What is Gundog training? (& why is it good for all dogs)

When you hear ‘gundog training’, you might picture people dressed in tweed, tooting on whistles, with a Labrador politely delivering a pheasant to hand.

In reality, modern gundog training - especially the way holistic gundog trainer Nina Fotara approaches it - is much more relevant to everyday dog owners than most people realise.

Because at its core, gundog training is about teaching dogs to do three things really well:

• Focus when the world is exciting
  

• Control themselves when they desperately want to chase, grab, or zoom
  

• Work with you rather than becoming… self-employed
  

So let’s break down what gundog training actually is, what it involves, and how retrieve training can help any dog learn self control through play.  

What is gundog training?

Gundog training is training originally designed to teach dogs to work alongside humans in the field - finding game, flushing it out, staying steady, retrieving, and responding reliably to cues even around intense distractions.

But gundog training isn’t just for dogs with jobs.

It’s training that builds emotional control, cooperation, and clarity - which is exactly what many pet dogs struggle with on walks and at home.

Nina prefers the word cues rather than commands, because the word “command” tends to come with a heavy, authoritarian vibe - and energy is very important to Nina. 

Her approach is to:

• set the dog up to succeed
  

• reward the choices you want
  

• build skills gradually
  

• pay attention to how the dog feels while learning

• support your dogs nervous system, and yours


It’s not obedience for obedience’s sake. It’s all about partnership - and that’s something we at Tug-E-Nuff can absolutely get behind.

What does gundog training entail?

Most people think gundog training is just retrieving. And while retrieving is part of it,  gundog training also includes skills like:

• Recall (coming back reliably)
  

• Emergency stops (stopping instantly, anywhere, even mid-run)
  

• Steadiness (waiting calmly while exciting things happen)
  

• Delivery (bringing items back without playing keep-away or chewing them)
  

• Hunting and searching (using their nose and brain in a structured way)
  

• Directional work (learning to move with you and respond to guidance)

• Walking nicely on loose lead 

For pet owners, the magic is that these skills often solve common day-to-day problems that happen with all breeds and personalities.

Is gundog training only for working dogs?

No - and Nina sees more pet gundog owners than gamekeepers and farmers now.

A lot of people have a gundog breed because they’re gorgeous, friendly, and popular… and then realise they’ve brought home a dog bred to work all day with high sensitivity, stamina, and a strong chase/grab instinct.

So many of the most popular dog breeds like cockapoos, labradoodles and sprockers are crossbreeds of working gundogs - yet because they look like teddybears, their genetically predisposed behaviours can be a surprise to people. 

Nina explains it like this: “Imagine you’re a creative person, but you’re forced into a repetitive data-entry job forever. You might cope… but you’re likely to end up bored, frustrated, and mentally fried.”

That’s what can happen when a working-bred dog has no appropriate outlet. Their needs don’t disappear - the behaviour just finds somewhere else to escape.

That might look like:

• pulling on the lead like a sled dog
  

• ignoring recall
  

• stealing things
  

• guarding toys or food
  

• obsessing over birds, squirrels, or other dogs
  

• running off tracking scents  

• chasing after joggers or cyclists

Gundog training gives that abundance of energy somewhere useful to go. And it helps you build connection instead of constantly being in conflict.

Gundog training exercises that work for pet dogs

Here are some of Nina’s favourite gundog-inspired exercises for everyday life - no tweed required!

1) Placeboards for focus and self-control

A placeboard is a raised platform that becomes a clear ‘station’ for your dog.

Nina loves them because they’re obvious - your dog steps up onto something that feels different from the ground, and it instantly signals ‘now I’m focused, I’m working’.

But you don’t have to buy special equipment, Nina suggests pet owners use something portable - like a small piece of mat or carpet you can roll up and take out with you.

Starts by rewarding any interaction with the board/mat. Walk around it, wait for curiosity, and the second your dog shows any interest in it - reward heavily with treats, play or attention. 

You can then use this out and about to shift your dog into ‘working’ mode so they’re focused and ready to train. The board/mat is also great for teaching extended waiting and for teaching your dog to remain still and calm out and about.

2) Hide-and-seek and “hunt back” games

Gundog training isn’t only retrieves. It’s also hunting in partnership.

Two simple options:

• Hide-and-seek - your dog waits, you hide, they find you, and the reward is play
  

• Hunt back - you ‘accidentally’ drop a toy while walking, carry on, then turn around and send your dog back to find it
  

These games build engagement, recall, teamwork… and a habit for your dog to check in with you.

3) Tug as a training tool (and an arousal regulator)

Nina uses tug with a lot of dogs - including gundogs - because it’s a great way to both reward and regulate. 

If you’re asking your dog to control themselves constantly, they need a safe way to release that energy too.

A great tug session with your dog:

• helps them shake off frustration safely
  

• teaches them to release energy appropriately
  

• makes you the most rewarding thing in the environment

• helps them learn how to ‘let go’ of something they value highly

Key rule: the toy isn’t theirs until you say “get it”.

This one change helps stop dogs from constantly grabbing at the toy (or your hands) and turning tug into chaos.

And if your dog gets too amped up? Use Nina’s cycle exercises to help guide your dog back to calm:

• tug game (up)
  

• back to placeboard + easy wins (down)
  

• then tug again (up)
  

The skill of learning to come back down is something loads of dogs never get taught, and it’s why so many owners struggle with wild behaviour because their dog hasn’t learned how to switch gears. 

Tug on Cue is a great game to play to help your dog learn to regulate their emotions and control their impulses. 

What age should you start gundog training?

You can start at any age - but what you teach changes depending on stage.

Puppies

Focus on the foundations; building value in toys, rewarding interaction with you, easy wins that build confidence. Be sure to protect your puppy’s growing joints by playing and training on soft non-slip surfaces like carpet, rugs, and grass. Keep everything fun and pressure free.

Adolescents (the ‘why won’t you listen’ phase)

This is where pet owners often seek help - Nina sees lots of dogs aged between 8–18 months old. At this age, gundog skills are especially useful because they give dogs an outlet and structure so they can learn steadiness, focus and regulated play.

Adult dogs

It’s never too late. If your dog isn’t into tug initially, Nina recommends starting with a food toy to get their interest - then reinforce even tiny interactions. Something as small as a nose touch can become a gateway to grabbing, holding, and eventually playing if you’re patient.

Nina says “Don’t write your dog off because they don’t tug or don’t retrieve. Those are skills that can be learned, not stuck personality traits.”

How to train a gundog to retrieve (& why it’s not the same as fetch)

This is where most owners go wrong - because they think fetch and retrieve are the same thing.

Nina says:

Fetch (what most people play) is often:
dog runs out → grabs thing → maybe returns → maybe doesn’t → dumps it somewhere → you throw another thing and hope for the best.

A proper retrieve is more structured - a ‘formal fetch’. It’s made up of separate behaviours taught clearly, then chained together.

A full retrieve includes:

1. Sit and stay while the item is thrown (watch it, don’t chase)
   

2. Send and fetch on a release cue (take direction, listen)

   

3. Pick it up nicely (not chewing, tossing, or shredding)
   

4. Bring it back (don’t play ‘keep away’ with items)

   

5. Sit in front (or return to a station)
   

6. Hold and give it up calmly
   

Any part can fail and break the whole chain but teaching the pieces separately makes it easier for dogs to understand. Teaching a formal retrieve can build self-control and clarity rather than the frantic ‘ball obsessed’ chaos that can otherwise occur!

If your dog is just starting out with fetch, begin with our simpler step-by-step guide here:
How To Teach Your Dog To Fetch In 5 Simple Steps

And if your dog’s fetch is currently a bit hit and miss - perhaps stealing balls, playing keep-away, or refusing to return, focusing on training the specific step they struggle with  will help. 

Common mistakes owners make (& how they create problems by accident)

Mistake #1: Snatching the toy

Dog brings it back → owner grabs it fast → game ends.

That teaches your dog one thing: bringing it back makes good stuff stop. So next time, they don’t bring it back. Or they guard it. Or they swallow something fast to avoid losing it… Nina’s advice is:

‘Don’t make your dog feel threatened. When they return with the item, keep your hands away from their face, fuss their bum or their back, make it safe, and make it fun. This can go a long way to prevent resource guarding developing. 

Mistake #2: Asking for too much, too soon

A lot of owners practise loose lead walking in the garden… then expect it in the busiest park on earth. This is too hard - your dog’s not ready to perform this brand new skill in such a distracting environment. 

Nina says, “You’re basically asking them to go from basic arithmetic at the kitchen table to algebra at Disneyland. Go slowly and increase distractions and expectations gradually.”

Mistake #3: Getting frustrated and expecting your dog to regulate… when you can’t

Nina sees this all the time: owners get frustrated, tense, snappy - and there’s no judgement on that - raising a dog is hard! But expecting your dog to be calm and focused when you can’t regulate is a tall order. It’s not how nervous systems work.

Nina says learning to pause, breathe, and lower the pressure can go a long way to helping both of you regulate and calm down. 

Learn more from Nina about why your nervous system matters to your dog (and how to reset it) here. 

Why gundog training is beneficial for all dogs

Even if you never plan to ‘work’ your dog, gundog-style training can help because it:

• gives busy dogs an appropriate outlet
  

• turns chaos into cooperation
  

• strengthens recall and engagement
  

• improves impulse control
  

• reduces conflict around toys and stolen items
  

• teaches dogs how to come back down after excitement
  

• helps owners stop relying on repeating cues that don’t work
  
  

It’s not about ‘perfect performance’ but about supporting your dog to cope with the human world.

Want to use gundog-style play in your training?

Nina is a holistic gundog trainer and a Tug-E-Nuff partner who works with lots of pet gundogs (and their understandably frazzled humans). You can learn more about her work here.

If you want help picking a toy for retrieve games, tug training, or regulated play, try our Toy Quest Quiz - answer a few quick questions and we’ll match you with the best fit for your dog.

And if you’re keen to get playing and training, you’ll love these: