How to become a pro

[duke]

Hi I'd go for the game keeper side, my brother is one, hes got a nice place in the middle of no where, he also trains the estate owners dogs (mostly labs), not to trialing standard, just enough to work on shoots, i'd say he spends that much time with them he practically owns them, he finds himself working them as well, he is basically living my dream, really jealous but love going up to see him just so i can pretend i'm living my dream. ONE DAY..

[arwesa]

AS you can see from some of the comments the gundog world in cynical of newcomers for good reason (Im also old, grumpy and the same ). There is no control on who can claim to be a pro. If you wanted to you could setup tomorrow and call yourself a pro...you just would have no credibility.

As a career, Id consider it like many other trades where you benefit from a balance of academic and practical experience. Academically you could consider animal behaviour for which there are degrees out there, however this alone has you no where near geing a pro trainer, it just gives you a grounding in how dogs behave (and learn). There is a KC run accreditation for dog trainers (however again not gundog specific) and you may choose to start out with behavioural oet dog training as a first level of income whilst you personally learn your trade as a gundog handler in spare time.

You have suggested good ways to get gundog specific experience. This is something you can start at a personal level now as you go through the academics. put the two together and then start to compete in gundog events and when you start to see your own dogs consistently (over a number of years) doing as well as the 'pros' then you will know you're ready imo. At this point people will come to you...

Age should be immaterial if you are seen to be getting success in the gundog competition world and at the same time have demonstrated your knowledge and ability to train people through the academic and KC routes... The good thing is getting there would be hard work and take a number of years, but you'd have had a lot of fun along the way.

[Penwithian]

Hi Cocker Sapniel Boy. I agree with all the above posts. Just wanted to add that if you are having lessons with Ben Randall, you will certainly have your foot on the first rung of the ladder! Good luck with getting that Saturday job!

[vicky payne]

I see two ways into gundog training; 1) get qualifications which teach you about animal learning theory,behaviour etc. 2) train dogs and prove yourself in the field by winning competitions or having in demand dogs on shoots.
The truth is you need both really! No amount of book learning can make up for having had lots of dogs through your hands BUT some of the best dog trainers out there struggle to explain why they do what they do and therefore to pass it on to their human pupils.
Experience, experience, experience! Good luck with your Saturday job.

[lee-kinsman]

I can't think of anything else to add. Keep a good relationship with Ben Randall time with good trainers like him is hard to come by, keep your eye on your goal and work hard.

With regards to your school, I'm a teacher and understand that you need to put something down to satisfy your teacher. So for the benefit of your schoool work list according to a plan of action the Kennel Club City and Guilds qualification and some other animal welfare/behavioural course. That'll keep em happy.

ATB,
Lee

[Blackjaw]

I would think a good way to do it is to try and become an understudy of a pro you admire, work for low wages, do all of the not so fun jobs for a few years and hopefully be given 1-2 dogs to train on your own during that period. You will slowly learn the business while at the same time making some good contacts in the sport and a (hopefully good) reputation.

[Cocker spaniel boy]

Thanks for all the help and avice the teacher did not seem to be that happy to be honest when I first sed about gundog training as I think he is of anti shooting person owell I relly aprichate all the suggestions

[da.drew]

I know this is an old thread but I only just came across it! Just wanted to add my opinion:

Being great at gundog trainer doesn't automatically mean that you are a great gundog training instructor, in a similar vain that being a great footballer doesn't mean that you will be a great football manager!

Iv'e only been training my dogs for five years, so still very much a novice in compassion to many others on here. But in that short time I have had the pleasure of training with some very experienced handlers/trainers, some of which trail their dogs and some don't. Some of them I only went to once and would never go back to or ask for advise from again and the reasons are very simple:

1. They have no 'people' skills. Put simply they don't know how to talk to people without it sounding like an insult. People are paying for a service, not to be insulted.

2. They know how to teach a dog but don't know how to teach that information to a person to teach their own dogs. As I see it the gundog training instructor should really be called 'The Gundog Handler Trainer'.

Of course subject matter is hugely important and there is no substitute for it and that is all you need if you are only going to train a dog but, if your going to train people to train their dogs then some teaching methodology is important.

I went to a trainer about 2 years ago, he is very well known in the gundog world and competes at a high level. I paid £70 for two hours and spent the first hour being shown around his land and talking about him! I spent the second hour being told that nothing I had done with my dog was correct and finally he said put your dog in the car with boot open and walk around the car. When my dog stayed inside his comment was "well at least you got something right!"

Oddly enough I haven't been back. I now go to a trainer who doesn't compete at such a high level but can convey what he knows to me in a manner that makes me want to go back time and again!

[trekmoor]

I'd have made a really lousy full time pro gundog trainer. I get quite a lot of folk wanting to be trained with their dogs and I also took gundog training classes for a total of more than 30 years for a couple of clubs. Nevertheless I'd have made a rotten full time pro ! There are two main reasons for that. One is that I am not always very diplomatic when dealing with people and the other is that I would make very little money because I don't like asking for money and very often undervalue myself (yes I know that sounds big-headed ! )

I worked a very odd system when taking 1-2-1 training sessions. I'd charge maybe £20 -£25 for the hour but the hour usually lasted at least 30 minutes more than that . If I didn't like the person I'd up the price of any future encounters and if I did like the person then I charged them nothing at all for any future lessons. It is no way to run a business !

The people I did like and who got free advice had one thing in common whether they were rich or poor. They could all take criticisms often couched in robust language right on the chin and then come back for more. It is the way I learned the "game" .....the old timers who showed me the ropes didn't mess about when I was being a bit stupid. They told me in no uncertain terms what they thought and I took the rebukes in the spirit they were given .....and they were given to help .....if I would listen.

I noticed 4 decades ago that if someone could not take the criticisms in the spirit they were intended then that someone got no more help offered to them. Not one of the "old guard" ever took a penny from me for all their help and I sort of feel the same way about helping others ......... I'd not have lasted long as a pro-trainer before the lack of cash intake made me a failed one.

Wullie

[Naj]

Unfortunately, the 'old guard' attitude doesn't make for good teaching, which is a great pity because a lot of talent was lost as a result. I'm of the age that was brought up 'old school', by teachers, and to some extent parents, & the one thing it taught me was that I didn't want to treat others the way that I had been treated & a bit of mutual respect makes for a much more pleasant, & productive, relationship. Perhaps its a regional thing but I learnt some great lessons by trainers who were kind to their dogs & kind & patient when dealing with an over eager novice who had more enthusiasm than sense.

Naj