Game season preparation for your gundog - 5 top tips…

🐾 5 Top Tips to Prepare Your Gundog for the Shooting Season

The countdown is on! It won’t be long before the season starts—and no doubt, your own preparations are well underway. Hotels booked? Days off approved? Gun cleaned and ready? Maybe even a few rounds of clays to get your eye back in?

But what about your most loyal shooting companion—your dog?

If you’re the kind of Gun who wouldn’t be without your dog at your side, now’s the time to start thinking about their pre-season prep too. A well-prepared gundog makes all the difference between a relaxed, rewarding day and one filled with frustration.

Here are five simple but vital tips to help get your gundog back in the groove and ready to hit the ground running.

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1. 🏃‍♂️ Get Fit With Purpose

Let’s face it—we all lose a bit of fitness in the off-season. Your dog is no different. A casual stroll around the block isn’t enough to prep for long, demanding shoot days.

Instead, build up fitness through purposeful activity. Use walks to mix in memory retrieves or hop on your bike and have your dog trot alongside you at a steady pace. This helps condition their cardio, strengthen joints, and toughen up pads.

Bonus: Regular, structured exercise will also reduce the risk of injury when the real work starts.

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2. 🔔 Tune Up Obedience & Connection

The enthusiasm will still be there—but how’s the control?

Take some solo time with your dog and brush up on heelwork, delivery, and the all-important stop whistle. These are your brakes and steering—vital for safe, effective work in the field.

Try this drill: Set out a small pile of dummies spaced just enough apart to allow you to intervene. If your dog shows signs of “shopping” or swapping mid-retrieve, recall quickly with an enthusiastic “Here, here!” or a whistle to encourage a single, clean pick and return.

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3. 🧘 Practise Doing Nothing

One of the most underrated skills for a peg dog? Staying still and quiet.

It’s easy to focus all training on action—retrieves, hunting, obedience—but the real skill lies in self-control. A peg dog should be able to settle calmly and wait for their moment.

Build this into daily life. Take your dog to the pub and have them lie quietly under the table. Practice a sit-stay while you mow the lawn or run the BBQ. Ask friends and family not to engage—teach the dog to relax and observe.

Training tip: Avoid marked or thrown retrieves in this phase. Sending for every visible fall builds anticipation, and that’s how run-ins start. Instead, send only for memory or blind retrieves.

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4. 🦆 Introduce Cold Game Calmly

If possible, introduce your dog to some cold game before the season starts. A couple of hen pheasants or a partridge from a trainer or game dealer will do just fine.

Use it for quiet, controlled memory retrieves. Show the bird, then calmly send the dog. Keep it low-pressure—don’t expect a perfect delivery on the first go. The goal is to build confidence, not stress.

If it doesn’t go well? End the session positively and try again the next day. And please—don’t forget to pop the bird back in the fridge, not your game bag!

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5. 🧠 Don’t Overdo It on Day One

It’s tempting to dive straight back in, especially if your dog performed brilliantly last year. But be smart—early-season mistakes are avoidable with a bit of thought.

If possible, start with a smaller, quieter day to ease back into the rhythm. If you’re facing a big day, consider having a friend on hand to help, or a plan for taking the dog out of the thick of it if needed.

Young dog? Be honest about whether they’re ready. Sometimes, discretion really is the better part of valour.

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Final Thoughts

A good season starts with good preparation. And that includes your dog.

By focusing on fitness, refreshing the basics, encouraging calm behaviour, and easing back into real-world retrieves, you’re setting both of you up for a safe, smooth, and enjoyable return to the field.

So get started now. A few short weeks of thought and effort will pay dividends when the birds start flying—and your dog is right there, steady as a rock, ready to work.

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Enjoy the season, shoot safe, and give your dog every chance to shine. 🐕💥