gundog puppy

Collette May Author

A guide to finding the right litter for your gundog training goals

Like me, you may have accidentally stumbled into the wonderful world of gundogs.

I got Benji, my first working labrador, after my sister-in-law, who is into gundog training and competing, recommended a breeder to me.

After years of promising the kids a puppy, we agreed we would like a pet Labrador because of their reputation for being family dogs that are good with children and are relatively easy to train.

Nikki pointed us to a litter whose dad was a working dog she knew from her local shoot. She helped me with a bit of training and pointed me towards the United Retriever Club, and it all went from there. 

I was very lucky to end up with Benji, the last boy available in his litter. He has always been a very naturally talented dog, and this helped to get me hooked not only on the training but on picking up, working tests and field trials.

Your first gundog puppy

Many of my clients who enrolled on my puppy classes back when I was training in Surrey would tell me that when it came to choosing their first puppy, they were simply looking for a healthy pup of a certain breed.

They would soon learn that many “naughty” behaviours at home are just linked to a gundog pup’s natural urges, like sealing slippers because they love to carry, or chasing wildlife because of their drive to retrieve.

Often they would progress to our Gundog Club Grade One and Grade Two classes in an attempt to better manage and get on top of these behaviours. 

And many, just like me, would fall in love with gundog training and field sports because of the joy of watching their dog enjoy doing what it was bred to do.

It was often not long before clients, well and truly bitten by the gundog bug, were ready to get their second dog. Just like you might be.

Choosing your second gundog puppy

When it comes to choosing your second puppy, there is so much more to think about than which breed you want and if the parents are fully health tested (of course, this is still vitally important!).

It all comes down to your personal gundog training goals. So, before you start looking for litters, you need to have decided what you are going to be training your new puppy for.

Pet gundogs

Gundog training is a fabulous hobby for anyone with a gundog breed. But not everyone who owns and trains a gundog will want to work them in the field or take part in competitions. Many owners are looking for a well-trained pet which has their needs met and their natural urges fulfilled.

If this is you, then I personally would be careful to choose a pedigree with less red in it. Unless you’re really active and plan to do a lot of training every day, a trialling type dog could be too much for your lifestyle.

I too often see people get excited by vast numbers of FTCHs in their new pup’s pedigree. They pay a lot of money, and yet all they end up with is a highly strung, frustrated and wired dog that is causing no end of problems at home because its needs aren’t getting met.

Be honest with yourself. If you are looking for a dog that needs to integrate into a busy working and home life and will be happy with a good daily walk and a few hours of training a week, then it is wiser to choose a puppy from fully health-tested parents with good temperaments.

Working gundogs

There are three different types of shooting here in the UK - walked-up, driven and rough shooting. If this is your second gundog puppy, you are likely to know what you have access to, what types you enjoy and what you would like to do with your dogs.

You may, at this point, decide it is time to explore a different breed from your first gundog. While all breeds can work on all different types of shoots, stereotypically, on driven and walked-up shoots spaniels tend to be better at beating and flushing the birds, while labradors are better at retrieving them. HPRs tend to excel at rough shooting because they can locate the birds, flush when you give the cue, and then retrieve them for you.

When you have decided which breed, you will want to find a litter from parents that you know have proven working ability. There is much you can teach your gundog to do and lots of training exercises will help them to improve if they are lacking in some areas, but often good marking and game-finding skills are hereditary.

At this point, you may wish to consider looking for pedigrees with more FTCHs in them as it is less likely that they will be noisy, hard-mouthed or problematic to train.

Competition gundogs

I love competing with my dogs, and over the years, I’ve even been lucky enough to win a few working tests. If you are getting your second gundog puppy in order to excel in working tests or field trials, choosing a pup with the right pedigree can be highly advantageous.

You need to look for parents who are successful competition dogs and have some awards to their name. The dogs that have reached those levels, particularly those awarded FTCH, tend to be easier to train, have oodles of natural ability, will have no eliminating faults and are also likely to be impressive and stylish when working too.

You then need to look back through the pedigree and see if this is consistent throughout the generations. This is when you want to see a lot of red as this shows that a trainer hasn’t just been ‘lucky’ but it is the lineage which produces dogs with consistent working abilities. It is more likely that offspring from the parents (e.g. your new puppy) will possess the desired qualities, such as natural game-finding ability, strong retrieving drive, intelligence, and trainability - all of which are crucial for success in tests and trials.

Not essential, but when you are choosing a litter, you may also want to think about if the breeder is a trainer and whether or not they will be able to offer you support.

While having FTCH titles in the pedigree can be a huge benefit, success in trials and tests is not solely determined by pedigree - training, handler skills, and the bond you have with your dog are all equally vital factors.

Finding a responsible gundog breeder

Once you have decided what you would like to do with your second gundog puppy, you can start to find a suitable litter which meets your requirements.

There are thousands of breeders in the UK and I would just like to remind you again to look for pups from fully health-tested parents. Ideally, you will also look for puppies which have been raised in the type of environment that matches yours.

While you only “need” a Kennel Club registered dog if you plan to compete, finding a registered litter assures you that your puppy is indeed what the breeder says they are. You also have a higher likelihood of finding a reputable breeder who prioritises the health, welfare, and responsible breeding of the dogs.

Of course, KC registration alone does not guarantee the quality or health of a puppy and it's essential that you do your own research, visit breeders in person, and ask lots of relevant questions to ensure that the pup is exactly what you’re looking for.

If you have recently got a gundog puppy, or are collecting one up soon, and would like to work them as a picking  up dog in the future, it's wise to instil some basic training from the moment you bring them home. To help guide you through, I put together a special masterclass, "puppy to picking up dog" which covers the first three months, adolescence, knowing if they are ready to work, working multiple dogs on a shoot and maintaining adult dog behaviours. You can access a replay of the 90 min masterclass for just £25 by clicking here.