Rescue dogs and gundog training

[Beretta V]

Hi another post on here ref labs got me wondering about rescue dogs and if any of you on here have been successful in training one to become a gundog.
I recently lost my cocker and in time we will start looking for another dog but my wife doesn’t want another puppy.
I would like to rescue something maybe part trained?
I know of a few people that have rescued dogs and have had wonderful dogs but we all hear the horror stories!!
Any of you guys had any rescues?

 

[Rake Aboot]

A picker up I know took a Springer as a rescue. He knew nothing about the dog apart from it had been beaten into a timid wreck.

It instantly switched onto him him and turned out to have been fully trained to a very high standard.

You never know .

 

[willie_gunn]

Jasper, our first lab, was a rescue dog aged around two. He was found wandering the streets of Maidstone in Kent. We knew nothing of his past, but he looked the gundog "type", if that makes sense?

I took him beating and then shooting for 5 or 6 years, and the most he ever retrieved was a stick (much to the other beater's amusement).

Then, aged nine, Mrs Gunn took him out when I was shooting and he picked his first pheasant. The next time I was out he was sat with me on the peg and the shoot captain dropped a cock bird over the hedge behind us. I sent Jasper, and he did a perfect retrieve. From then on it all seemed to click, and he became a super gundog.

I've since known several people who had rescue dogs, typically from the breed societies, and they've all been good.

 

[Beretta V]

Jasper, our first lab, was a rescue dog aged around two. He was found wandering the streets of Maidstone in Kent. We knew nothing of his past, but he looked the gundog "type", if that makes sense?

I took him beating and then shooting for 5 or 6 years, and the most he ever retrieved was a stick (much to the other beater's amusement).

Then, aged nine, Mrs Gunn took him out when I was shooting and he picked his first pheasant. The next time I was out he was sat with me on the peg and the shoot captain dropped a cock bird over the hedge behind us. I sent Jasper, and he did a perfect retrieve. From then on it all seemed to click, and he became a super gundog.

I've since known several people who had rescue dogs, typically from the breed societies, and they've all been good.

That sounds perfect. Exactly the story I like to hear about.
If I could manage something like this then I would be happy.
The main reason is to give a dog a good home and to have a wonderful pet. The second thing is if I can take it into the field with me then I would be really happy.

 

[nun_hunter]

I would have thought with all the dogs bought during lockdown there would be plenty of high energy gun dogs looking to be rehomed now people have gone back to work and have less time for them. Dogs without issues, just bored and under stimulated that would thrive in a working home.

 

[Subsistence]

Nice thread, I have been wondering the same. Good to see success is possible.

 

[VSS]

You've got just as much chance of success with a rescue dog as any other, provided that you have the temperament to help it overcome any emotional baggage it might be carrying.
You won't know until you try, but failure could result in the dog needing to be "rescued" again, and that's a sad situation.

 

[Beretta V]

You've got just as much chance of success with a rescue dog as any other, provided that you have the temperament to help it overcome any emotional baggage it might be carrying.
You won't know until you try, but failure could result in the dog needing to be "rescued" again, and that's a sad situation.

I would never let a dog go. I love dogs all types.
If I get a rescue it would be after spending time with it to make sure it is the right thing to do for us and the dog.
Sure it might have bad habits but that’s every dog no matter who trains them.

 

[Dickie]

Just go on the various breed rescue pages of facebook there are literally hundreds needing re homing people’s lockdow dogs which now don’t fit people’s non lockdown lives, lots with anxiety issues because they have never been left alone but people are back to work and also want to go out without the dog.
Good luck in adopting one .
it’s also crazy when you know so many dogs need rehousing in the uk yet people adopt them from abroad.

 

[Bowland blades]

Hi another post on here ref labs got me wondering about rescue dogs and if any of you on here have been successful in training one to become a gundog.
I recently lost my cocker and in time we will start looking for another dog but my wife doesn’t want another puppy.
I would like to rescue something maybe part trained?
I know of a few people that have rescued dogs and have had wonderful dogs but we all hear the horror stories!!
Any of you guys had any rescues?

Yes i have ! Its about the same gamble as buying any dog without knowing the parents . One of my best ever came to me as a stray , pedigree and owner, past unknown . avoid "Part trained" unless you have a trial period its very likely either a fib, failure or fault .

 

[Buchan]

Careful careful careful.

 

[NullMac]

I know a guy who had a rescue lab that he used for picking up. Great dog.

For my first gundog I bought a part trained lab, I did the fun bits of training. On his first day out I was offered £5k for him and that was in yesterdays money. Not that he was that well trained. I thought the guy was just pulling my chain. As the years showed he knew a proper dog when he saw one.

Make your own rules.

 

[enfieldspares]

Anecdotally I am told that if you go to some rescue dog establishments and make even a suggestion that you'll be using it in connection with your pigeon, pheasant or whatever else live quarry shooting they'll show you the door.

 

[VSS]

Anecdotally I am told that if you go to some rescue dog establishments and make even a suggestion that you'll be using it in connection with your pigeon, pheasant or whatever else live quarry shooting they'll show you the door.

Same if you're a farmer.

 

[enfieldspares]

it’s also crazy when you know so many .... need rehousing in the UK yet people adopt them from abroad.

Like a certain type of middle aged man with its bring back Thai or Filipino bride....

 

[Herb64]

I’ve a rescue Springer that my partner put a lot of work into. Now one of the nicest dogs I have. Outstanding at dogging in and working whilst I’m out beating.

 

[chriswjx]

Anecdotally I am told that if you go to some rescue dog establishments and make even a suggestion that you'll be using it in connection with your pigeon, pheasant or whatever else live quarry shooting they'll show you the door.

I was going to comment this, seen plenty of folk saying they've been turned away for mentioning "working home"

 

[Bowland blades]

Anecdotally I am told that if you go to some rescue dog establishments and make even a suggestion that you'll be using it in connection with your pigeon, pheasant or whatever else live quarry shooting they'll show you the door.

Because they are prejudice , rather put them down i suppose ? what a great life our dogs get though in comparison to the average pooch

 

[nun_hunter]

Just go on the various breed rescue pages of facebook there are literally hundreds needing re homing people’s lockdow dogs which now don’t fit people’s non lockdown lives, lots with anxiety issues because they have never been left alone but people are back to work and also want to go out without the dog.
Good luck in adopting one .
it’s also crazy when you know so many dogs need rehousing in the uk yet people adopt them from abroad.

This is often down to a rule almost all UK based rehoming centres have which is no dogs going to homes with Children. This is what prevented me from rehoming a rescue from an organisation. Along with other rules and conditions they have, which I get they need to have some in place but a lot of them are unnecessary and so over the top it prevents people from being able to re-home a dog.

 

[Lloyd90]

That sounds perfect. Exactly the story I like to hear about.
If I could manage something like this then I would be happy.
The main reason is to give a dog a good home and to have a wonderful pet. The second thing is if I can take it into the field with me then I would be really happy.

You’re hoping for a dog that’ll take 7 years to get it to retrieve a pheasant?

As with anything, if a jobs worth doing, it’s worth doing right, buying a well bred pup is no guarantee of a good dog but hopefully enhances your chances, giving you the raw material, and as a pup you know it’s not got any major faults or issues that will totally rule it out for what you want.


I consider it harder with a rescue dog as you don’t know what behaviours or habits have already been engrained, although it could be absolutely fine. As I said, it’s just tipping the odds against you that the dog may already have some bad habits.

If your willing to give the dog a chance and if it’s totally useless for the job rehome it, then it’s not as big a deal to get the perfect day from day 1.

If you (or your wife) is the type that once she’s brought it home it’s not leaving even if it turns out to be a hell hound sent to ruin your life, then it’s far more important to get the right dog in the first place.


Also add in the complicating factor that one man’s “he does everything I ask of him” fully trained all singing all dancing best dog he’s ever had is someone else’s idea of an untrained useless thing that they wouldn’t take home if paid to take it

Not easy to get right. If you just want a pet you can take out on shoot day to run about that ain’t too hard to find.