There is something extraordinary about watching a gundog work. The focus, the drive, the precise interplay between instinct and handler — a Spaniel quartering a hedgerow, a Labrador marking and retrieving, a Pointer locked on point with every fibre of their body engaged.

This is what these dogs were bred for. It is written into their DNA as clearly as any physical characteristic. And when they get to do it — really do it — the joy is unmistakable.

But somewhere between that natural joy and formal gundog training, something has historically gone wrong. Methods that prioritise precision over relationship. Corrections that create compliance through pressure. An approach that produces a dog who performs — but who has learned to work through anxiety rather than through genuine partnership.

The Natural Gundog Programme exists because there is a better way. And it produces better dogs.

The Problem With Traditional Gundog Training

Traditional gundog training has a long history, a strong culture, and — it has to be said — a deep-rooted resistance to change. The e-collar, the check cord used punitively, the physical correction for a break or a flush — these methods have been considered standard for generations.

And they work. Up to a point.

What they also produce, frequently and predictably, is a dog who is shut down rather than switched on. A dog who retrieves because they fear the consequence of not retrieving. A dog whose natural enthusiasm has been dimmed by correction until what remains is a functional but joyless performance.

For working gundog owners, this matters because a confident, motivated dog is a more effective working dog. For pet gundog owners — the Labrador, the Spaniel, the Retriever who will never see a driven shoot but whose every instinct is wired for exactly this kind of work — it matters because their quality of life depends on getting an outlet for drives that, left unaddressed, become the chaos of the family home.

The Natural Gundog Programme brings gundog training into the 21st century. Without compromising on the standard.

CLT Meets Gundog Work — The Combination That Changes Everything

Communicative Learning Theory (CLT) — the James & Frankie framework that positions communication as the primary mechanism of behaviour change — transforms gundog training in a way that no simple substitution of reward for correction can achieve.

Because the issue with traditional methods isn't just that they use aversives. It's that they don't build genuine communication. They build compliance. And compliance, unlike communication, is fragile — it breaks under pressure, in novel environments, and whenever the dog's drive outweighs their fear of correction.

CLT-based gundog work builds a dog who understands what you're asking, chooses to respond, and is motivated by the relationship and the work itself — not by the avoidance of punishment. That dog is more reliable in the field, more consistent under pressure, and infinitely more enjoyable to work with.

What The Programme Covers

Drive Assessment & Channel Identification

Every gundog is different. A Springer Spaniel and a Flat-Coated Retriever and a German Shorthaired Pointer all share the gundog heritage but express it differently. We begin by understanding your dog's specific drives, energy, and instinctive profile — and building the programme around what they naturally are, not what a generic gundog template expects them to be.

Hunt, Point & Flush

For HPR breeds and Spaniels — developing the natural quartering, pointing, and flushing instincts through structured, progressive work that builds drive and precision simultaneously. No suppression of natural behaviour — only the shaping and channelling of it.

Retrieve — Built on Joy, Not Compliance

The retrieve trained through CLT is a retrieve the dog chooses to complete — not one they perform to avoid a consequence. We build it from first principles: drive, carry, delivery to hand — progressively, positively, and with a reliability that punitive methods rarely actually achieve.

Steadiness Without Shutdown

Steadiness — the ability to hold position under the pressure of a flush, a shot, or a falling bird — is the holy grail of gundog training. Traditionally taught through correction. In the Natural Gundog Programme, it's built through genuine self-control, developed progressively and rewarded as the remarkable skill it actually is.

Water Work

For breeds with the instinct, water retrieves are introduced naturally and joyfully — never forced, never pressured, always on the dog's terms until confidence is established.

Handler Partnership

Gundog work is handler work as much as dog work. Whistle commands, hand signals, distance control, reading your dog in the field — we develop your skills as a handler alongside your dog's skills as a working partner.

For Pet Gundogs — Drive Fulfilment at Home

For the Labrador or Spaniel who will never work a shoot, we translate these instincts into structured activities that fulfil the same drives — scent work, retrieve games, hunt patterns, and enrichment activities that give the pet gundog the outlet their DNA demands, and that transform their behaviour at home as a direct result.

What's Included

✔ Full drive and temperament assessment — your dog's gundog instinct profile mapped before the programme begins

✔ Structured 1:1 sessions personalised to your dog's breed, drives, and working context

✔ Real-world sessions across the natural environments of Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham — fields, open parkland, and varied terrain at Sutton Park and beyond

✔ CLT-based handler training throughout — developing your skills as a gundog partner, not just your dog's

✔ Suitable for both working gundogs and pet gundog breeds

✔ Force-free, science-backed methods throughout — no aversive tools, no punitive corrections, no exceptions

✔ Between-session support and a written programme plan

✔ A gundog who works because they love it — not because they fear what happens if they don't

The Breeds We Work With

Labrador Retrievers · Cocker Spaniels · Springer Spaniels · Golden Retrievers · German Shorthaired Pointers · Vizslas · Weimaraners · Flat-Coated Retrievers · Hungarian Wirehaired Vizslas · Irish Setters · and all gundog and HPR crosses.

This Programme Is Right For You If…

You have a working gundog and want results without the relationship damage that traditional methods create

You have a pet gundog breed whose drives are creating chaos at home and need a proper outlet

You've experienced traditional gundog training and felt something was wrong with it — for the dog

You want a dog who works with you, not for you

You're based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, Lichfield, Tamworth, the Staffordshire countryside, or the wider West Midlands

Your Gundog Was Built for Partnership. Let's Build It Properly.

Book Your Gundog Assessment — currently serving Sutton Coldfield (B74), Birmingham, Lichfield, Tamworth, and surrounding areas.