Although I was not brought up in the countryside, my parents insisted that all
our family holidays were spent camping, usually on sites where the only luxury
was a fresh water tap! Everyday my brother and I went rambling with the family
dog and all parents will be familiar with our complaints of how boring it all was.
How wrong we were!

Now settled in the lovely countryside of West Sussex and living on a shoot with
a kennel full of Labradors, I am consumed by a passion for training and working gundogs, the sport of shooting and the rural way of life. I feel that in our current
climate, it is really important to introduce today’s children to countryside pursuits.
Gone are the days when a child could safely spend their free time out in the
fresh air, playing unsupervised in the woods or on farmland. We should perhaps
encourage our youngsters to think about taking part in a local shoot, beating or
picking up and open up a whole new meaning to the idea of taking the dog for a
walk! Our children need to know there is an enjoyable option to a weekend glued
to the play station.

When the shooting seasons ends at the end of January, there are plenty of local
Gundog Clubs and Country Organisations that hold events and training days
throughout the summer. Gundog clubs usually start their summer programmes in
March or April and they welcome Junior Handlers to join them to take part in
training sessions, Working Tests, gundog demonstrations and to help at events,
with the aim of introducing the ethos of gundogs, gundog handling and training
and to begin to learn more about the world of shooting.

Whether you as a family have a young gundog that is ready to start it’s training
or an older dog that needs a refresher course after a busy picking up season,
most gundogs are keen to carry on working throughout the summer, retrieving
canvas dummies. If you do not have a dog in the family but have a young person
who would like to learn how to train a dog, experienced handlers will sometimes
allow their trained dogs to be used by aspiring handlers.

The Gundog world welcomes young people coming up through the ranks and will
make every effort to encourage and help them. If you have a child, preferably
over 10, that likes dogs and would enjoy learning new skills and a new sport at
the same time then they would certainly be made most welcome.

Before you make the decision to train your dog and perhaps eventually compete
in a Gundog Working Tests for Junior Handlers, you would need to enrol as
member of a club. Most clubs have free membership for under sixteens. It would
be advisable to take part in some of the club summer training programmes that
are on offer, before you run in a competition. Classes can be in small groups or
on a 1:1 basis. The dog handling skills a youngster will learn will help them to
enjoy a well-trained companion who would be welcome on any shoot to beat or
pick up in the winter and compete in Gundog tests in the summer. The training
classes will provide instruction for handlers and dogs to show them how to teach
the basic skills of walking quietly at heel on and off the lead, coming back when
called, sitting, staying and retrieving on command and also the more advanced
skills of using a whistle to stop and direct the dog in a variety of different
situations. Students will find that they quickly make new and like-minded friends.
They will gain in self-esteem and learn the patience and commitment that is
needed to reach a goal, as well as discipline and sportsmanship. They will also
begin to realise how important it is to be fair and consistent when dealing with
an animal.

All this from having fun with your dog in the countryside! Mums and dads I
apologise now for all muddy dogs and muddy children that will be arriving home
throughout the summer – and also for those requests to transport youngsters
and dogs to the lovely grounds where gundog training takes place. Landowners
are very generous in giving permission to Gundog Clubs to use their land for
training but they are not usually accessible by public transport!

If you are a parent or work with young people that you feel would enjoy and
benefit from an introduction to training a gundog or if you would like further
information about Junior Gundog Handling or local Gundog Clubs, then please
contact me.