I’m training a seven-month-old gundog and I cannot make him walk to heel without constantly pulling on the lead. Can you suggest anything?
Paul Rawlings
What you should know about slip leads and how to use them correctly
Placing a slip lead on a dog correctly and how to buy the right size
How to choose a cocker spaniel
Deciding on what breed your four-legged companion should be isn’t an easy task. Labradors are always popular but then so are cocker spaniels. (Read would a working cocker spaniel be…
All training disappears when my gundog is off the lead!
On the lead my 17-month-old springer spaniel is obedient, walks to heel well, sits on the whistle and is steady. Off the lead he is like a different dog. He…
Do dogs have to wear collars?
Gundogs are controlled with slip leads but it’s rare that you’ll see one with any sort of collar. So do all dogs have to wear collars? Is it required by…
What’s the real cost of buying a dog?
If you're about to buy a dog, take a moment to consider the wider costs of ownership. Paul Rawlings does some basic sums to provide an idea of what it…
How to cure firework fear in dogs
Find out how you can train your dog to stop being scared of fireworks and loud bangs
Do Labradors really originate from Canada?
Spend a day out in the field on a shoot and the chances are that somebody, somewhere will have a Labrador. But despite being such a popular gundog, some think…
Why does my sprocker refuse to retrieve?
I have a two-year-old sprocker that stops and hunts on command, stays very close and is highly attentive - but in the field she refuses to retrieve.
Should a spaniel immediately drop when it flushes a bird? (And answers to other working spaniel queries)
Gundog training: Should a spaniel always immediately drop when it flushes a bird?
A guide to gundogs on the beating line
Paul Rawlings shows you how to ensure you have the best gundogs on the beating line
My trained English springer spaniel isn’t listening anymore
Q: I bought a one-year-old trained English springer spaniel (ESS) last year and he was good out shooting last season, hunting and retrieving well when I was shooting on my…
Why won’t my springer spaniel deliver game to me?
Q: I have a 10-month-old springer out of a rescue kennel. He is obviously working stock, good looking, full of life and hunts like a demon. He was completely wild…
How to check the stock on a side-by-side shotgun
Gun fitting: I am toying with the idea of buying a gun with a skeleton adjustable stock so that I can set it up to fit me perfectly, then transfer…
Will I always need a patch for my left-eye dominance?
I'm a lady gun and have just begun shooting. I'm left-eye dominant and my instructor demonstrated that a small patch or piece of tape on the lens of my safety…
Do I need lessons before I get my shotgun licence?
Shotgun licence: I’ve spent some time with a small shoot this season and love it, and I now fancy taking up shooting myself. How do I get started? Can I…
My dog is a picky eater – any ideas for a cure?
I have three gundogs who I have had to separate at feeding times due to fighting.
Does your Labrador have this disgusting habit?
Eating other dogs faeces is an antisocial habit we ask Paul Rawlings how to prevent it
Can terriers work in the beating line?
Terriers are an asset in the beating line, says David Bezzant after observing a Jack Russell at work on a shoot
Socialising dogs – some readers’ problems
Q: I have a 20-month-old Labrador dog who lives in the house with two Labrador bitches aged five and eight. He is being trained as a gundog and works fine…