What should I train my gundog puppy if I want them to be a picking up dog?
Collette May 
The journey of training a gundog puppy and watching them turn into an experienced picking up dog is exciting, but can be overwhelming.
Handlers, especially first time gundog owners, can be tempted to rush ahead in an attempt to skip straight to the impressive stuff.
But if you want a really successful dog that will be your trusted picking up on shoot for years to come, you have to view this as a marathon, not a sprint.
If you don’t take time to build solid foundations, your behaviours will likely crumble and fail as soon as you start adding pressures and distractions.
In this blog we will look at why you need to think about your overall goal before you dive into training, what to focus on when you bring your puppy home, what comes next during the first 3 months of training, and why the Gundog Club Grades are good early milestones to aim for.
What are your gundog training goals?
One of the first things you need to do before setting off on your gundog training journey is to decide what your long-term goals are.
Ideally, you should have considered this before choosing your puppy, as this information can help to ensure that you find a litter which will help you achieve your overall aims.
If you have not yet chosen your gundog puppy and you want to know how to go about finding the right litter, click here for our previous blog.
Even if you’ve already reserved your gundog puppy or have already brought them home, it’s never too late to set some intentions which will enable you to plan what you should be training your gundog puppy and when.
I want a picking up gundog
There are three different types of shooting here in the UK - walked-up, driven and rough shooting.
If you’re looking to go picking up with your dog, one of the first questions I ask my clients is are you aiming for a small syndicate outfit or are you planning to be on a commercial shoot?
While the behaviours you’ll need to teach your picking up dog are the same, being on a commercial shoot is without a doubt more serious and you will need to aim for higher standards.
You will not only require a greater level of steadiness and control over your dog, but you also need to make sure that their fitness levels are good enough to cope with the terrain you’re working on and the volume of retrieves they’ll be expected to do each day.
On commercial shoots, you may also need to travel between drives. While it doesn’t seem like a gundog training essential and is often overlooked, you will want to get your dog used to bundling into vehicles and tight spaces with other unfamiliar dogs.
I want a competition gundog
If you are planning to compete, particularly in field trials, you will be aiming for even more accuracy and precision than you’d need to work your dog on a commercial shoot.
While you are working them, you will also want to be mindful to avoid putting your dog in any situation where they could potentially pick up bad habits. You also have to be careful that you don’t ruin the high standards of the behaviours you are teaching.
Take steadiness, for instance. It is not the end of the world if you are on a shoot day and your experienced picking up dog takes off after a runner just before you were about to send them anyway. But you cannot let a competition dog do this, so you might consider taking extra precautions, such as keeping them on the lead during drives to avoid the potential that they will reward themselves. It is the extra details like that that you will need to consider if you want the best chance at a successful trailing career.
I want a well behaved pet gundog
Gundog training is a fabulous hobby for anyone with a gundog breed. However, not everyone who owns and trains a gundog will want to work with them in the field or take part in competitions. Many owners are looking for a well-behaved pet that has its needs met and its natural hunting and retrieving desires fulfilled.
If this is you, then you might be looking to take a more relaxed approach to training and can spend less time and pressure getting the precision and accuracy needed for competitions. There are also some aspects of training you might want to skip over altogether such as cold game training and introduction to shot.
What to teach your picking up puppy from the moment you bring them home
If you have bought your puppy from a gundog breeder, then it is likely that they will have started some of the very early basics, and by this stage, it will be your job to keep up with what they’ve started.
Recall
I don’t know many breeders who don’t start introducing the recall at meal times. It is just so easy. By the time they leave here, the puppies from the litter will all associate pup-pup-pup or the whistle tune pip-pip-pip with food and will come running.
If you keep this up as soon as you get home, you are further instilling this essential response. Your recall will go through its ups and downs, some people “lose” it during adolescence, and there are lots of training exercises you can do to improve it, but I find there is no easier way than to keep associating it with mealtimes in the first couple of months.
Socialisation
Hopefully your puppy will have had plenty of early socialisation, especially if they are kept in the home.
My litters are always introduced to other adult dogs, and as we have the holiday lets and run gundog training holiday it’s inevitable that they have met plenty of different people too. I am keen to get them out exploring safely and letting them gain confidence on different terrains and floor surfaces. They’ve heard noises in the house, such as hoovers and things on the TV, and I’ve no doubt dropped pots and pans.
You will want to build on this gradually but don’t rush the process or feel like you need to go out of your way to introduce your puppy to random things, and pay particular attention to fear periods. While they are with the litter and feel safe, it’s a great time for “bad stuff” to happen as they recover so quickly, so be mindful that they will feel more vulnerable now they’re alone.
Toilet training
A lot of breeders will have started the toilet training process, taking the pups outside after they’ve been fed, when they’ve just woken up, have finished playing or before bedtime. You will want to carry on. As it’s something which all puppy owners have to deal with there is a huge amount of information available on toilet training so I am not going to cover it here, but if you do need more specific help please feel free to reach out to me.
Crate training
Crates are incredibly useful, not just to keep our dogs safe in the car, but we can leave them without worrying that they’re causing chaos in the house. You also never know when your dog might have to be in a crate - for instance, after an operation at the vet - and so even if you don’t plan to use it long-term, it’s a good thing to train your puppy.
By the time my puppies leave for their homes, they are more than happy to go into their crate and see it as a cosy space for sleeping. I don’t close them in, that’s the next step, but it’s much easier if they already know that their crates are a welcoming and safe environment.
There are also some aspects of training your breeder will not be able to start for you.
Bonding
Bonding, for me, is the most important thing you should be doing with your gundog puppy when you bring them home. It is all about getting to know them and their personality, teaching them their name and having fun so that they know you are the best and most interesting thing in their world.
Leaving your puppy alone
When they’re in the litter, puppies are inseparable, so when you bring them home, you will need to teach them to be happy on their own. It’s something I am keen to get sorted out as early as possible because dogs with separation anxiety can be incredibly challenging to manage and live with.
I like to combine this one with crate training, especially if your breeder didn’t introduce your pup to a crate. Simply wait while your pup is sleeping and pop them in the crate, with the door open to being with in a different room.
What to teach your picking up puppy in the first three months
The first three months with your new gundog puppy are all about laying the groundwork for a well-trained picking up dog.
Clicker training
If you haven’t already, now is the time to introduce your puppy to a clicker because, honestly, when it comes to training gundog puppies, everything is quicker with a clicker.
While you’re not going to use it for everything, you can use it to really precisely mark behaviour such as sit, heel work, the moment they are steady on a marked retrieve, or the moment they put the dummy in your hand.
Introducing whistle cues
Whistle cue should be introduced as early as possible. You will already have started doing this with the recall.
Some people worry that teaching whistle cues too soon might confuse their puppy, but this isn't the case. Whistle cues are just like verbal cues, distinct sounds that the dog can learn to associate with specific actions.
You can start with cues like the hunt whistle which can be used during play as they hunt for food or toys, also the stop whistle can be paired with the sit once they understand what that means.
Basic retrieving
By the time your puppy reaches 16 weeks, they should be happy chasing and retrieving toys as a great way to build their natural instincts. To do this, hold your puppy, roll a ball along the ground, and then release them to chase it. When they pick up the toy, open your arms wide, and let them come to you.
It's important not to be too quick to take the toy away. Let your puppy enjoy holding the item, and either take it gently or lure them into giving it up with a treat. This approach helps build their desire without creating any negative associations, which can cause keep away down the line.
Teaching 'leave' and 'drop'
Two essential commands to teach your puppy are "leave" and "drop." These cues are different and will be used for different things.
Leave: This means moving away from something they are approaching and coming back towards you. It could be a treat on the floor, a toy, or even something undesirable like sheep poo. The idea is to redirect their attention back to you and then reward them for doing so. It functions similarly to a recall command but protects your recall, as in these instances, your puppy can soon see the cue as negative as you are essentially ruining their fun.
Drop: On the other hand, "drop" tells your puppy to empty their mouth of whatever they’re holding. This is particularly important because puppies tend to pick up everything they find, and you don’t want to risk ruining their desire to retrieve by constantly taking things away from them. Instead, a well-taught "drop" command ensures they’ll willingly release items when asked. Start by offering something more appealing, like a piece of cheese, when they have an item in their mouth. As they release the object to take the treat, click and reward them.
Impulse control
Impulse control is another vital lesson for your puppy. Start by teaching them to wait patiently for their food. Begin by lowering the food bowl slowly, and if they jump for it, raise it back up. The goal is to reward them for staying seated as you gradually lower the bowl to the floor. Over time, your puppy will learn that waiting calmly is the quickest way to get their meal. This impulse control will eventually form the basis for your steadiness.
Hand Touch
For those of you who have just panicked at the thought of rewarding a picking up puppy for dropping something, I want to introduce you to the hand touch, which will form the foundation of the clicker retrieve.
It is a simple yet powerful behaviour to ensure you get a hand delivery. And yes, dogs are smart enough to know the difference between that cue and the drop cue.
The hand touch can also be used for recall, heel work and getting your dog to pivot with you when lining out for retrieves. By holding out your hand in a flat palm, you just encourage your puppy to touch their nose to your hand and click and reward when they do.
What are the Gundog Club Grades?
I’m very proud to be a full assessor for the Gundog Club and have loved seeing so many handlers take and pass their graded field assessments here as part of a holiday, staying in my Mid Wales Holiday cottages.
The Gundog Club Graded Training Scheme was set up to help pet and working gundog owners progress steadily through the different stages of gundog work.
Each level, or grade as they’re known, is designed to build upon the last, increasing in complexity with longer distances, durations, and higher levels of distraction. This prevents new owners from rushing ahead, ensuring you and your dog are fully prepared before moving on to the next step.
If you’ve just picked up your gundog puppy, you can get started on Grade One the moment you bring them home. What I love most about the scheme is that it is consistent and is a great way to track your progress as it gives you some realistic milestones to aim for. I personally would be aiming to complete Grade One, and probably also Grade Two, by the time my pup is one.
Want to learn more?
In our Puppy to Picking Up Dog masterclass replay, we also cover what training you need to be doing from 4 to 8 months and 9 to 12 months, adolescent training (a tricky time for some!), group gundog training and when to start classes.
In the 90 minute presentation, I also look an overview of the different types of British shooting for those who are new to field sports and what’s needed from our dogs in these different scenarios. The roles of picking up dogs on driven shoots and the final behaviours they will need. How to prepare your dogs and yourself if this is your second puppy and you are going to be working multiple dogs for the first time. And finally how to maintain and protect the behaviours you’ve taught your puppy into adulthood and especially after they have experienced their first shoot season.
To access the masterclass, click here.