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  • About Us
    • Rules, Regulations, AGM's etc.
  • Contacts
  • **NEWS**
  • Membership
  • Showing your Labrador
    • Enter our next Show/EVENT
    • Show Results & JUDGE CRITIQUE
    • PICTURES: Show
    • Useful Links
    • Club Code of Conduct at Shows
  • Working Tests
    • 2025 Working Tests
    • WORKING TEST RESULTS
    • PICTURES: Working Tests
    • Starting out In Working Tests
    • Health and Safety Policy Working Events
  • Field Trials
    • 2024 FIELD TRIALS
    • Field Trial Results
    • PICTURES: Field Trials
    • FT Links
  • Owning a Labrador
  • Puppy Register
    • Dogs on Register
    • Labrador Register: Breeders Questionnaire
    • Labrador Register: Buyers Questionnaire
  • History of the Breed
  • Health Information
    • General Health Topics
    • Health - useful links
  • Breed Standard
  • Activities
  • Labrador Welfare/Rescue
  • Calendar
  • Club Archives
    • Club History
    • **CENTENARY**
    • Year Books from 1971 to 2002
    • 90th Anniversary
    • WORKING ARCHIVE >
      • Archive Running Cards
      • Club History in Field Trials
      • Club Perpetual Trophies
      • Miscellaneous
    • SHOW ARCHIVE >
      • 1946 Championship Show Catalogue
      • 1961 Championship Show Catalogue
      • 1971 Championship Show Catalogue
      • 1972 Championship Show Catalogue
      • 1980 Championship Show Catalogue
      • 1981 Championship Show Catalogue
    • Historic Images & Articles
    • Breed Standards
Northumberland and Durham Labrador Retriever Club
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Starting out – A  Guide  to  Gundog  Working Tests

Click here for N & D's handout on Working Tests
​and also see the Kennel Club links below

INCORPORATING text  From the kennel club  site

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Before you decide whether  you want to get involved with this sport you should find out as much as possible about countryside sports from a number  of sources.

If your dog comes from  working stock, the breeder should be able to advise you about how to start to  develop your dog into a working Gundog and introduce you to other people in your  area with similar interests.

There are many large Game  and Country Fairs held all around the country every year which are well worth  attending if you want to find out   more.

There are usually working  Gundog demonstrations at these Fairs and you should take time not only to watch  the displays, but also to talk to those people involved and ask their  advice.


The Kennel Club also sends a  stand to some of the larger Fairs and the staff are more than happy to discuss  the sport with you and help to clarify any rules and regulations you need help  with.

There are plenty of  specialist publications which are filled with articles and tips about training  your Gundog and the role of the dog owner and dog in the countryside. Some  titles include ‘The Shooting Times’, ‘Shooting Gazette’ and ‘The Field’. These  magazines also have sporting calendars which list when and where Game and  Country Fairs are being held.


Training
If you decide that this  sport is for you, you can begin the process of training.

You  should remember that not only must your dog be fit and healthy to do a day's work, but you need to be as well. You will need to be fairly robust to be able  to tramp across some of the rough terrain encountered on some country shoots! 


The training you do must bring out the traditional working abilities for each category of Gundog in the  shooting field.

The first step is to join a  Field Trial society or gundog club who can offer a range of training  opportunities throughout the summer  months.

The Kennel Club will be able  to help you find the most suitable society  near to you. Field Trial Societies  will be able to help you with specialist  Field Trial training and can suggest trainers who may be willing to train  you to the gun on a one to one basis.


Training a working Gundog is really a  sport in itself and can take many years of  hard work, developing a good  rapport with your dog to create a dog capable of  working in the field.

Field Trial Societies may  organise members' competitions and training  assessments which are designed to develop your dog's ability and help with your training technique. These are  helpful as your dog should learn to work surrounded by other people and dogs, as it would do out in the field. Clubs may also publish newsletters and magazines  and organise a range of  social events.

Joining Field Trial  Societies is also the only  way you will be able to enter gundog competitions.  Over 600 Field Trials  and many Gundog 
Working Tests are held every year and they are  nearly all  over-subscribed.

Preference is always given  to club  members so, if you want to go into competition you will have to join  several clubs to stand a chance of getting a  run.

Once you have joined a Field  Trial Society you should ask to attend as a  guest at one or two Trials to see  the standard required of dogs working in  the Field, and also to try to pick up  training tips from top handlers in  competition.

The majority of Field Trials  are held in the  autumn and winter during the shooting season.


Gundog Working Tests  (GWTs)

Most Gundogs aren't ready  to work in competition for at least two years and the first sort of competition  you will probably enter will be a Gundog Working Test. These competitions are for members of the organising club  but non members can also enter in many cases.

They are designed to further  good, sound, Gundog work and encourage dogs' natural working ability, but do not  involve shooting live game. Work is done with dummies, and these friendly competitions  are a natural extension of the training you will already be doing with your dog.

Gundog Working Tests are  designed to suit the different working abilities of the three Gundog groups,  Spaniels, Retrievers  and breeds which Hunt, Point and  Retrieve.


Retrievers
At a Field Trial dogs will  be required to be steady by the handler whilst being shot over until commanded  to quest for dead or wounded game, from land or water, and retrieve tenderly to  hand. (J(B)1.9)

At GWTs Retrievers are  tested on their game finding ability and the speed and directness of the  retrieve. Judges will be looking for quick pick ups and fast returns, natural  nose and marking ability, quietness in handling, control, drive and  style.
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Kennel Club Ltd leaflet - Starting out in Gundog Events

Our grateful thanks to the talented photographers who have provided the images for this website.