BASC have released an interesting article promoting the thought of considering rehoming a dog to give it a second chance at life as a working gundog. Felicity Tickridge-Marshall from BASC makes the case for rehoming a dog offering it a second chance at life as a working gundog. Whilst the reasons for a dog being rehomed vary, she talks about her own experience of rehoming a rescue and how they became a valuable asset to their shoot.
For the majority of us the normal route to obtaining a gundog is through careful selection of blood lines and breeding and having them from a puppy. However, there are other routes to consider when looking for a potential working companion.
A second chance gundog could be the perfect option for someone who isn’t looking to train from scratch or perhaps, for whatever reason, would prefer to avoid the ‘puppy’ stage. Dogs in rehoming and rescue centres will vary in age, breed and stature. Although no hard and fast rules, dogs aged around 2 years and under probably give you the best chance of retraining them as a working gundog – that’s not to say you cant teach an old dog new tricks.
Consider a rescue dog
Consideration of course needs to be given to your individual circumstances – i.e. if you have young children, whether or not the dog will be primarily a pet, with its secondary job as a working gundog. Rescue centres do a good job of assessing the dogs that come into their care and deciding the best home for them as much as they can with the information they have been given and how the dog behaves in its new temporary environment. However, when considering rehoming a dog to give it a second chance at life as a working gundog, you need to decide what is right for you and your personal circumstances.
Finding the dog of a lifetime
Many guns, game keepers and beaters will all tell you they have had their ‘dog of a lifetime’ or ‘one in a million’. Each dog comes with their own individual personality and skills that make each and everyone of them unique. The partnership and bond between handler and gundog is such a great sight to see on a shoot and unless you have that bond and work your dog, for some it may be difficult to imagine. Men and women of all ages – new to the sport and old – show up during the winter months, out in the countryside with dogs wet through. Their dogs are working the cover like a thing possessed that do it purely for the love of it. We see it in our own dogs – you just try and stop them running through dense cover in the pouring rain flushing out birds, or waiting patiently next to their owner for the ‘get out’ command – and when they pick that bird and bring it back to you and hand off …. well some may say there isn’t a greater feeling.
So if you are open to the prospect of offering a rescue a second chance at life as a gundog, it would be worth contacting your local rescue and talking to them about your requirements. You could also make contact with specialist breed charities:
Second Chance Spaniel Rescue: https://secondchancespanielrescue.org.uk/
Spaniel Aid UK: https://spanielaid.co.uk/
Labrador Retriever Rescue: https://www.labrador-rescue.org.uk/
Labrador Rescue South East & central: https://www.loveyourlabrador.co.uk/provide-a-home/
To read the full BASC article on providing a second chance as life as a working gundog click here
Disclaimer: Fortiscorde Gundogs have not verified any of the rehoming charities listed above, we have simply provided a quick resource for you to make your own enquiries and investigations.