Gundog Training in Hampshire and Wiltshire
Develop the skills. Understand your dog. Enjoy the training.
Gundog training isn’t just for dogs destined for the shooting field.
The same instincts that make Labradors, spaniels and other gundog breeds so good at their traditional jobs can also make them challenging companions. Hunting, retrieving, carrying things and exploring the environment all come naturally to them.
I offer gundog training in Andover, Hampshire and Marlborough, Wiltshire, helping you work with those instincts rather than against them…
Whether you’re completely new to gundog training or want to develop the skills you already have, I’ll help you find the right place to start.
Where should I start?
You don’t need a perfectly trained dog before you come to gundog training.
A dog who has learnt to sit, recall or walk nicely in an indoor class can find those same exercises much harder in a field. Suddenly there are smells, wildlife, other dogs and plenty of opportunities to make their own choices.
That’s completely normal.
We’ll establish where you and your dog are now, revisit the foundations where needed and build from there, gradually adding challenge as you are both ready for it.
Foundation Gundog Training
New to gundog training? Start here.
My Foundation Gundog Course is suitable for complete beginners as well as dogs who have already done some training elsewhere.
We’ll work on the core skills that underpin gundog training, including:
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Heelwork – developing a dog that wants to stay connected and work alongside you, both on and off lead.
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Recall – building a reliable response and gradually developing it around distractions.
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Steadiness – teaching patience and self-control rather than simply helping themselves!
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Retrieving – developing enthusiasm for retrieving and the foundations of a reliable retrieve and delivery.
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Hunting – introducing your dog to searching an area and using their nose with purpose.
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Whistle cues – introducing and developing the recall and stop whistle.
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Placeboard training – using placeboards to develop focus, accuracy and understanding of position.
The aim isn’t to race through a syllabus. It’s to give you and your dog strong foundations and make sure you understand how to continue developing them.
Foundation students receive comprehensive training notes and demonstration videos to help with practice at home, together with access to a private WhatsApp group for questions and support between sessions.
VIEW UPCOMING FOUNDATION COURSES →
What happens after Foundation?
Once the foundations are in place, training becomes much more individual.
Dogs develop at different rates and handlers have different goals, so my ongoing groups aren’t based around everyone working through exactly the same syllabus.
We’ll continue developing skills such as retrieving, steadiness, whistle work, hunting and handling, gradually increasing distance, distractions and complexity as each dog is ready.
Some handlers simply want to enjoy progressing their gundog training. Others may want to work towards Gundog Club assessments, working tests, working their dog in the shooting field or developing more advanced handling skills.
Your training can develop in the direction that’s right for you and your dog.
Workshops
Throughout the year I run workshops that allow us to concentrate on particular areas of gundog training in more depth.
These might focus on a specific skill, such as retrieving or steadiness, or give dogs and handlers the opportunity to work through more realistic scenarios.
They’re also a useful way to broaden your dog’s experience, train in different environments and put your developing skills into practice.
One-to-One Gundog Training
Sometimes a group isn’t the best place to tackle a particular problem.
Perhaps your dog runs in, struggles with recall around distractions, loses connection when the environment becomes exciting, or there’s simply one part of your training that isn’t progressing as you’d hoped.
A one-to-one gives us time to look properly at what’s happening, establish where you and your dog are now and put together a practical way forward.
A one-to-one can also be a good starting point if you already have some training experience but aren’t sure which of my groups would be the best fit for you and your dog.
Small groups. Individual dogs.
I deliberately keep my gundog classes small so I have time to watch each dog and handler properly.
Dogs don’t all learn at the same rate and what works beautifully for one may need approaching differently for another. Small groups allow me to give individual feedback, adapt exercises and help you recognise the little details, such as timing, that can make a big difference to your training.
Sometimes spending more time getting one exercise right is far more useful than rushing on to the next.
Support between classes
Training doesn’t stop when you leave the field.
You’ll have access to a private WhatsApp group where you can ask questions, share progress and get support between sessions. I’ll also share demonstration videos and additional resources where appropriate to help with your training at home.
As your skills develop, I’ll encourage you to think about how to take what we’ve worked on in class and apply it to your own training. Learning to plan, adapt and problem-solve is an important part of becoming a more confident and capable handler.
Where we train
Gundog training takes place at outdoor venues in Hampshire and Wiltshire, giving us the space and environment needed to develop practical skills.
Training outdoors is an important part of the process. Dogs learn in context, so being able to perform an exercise in one environment doesn’t automatically mean they understand it everywhere else.
By gradually developing skills around real-world distractions, we can help your dog learn to work with you even when the environment has plenty of other ideas.
Why train with Jill?
I’ve been involved with working gundogs for many years, training, working and competing with my own Labradors as well as helping owners develop their dogs.
I’m a qualified gundog trainer and assessor, and my training combines practical experience with an understanding of how dogs learn.
I use positive, reward-based methods and break exercises into achievable stages. I want you to understand why we’re doing something and what to look for, rather than simply following instructions while I’m standing beside you.
Ultimately, I’m not just training your dog. I’m teaching you how to train your dog.
How far do you want to go?
There isn’t one definition of a successful gundog.
For you, success might be a dog who recalls reliably, walks nicely and can enjoy using their natural abilities.
You might want to take part in gundog training simply because you and your dog enjoy it.
Or you may have ambitions to work your dog, take assessments, enter working tests or eventually compete.
The foundations are where all of those journeys begin.
Please read the Gundog Trainers Academy Code of Conduct
Steadiness – Recall – Whistle Work – Retrieving –
Directional Control – Hunting – Distraction Training.
Here’s some feedback from clients Jill has helped
English Pointer
Jill has bee invaluable in helping me to understand and enable Ladybird. She is a very active and intelligent English Pointer… my first experience with the breed.Working with Jill showed me how to build a relationship and respect by teaching Ladybird to make good choices rather me controlling her behaviour. It has been a long journey, but Jill’s patience, humour, tuning exercises to Ladybird’s specifics, and praise of progress has really helped. We can now walk, run, play in the woods and fields with solid checking in and absolute recall… Ladybird is a total delight and a wonderful companion.
Solving Delivery Issues
Jill’s approach to solving training problems is excellent. She has helped me work with my dog to improve his retrieving. I have learnt a lot from Jill, which is helping me make my own dog training sessions more effective. Highly recommended!
Young Black Labrador - destined for a local shoot
I can’t speak too highly of Jill as a most accomplished Gundog trainer. Endlessly patient, with both handler and their dog and always looking at ways of getting the very best from each and every dog she works with.
Gus and I recently did a cold game training workshop with Jill.
Gus has only ever picked up balls or dummies. He now happily picks up cold game ie: pheasants and ducks. We thoroughly enjoyed our day. Thanks to Jill’s innovative training methods Gus continuous thrive and become more confident. That is until he runs out of energy which I think shows he gives his all. Thank you Jill
Jill’s recent Memories, Marks and Blinds workshop was a highlight of our training journey so far.
An invaluable opportunity to look in depth at the various retrieves we have practised and to understand how and why they differ. The beautiful location and thoughtful way that each scenario had been set up really brought the exercises to life and gave us a taste of how it will feel in the field.
Jill is an inspirational trainer who is constantly encouraging and eager to share her impressive understanding. I would highly recommend her to anyone who wishes to get the most out of their gundog.
Me and Cherry had a brilliant time at the memories, marks and blinds workshop.
Cherry was great, Im so proud of her! what a fab workshop, so much fun. We really did have a brilliant time and was great for building her confidence as shes always been super sensitive and is a worrier.
I can highly recommend Jill … I consider myself to be an experienced dog owner, so when I was faced with a young spaniel who decided he was in charge I approached Jill to come to my rescue.
A year later and what a difference. I no longer watch in horror as my dog chases a deer heading for the M4. Nor do I worry whether he will disappear down a hole never to be found.
I have learnt so much about myself and the mind of a working dog. I have also found a new hobby and new friends. It’s been absolutely amazing. We now have our Grade 1 Hunting Retriever certificate and look forward to working toward the next level. Thank you Jill
When Elsa developed a fear of gunshots she became very sound sensitive and nervous
“Jill is a fantastic dog trainer and has been so patient with Elsa, my sensitive Labrador. She has really helped her come out of her shell and gain confidence in her retrieving, especially with her swimming at the water training day!
When Elsa developed a fear of gunshots she became very sound sensitive and nervous, Jill was on hand to give me a lot of helpful advice and support to get her through it and back to enjoying her walks again. Her extensive knowledge about dog behaviour is very apparent and she is full of activities/tactics to help combat any issues your dog may have.
I can’t recommend Jill highly enough, her love of dogs and training ability is second to non and I’m so glad I found her!”
It has been amazing to see my little pocket rocket thrive in the job she was bred to do.
“If you are looking for a gun dog trainer Ivy, my husband and I would highly recommend Jill Thorpe @ Develop your dog. Ivy and I have learnt so much since we started working with Jill. From basic manners, distraction, steadiness, recall and commands all the way through to blind retrieves, cold game and Ivy’s first time out on a shoot in December. It has been amazing to see my little pocket rocket thrive in the job she was bred to do.”
I fully recommend Develop your Dog to anyone wanting help training any dog.
Please do not be misled into thinking that Develop your Dog, Jill Thorpe, is only suitable for people who want to take their dogs on a shoot or enter gun dog trials.
I have a very cheeky working cocker, who is fundamentally the family pet. We had tried traditional puppy classes held in a village hall but they really weren’t stimulating enough for either of us and failed to address his challenging behaviours.
Jill has helped me to understand why Frankie does what he does and addresses our issues with activities that are broken down into manageable stages and allow us to have fun.
Jill’s enthusiasm for her work and commitment to force free, positive training is so apparent in her love for the dogs. She’s very patient with the owners too!
I fully recommend Develop your Dog to anyone wanting help training any dog. I’m so glad we found her and can’t imagine what I’d have done without her!
I would highly recommend Jill to anyone with a dog of any age, she really goes above and beyond for her clients.
Millie and I have been going to Jills classes for nearly a year and we will continue to do so as we both love them! At the moment we are benefiting form the online classes which have been great, not only are we keeping on top of Millie’s training but it keeps her entertained whilst going through this tricky time. I would highly recommend Jill to anyone with a dog of any age, she really goes above and beyond for her clients.
It is so rewarding to see Flora progress to what she has been bred to do.
I am so pleased to have found Jill as a trainer, her approach and teaching style is fantastic and would highly recommend her to anyone. Flora and I have been going to Jill’s classes for nearly a year and are seeing the benefits. The exercises are built up in a fun and entertaining way allowing to you to build a strong and engaging relationship with your dog. It is so rewarding to see Flora progress to what she has been bred to do. We are loving the online training were now following; having access to training videos set by Jill and then videoing your own exercises and submitting for feedback has been a welcomed and fun approach in these difficult times.
Gundog Training Courses
Have you got a gundog breed at home? Would you like to train him/her for the shooting field, or would you just like to train your dog to a high level? I can help with these scenarios.
Puppy Training Courses
When you first bring a puppy home it can be very exciting but daunting all at the same time, so I am on hand to come and guide you through those key canine development stages to ensure that your puppy grows up to be well-mannered.