If you’re trying to train a distracted gundog, and wondering if it will ever feel less chaotic—please know this: it absolutely can.
There’s a moment in training when things just click. Not in a fireworks-and-glory kind of way, but in a quiet, grounding, deeply satisfying one. That moment when your dog checks in without being called. When they choose to stop rather than storm ahead. When they look to you, and you realise: they’re actually listening.
Ladybird, a young English Pointer, is a brilliant example of that transformation.
Her owner, Alex, came to me full of love and optimism, but understandably overwhelmed. Ladybird was her first Pointer—a breed that combines sensitivity with serious drive—and while she wasn’t doing anything “wrong,” she was doing a lot. Everything was interesting, every scent a mission, every recall cue a suggestion (at best).
Like many adolescent dogs, Ladybird wasn’t being difficult—she was simply being developmentally appropriate. But that didn’t make it any easier. Alex wanted to do right by her dog, but was caught in the limbo so many owners experience: loving their dog to bits but feeling like they’re constantly firefighting.
So we focused on helping Ladybird want to tune in. Not just responding, but choosing connection over chaos.
That meant getting the timing right—reinforcing the right moments as they happened, so that we were shaping good choices rather than reacting to the ones we didn’t like. We slowed things down, rewarded the pauses, and began to see Ladybird focus in.
How to Train a Distracted Gundog to Tune In
Training wasn’t about pushing through more and more exercises, it was about helping Ladybird learn to stop, think, and check in. In Alex’s words:
“She is now a total delight and I can really enjoy her. She is off the lead, checks in and can be whistled to stop. She is now confident and much more reliable. I am proud of how far she has come.”
This is why I love what I do.
Not for the flashy retrieves or the polished heelwork (though those are lovely), but for that shift in relationship. The moment when an owner sees their dog not as a project, but as a teammate.
If you’re training a distracted gundog, and feeling like your dog is ignoring you out in the field or on walks—there is another way. You can build connection, responsiveness, and calm, without losing your dog’s enthusiasm or drive.
And when it clicks, it won’t just be your dog that changes. It will be you, too.
Want to help your gundog focus and connect? Courses, 1:1s and supportive help for your teenage tornado are all available to Book Here or DM me on Instagram.
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.