Fortiscorde Gundogs

27/06/2024

With the temperatures set to be back to normal, there are a couple of places left on our Introduction to Puppy Gundog Training Class this Saturday 29th June (10am-12:30pm).
Suitable for puppies aged between 16weeks and 6 months, this fun and interactive class will focus on important foundations to help get your puppy's training off to a good start.
Book now by emailing [email protected] or telephone: 01562 312595

27/06/2024

We've had a delivery that we're really excited about...

Can you guess what we're making...?

Head over to our Instagram page... like and follow if you want a BIGGER clue!

27/06/2024

Did you know we send out a monthly newsletter full of tips and advice on training, product reviews and training events!

Sign-up for it here: https://loom.ly/rquwaMI

25/06/2024

This evenings Group training has been CANCELLED.

Our top priority is always the welfare of the dogs we train and we thank you for your understanding.

We will be updating everyone booked in for 1-2-1 lessons for the reminder of this week nearer the time...

Enjoy the sunshine - keep your dogs cool.

25/06/2024

When choosing a gundog trainer, there's a lot to think about!

This is why we've given you the perfect guide to what makes a good trainer here: https://www.fortiscordegundogs.co.uk/what-makes-a-good-gundog-trainer/

25/06/2024

Going to be a hot one ☀️

Please keep your fur babies safe, they won’t be cross at you for not getting their mid day walkies. They will be thanking you for keeping them coool and safe!

24/06/2024

Our 1:1 training is in full summer swing at the moment!

Summer is a great time to get the in place and that's exactly what our 1:1 sessions are designed to do.

For beginners into the gundog world, we cover everything from heel walking and loose lead walking, to food training and recall. For more experienced handlers, we'll polish what you've learnt so far... so fine-tuning things like adding a sit and cleanly presenting the dummy to hand

With just a few slots left, don't miss out and book yours now! Drop us a message or email us at [email protected]

24/06/2024

Water training a gun dog begins with creating a positive and gradual introduction to water. Start by selecting a calm, shallow area such as a small pond or a lake with a gentle slope. Allow your dog to explore the water at their own pace, ensuring that the experience remains positive by using treats, toys, and verbal praise. Initially, focus on building your dog's confidence by encouraging them to wade in and out of the water without any pressure or forced immersion. This foundational step is crucial for developing a positive association with water and preventing any fear or anxiety related to it.

Once your dog is comfortable with shallow water, the next phase involves introducing basic water retrieving exercises. Use a favourite toy or training dummy and toss it into the shallow water, encouraging your dog to fetch it. Start with short distances and gradually increase the distance as the dog becomes more confident and proficient. During this phase, it's essential to maintain a positive and encouraging attitude, rewarding successful retrieves with treats and praise. Forget the formal stull right now, we can polish it up later :) This not only reinforces the retrieving behaviour but also enhances your dog's enjoyment of water activities.

As your dog progresses, gradually introduce deeper water and more complex retrieving tasks to simulate real hunting scenarios. Ensure that the dog can swim confidently before moving to deeper areas. Incorporate retrieves from various water conditions, such as still ponds and gently flowing rivers, to prepare your dog for different environments they might encounter during hunting. Throughout the training, maintain consistency, patience, and positive reinforcement to build a strong foundation of trust and reliability in water. By following these steps, you will develop a well-trained gun dog that is comfortable and efficient in water-related hunting tasks.

Extra tips....
Where possible, we want the dog to walk into the water and not jump. Jumping can cause, amongst other things, excessive water in their ears....also on a shoot, you may not know what is under the water.
If you are planning to compete, your dog should hand off before they shake.
If you have to ....get in there with your dog! Have some fun!

22/06/2024

Its only a couple of weeks away now until the Hanbury Countryside Show and we are very excited to be attending again.
Don’t miss our gundog demonstrations in the countryside arena at 12:45pm and 4pm.
Visit the Gundog scurry and put your dog through its paces by taking part in some of our scurry events.
Book your show tickets here: https://hanburyshow.ticketsrv.co.uk/tickets/22?

20/06/2024

Twix out and about building her confidence whilst we had a sneaky pint 🙌

19/06/2024

HELP! Sophie has driving test on Tuesday, but her car has broken down...needs a driving instructor to spend some time with her in their car and have the car available Tuesday at 11:45 for the test in Dudley.......worse case, have a car we can borrow. Can any of our lovely Facebook family help please???? PS she can drive really well, just unsure about a different car.

15/06/2024

Just two weeks until our Level 3 group training kicks off!

Designed for handlers who have completed our Level Two Gundog Training. This is where we focus further on advanced training, developing skills ensuring your dog is ready for a shoot day. Advanced techniques, challenging both the dog and handler.

So, if you've completed our Level 2, book on now! The first session is on the 29th June, 1:30pm to 3:30pm.

14/06/2024

Amazing group session last Tuesday with some excellent retrieval work!

These sessions are a great way to cover a variety of exercises designed to challenge and improve both your and your dog's skills.

Sessions are every Tuesday from 7pm to 9pm, places are filling fast so if you would like to join us, drop us a message or email [email protected]!

what a great shot taken by 😀

14/06/2024

What's the one dog training issue or challenge that drives you absolutely crazy and why? Share your experiences and let's see if others feel the same way!

Gundog Training and Breeding

13/06/2024

Pictured here Tom & Amber with our old Labrador Bertie

Proof that Tom has been an extremely handsome dog since the very beginning!

13/06/2024

So you want to know how to teach the STOP whistle. This is where you can start :)

Teaching a dog the positive stop whistle involves clear steps and consistent practice to ensure your furry friend understands and responds effectively. Here's our simple, step-by-step guide:

Choose the Right Whistle and Signal:
Select a consistent whistle sound, such as a single short blast, that will serve as the "stop" signal. Make sure the whistle is distinct and easy to recognize.

Associate the Whistle with a Reward:
Start in a quiet environment with your dog on a leash. Blow the whistle once and immediately offer a high-value treat or toy when your dog looks at you or stops moving. Repeat this several times until your dog associates the whistle with receiving a reward.

Introduce the Whistle During Play:
While your dog is engaged in play or light activity, blow the whistle once. As soon as your dog stops and looks at you, reward them with a treat or praise. Practice this until your dog reliably stops and looks at you upon hearing the whistle.

Practice in Different Environments:
Gradually introduce the whistle in various settings, starting with low-distraction environments and gradually increasing the level of distractions. Always reward your dog when they stop and respond to the whistle, reinforcing the behaviour in different contexts.

Phase Out Continuous Rewards:
As your dog becomes more reliable in responding to the whistle, start to intermittently reward them instead of every time. Use praise, occasional treats, or play as rewards. This helps to solidify the behaviour while making the response less dependent on constant treats.

Consistent practice and positive reinforcement are key to successfully teaching your dog the positive stop whistle. Be patient and keep training sessions short and fun to maintain your dog’s interest and enthusiasm.

06/06/2024

May brought the end to our Winter & Spring level 1 and 2 courses...

But that doesn't mean training stops!

Our 1:1 sessions are running all throughout the summer, along with our evening group training every Tuesday from 7pm to 9pm (which includes some lovely cider and home-cooked sausage rolls!) and are a great way to get some practice and hands-on advice!
We also have our September Boot Camp places filling up fast - message us for more info

To book your place, drop us a message or give us a call on 01562 312 595.

31/05/2024

Consistency is key to any dog training but, it's important to add variety when training to keep your dog interested.

Dogs, as we know, are clever. If you train the same things, in the same way, every time, your dog will learn the behaviour but may also start to anticipate what comes next. it's important that we keep them guessing.

Take a simple sit command. If your sit training is exclusively done around feeding time, the moment they see a bowl, guess what they will do? Sit. And it's easy to think that your dog will always sit when you ask. Until they go somewhere new, with different smells and more distractions. Then the sit goes out the window.

Once you have got the desired behaviour embedded through consistency in a familiar environment, start to challenge the dog by adding extra layers of difficulty, i.e. distractions.

28/05/2024

Looking forward to this fab show

Yikes - it's getting real now! 😲

Posters all printed - landed over the weekend. 🎨 Thanks Rivers Media.

Showtime's just round the corner 🎺 🐄 🐑 🐖 🐐 🐔

🌟 SAVE THE DATE! 🌟 Saturday, 6th July at Park Hall Farm Hanbury. B96 6RD.

Book online in advance and save £3.50 per adult ticket (16+). (£16.50 or £20 on the day). Children under 16 come in for free!

28/05/2024

When it all goes wrong! "But they know how to do it!", "They've done it loads of times before!"

Persistence in training a gundog is essential due to the specialised skills and behaviours these dogs must master. Gundogs required to be obedient, disciplined, and focused even in distracting environments. Consistent training ensures that these dogs understand and reliably execute commands, such as fetching and returning game, remaining steady under pressure. The benefits of this persistence are clear: a well-trained gundog enhances the hunting experience by performing efficiently and safely, making the entire process more enjoyable and productive.

Despite the best efforts, things can sometimes go wrong during the training process. There will be setbacks, such as the dog becoming distracted, disobedient, or even fearful of certain tasks. These challenges can be frustrating, but it is crucial to view them as part of the learning curve rather than failures. Persistence in overcoming these obstacles is what ultimately shapes a reliable gundog. Each setback is an opportunity to understand the dog’s needs better and adjust training methods accordingly. Over time, persistent training moulds the dog into a trustworthy companion, proving that the effort is worthwhile in the long run.

Maintaining a positive attitude throughout the training process is vital because becoming negative is counterproductive. Dogs are highly sensitive to their handler’s emotions and can easily pick up on frustration or anger, which can lead to anxiety and hinder their learning. Positive reinforcement, such as praise and treats, encourages desirable behaviour and builds a trusting relationship between the handler and the dog. This positive approach not only makes training more enjoyable for both but also reinforces the dog’s confidence and willingness to learn. Ultimately, a positive and persistent training regimen ensures that the gundog becomes a skilled and reliable partner, ready to excel in the field.

27/05/2024

Just a couple of places left for this week's evening group training!

This is a great session to get some practice in with the guidance from our trainers, so to book your place, drop us a message or give us a call on 01562 312 595.

25/05/2024

Which is better, one-to-one or online training?

There are so many videos and social media posts promoting online dog training via zoom, online webinars and videos showing people what to do.

For small snippets of advice or even the very basics, online training can be amazing. Some videos on YouTube and TikTok are excellent and give good advice.

But there is a drawback with online training. The advice tends to be generalised for most dogs - so it's important to follow a trainer with relevant experience to your breed or activity (i.e. gundogs or agility). When we give advice online or with a video, it's generally for things like how we teach sit, heel walking or even how we train at meal times.

Face to face training with a good, experienced trainer gives you and your dog instant feedback - allowing for improvement on your techniques to be made there and then. You can practice training in a safe space with someone who can support you through training and achieve great results.

For us, nothing will ever beat face to face training.

23/05/2024

One dog that will always hold a place in our hearts is Amber. She was from our first litter back in 2014 and, as you can see, is a stunning lady with gorgeous green eyes!

Amber captured attention wherever she went, including from the UK Border Force, who showed interest in her as a potential sniffer dog. She was informally assessed for selection, and they super impressed with her... but she didn't make it as unfortunately she wasn't remotely excited by a tennis ball!

She was sold part-trained to a Field Trial Champion Trainer from Denmark.

22/05/2024

Happy birthday to our little bundle Twix…. Can’t believe she is One year old today 🥰🎂🎂

22/05/2024

We are so grateful to share in our clients’ gundog training journeys…. Helping and supporting them develop and improve their handling skills… not to mention the fun along the way and friendships that are formed not only with us, but with each other. We wish you all the best Sophie as you embark on a new life down south …. But we know you already have plans to return and see your gundog friends.

20/05/2024

It is heartwarming to see a relatively young handler progress over the years and who now , with a young dog of her own is forming a bond through training, building trust and working together. Poppy has trained with us for a number of years alongside her mum and as both Poppy and Jock mature- we hope for great things …

16/05/2024

We've had a last-minute cancellation so there is one space left on our gundog puppy class on Saturday!

The puppy class is perfect if you have a gundog breed and want to start building solid training foundations.

Suitable for pups between 16 weeks and 6 months.

If you want to join us on Saturday, give us a call on 01562 312 595 or message us to book your place!

15/05/2024

One of the most common training issue we see in new clients joining our gundog training is problems with recall.

Yet it's a vital part of a gundogs training (and any dog training in fact). If you call, your dog should be coming back to you every time. It's something to train and practice at every opportunity and never be complacent that your dog has mastered recall.

Make sure you consistently practice recall in different environments with various distractions to really make sure the recall is perfect! Engage with your dog on walks and test them on both verbal and whistle recall.
Recall training should be practiced consistently from a puppy. Puppies naturally have good recall, so use this to your advantage and positively reinforce their recall... don't assume because they're naturally recalling that they understand your recall commands.
Top Tip ....NEVER stop recall training....

13/05/2024

Our next puppy class is on Saturday 18th May, 10am until 12:30.

The puppy class is a great way to build a bond with your puppy and learn some of the key Fortiscorde Foundations, as well as embed the essentials for a calm and obedient companion.

We've only got a couple of spaces left, so book on quickly to get your space reserved! Drop us a message here or email us on [email protected]