How your dog walks can easily become your biggest frustration with your Gundog breed

Drive, desire, and determination aren’t behavioural issues, but the more your dog has, the more challenging life with them as a pet dog can become.

A dog’s intensity in these areas is shaped by two things:

• Genetics

• Experience

If you have a Spaniel, Labrador, or other Gundog breed, your dog’s determination to hunt has been purposefully bred in for generations.  It’s hardwired. The strength of that drive varies between breeds and individuals, and how it shows up depends on both their natural instincts and the experiences they’ve had since early life.

There are two common scenarios that create problems later on:

1. Too much freedom too soon

If walks are simply free time for your hunt-driven dog to indulge in the environment, they’ll naturally start searching for game. At some point, they’ll flush a bird or a rabbit, and for many, that moment flips a switch into an intensity of hunting drive that will knock your socks off and your walks will never be the same again.

2. No appropriate outlets

A hunt-driven dog needs to hunt. We must provide suitable outlets and teach the parameters around them.

That’s why every new client or puppy I work with begins by learning structured activity walks. These walks meet the dog’s needs while building the vital habit of engagement.

Without outlets and engagement, any training is likely to fail. 

The more driven your dog is, the harder this can be. High drive often comes hand-in-hand with impulsivity, low frustration tolerance, and struggles with arousal management… just to add a bit more spice to your life!

If you have a young puppy just starting to explore the world, don’t fall into the habit of simply “going for a walk.” It won’t be an issue now and everything will feel easy, but it’s exactly what leads to frustration later.

Here are three things you can start doing today to build better habits:

1. Take them to lots of different places.

Don’t just stick to the same field.  It won’t provide enough stimulation and they’ll be chaos on the odd occasions they go somewhere new.  Get them out to the countryside, woodland, and the moors too if that’s going to be a part of their life.

2. Use a harness and long line.

This gives them freedom while you still have some control to manage their choices. The line can trail behind but is there to pick up if needed.

3. Play!

Teach your puppy that walks are about fun engagement, impulse control, and Gundog games with you. This early habit will save you a lot of trouble when their hunting drive amps up around 8–12 months old. If you have an older dog who’s already experienced the thrill of hunting independently, you’ll need to be more selective about where you take them to build up your engagement.

The Pet Gundog Life Skills course is where we dive right into activity walks, Gundog games, engagement, and impulse control.  Click here to find all the information you need to see if it's the right course for you.