The Trouble with Gundogs takes a new look at the causes and cures for the many faults that can crop up in the process of training a Gundog. Dogs and humans have lived, worked and played together for thousands of years and strong bonds have formed between them. With luck and care, the training, management and handling of a Gundog will progress without a hitch. The luck begins with natural talent on both sides and the care ensures that correct choices are made and good sense prevails. However, things can still go wrong. This book offers solutions to the problems that may occur along the way. There are hundreds of different types of dog and each one has its own character. Because of this, one size does not fit all when tackling a problem, and different approaches are offered. Observation, determination and perseverance will usually be rewarded.

In Gundog SOS, respected trainer, judge and competitor Laura Hill takes an in-depth look at common mistakes and what can be learnt from them. She looks at avoiding potential pitfalls in the first place, unpacks 'bad behaviour', analyses the relevance of the relationship between trainer and dog, and gives practical strategies for improvement in training partnerships. Supported by illustrations, case studies and exercises, this essential resource comprehensively addresses the most frequently occurring training problems and provides workable solutions to help readers to improve or fix them.

"Traditional gundog training is based on compulsion and rooted in a picture of the dogy's nature as similar to a wolf with much emphasis on dominance and sub ordinance. Milner turns that theory upside down citing research which finds that wolf packs operate in cooperative family groups with minimal factors of dominance. Dogs, Milner believes, learn much faster with a cooperative training model. Milner has chucked compulsion and embraced reward as the primary training tool. He gives the reader a simple, reasonable easy-to-perform training model. His extensive practical experience leads him to condense gundog training down to a few critical behaviors. Milner gives the reader clear concise instructions producing those behaviors to develop an excellent gundog who excels also as a family dog. This is a book on how to manage the strong instincts of retrievers and influence them to work for you and with you to produce a valuable companion that enhances your outdoors experience, be it hunting ducks, or fishing for trout, or hiking in the back country."--Page [4] cover.

This fantastic and comprehensive handbook on gun dogs contains chapters on everything from breeding and selection to breaking, training, and beyond. Interspersed with photographs and useful information, "Gun Dogs" constitutes a must-have for all owners and breeders of hunting dogs, and it would make for a fantastic addition to collections of related literature. Contents include: "The Gun Dog's Kennel", "The Gun Dog and its Food", "The Selection, Examination and Trail of a Gun Dog prior to Purchase", "Gun-Dog Breeding", "Jobbing or Hiring Dogs", "Breeding and Breaking Gun Dogs for Pleasure and Profit", "The Flat-Coated Retriever", "The Labrador Retriever", "The Golden Retriever", etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in a modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on gun dogs.

Now in paperback Effective training techniques for bird dogs, retrievers, and flushers Photos illustrate techniques and equipment Veteran trainer and hunter Bill Tarrant goes beyond simple gun dog training and teaches handlers how to correct flaws in a dog's behavior in the field. He first explains how to "read" a dog--how to identify faults such as hard mouth and gun shyness--and then prescribes solutions for problems specific to each of the three major classifications of gun dogs--bird dogs, retrievers, and flushers.

Expert instructions in the training method of Delmar Smith, winner of ten national championships, are supplmented with photographs of the fine points and problem situations

In the Bag! offers a fresh approach to gundog training for beginners and seasoned trainers alike. It contains sound advice on the selection of your Labrador Retriever and valuable information regarding his care and management from puppy to veteran. It gives step-by-step guidance on his training and how to make smooth progress towards the finished article: a Labrador that is a pleasure in the home as well as in the field, and a reliable shooting companion who puts game in the bag. Margaret Allen has been successfully training, trialling, breeding and showing Labradors since 1964. Trying to understand the workings of the canine mind has always held a fascination for Margaret and she believes that in order to train your dog successfully, you should make it your chief objective to find out what makes him tick. In this book, you will learn how your dog thinks, reacts and learns. Armed with this knowledge, training should proceed with a minimum of setbacks. Our working Labrador has been bred for generations to retrieve game - it is in his blood. Through selective breeding, dogs have been produced which are kindly and willing to please. It should not, therefore, be hard work to make him into a Gundog. It should be fun! This book will help you make it so. A fresh approach to gundog training for beginners and seasoned trainers alike, which explains how to train your Labrador so that he is a pleasure to work with and an asset in the field. Contains sound advice on the selection of your Labrador and valuable information on care and management from puppy to veteran. Fully illustrated with 90 colour photographs. Margaret Allen has been successfully training, trialling, breeding and showing Labradors since 1964 and her dogs have been featured in various shooting magazines.