Work, rest and play

With the shooting season over, your dog deserves some R&R — but extracurricular activities should be part of training, says Ellena Swift

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Following my end-of-season review (Dogs just wanna have fun, 29 January), I have made some proper plans. The summer is a great time for our dogs to wind down, physically and mentally. Like us, they benefit from variety and respite at times.

There are plenty of activities a handler can do with their dogs over the summer. With any working dog, they generally do not have a preference for what they do, as long as they are doing something. Spaniels, in particular, simply like to be busy. It is our job to ensure that the “busy” is beneficial and supportive of their primary role as a gundog.

I know a lot of gundog trainers do not encourage alternative activities with working dogs. There is certainly merit in their thinking. If approached or conducted incorrectly, things such as agility, fly ball, working trials and so on could be detrimental to their gundog training. But it doesn’t have to be that way. It is important that if you attend classes under an instructor, they understand what is required of the dog during the winter. That way, they can adapt and mould the training to support and even improve their gundog work while having fun doing something else.

Agility is an extremely popular and growing activity with a massive following of amateur and professional handlers. The handlers’ and dogs’ skills in the ring are truly admirable and there is a lot we can learn from it.

Athletic