Training Tailored to Suit the Individual

Hawcroft Gundogs offers a wide range of gundog training from one to one tuition, puppy lessons, owner / handler assessment, single training sessions or training courses. We are available for group tuition by request for clubs or a few individuals together. Training can be at Hawcroft Gundogs facilities in Staffordshire or at clients premises by special arrangement.

Puppy Lessons

These start from around 14 weeks of age, they last for 30-40 minutes and cover everything from housing, feeding, do`s and don`t, early retrieving and hunting stimulation. We also answer the clients questions and give the handler an idea of what to expect from a pup of that age. We like to see our clients with up and coming puppies for a lesson about once a month.

Handler/Owner Assessments

These are for the slightly older dog (minimum 6 months) where some work and upbringing has been done by the owner. Covering all aspect of training, education, problem solving, training methods and advise from housing to feeding. A lot of information will be given to the client for them to proceed with their own training or return to us for a training course set up to suit them and their needs, to produce a well trained Gundog and give help and advise for maintaining their work.

Single Lessons

For the handler that just needs an occasional visit to brush up or to be given further training or just use our facilities.

Training Courses

These usually follow an assessment and with what we have seen during that time we will be able to give the client a constructive plan to work to at set regular intervals (usually once every 2 weeks) where certain goals will be given to produce an obedient working dog and competent handler.

All the above are one to one tuition unless previously arranged

Game Training Days

These are for the older more experienced dogs which have gained the basics in steadiness to game and are accustomed to gun shot.Clients can have the opportunity to further both their own and their dogs training in a real shooting atmosphere. Experienced guns will be present to shoot game for the dogs so handlers can concentrate purely on training. These days are particularly of benefit to clients who have already been training with us to give continuity in taking their dogs to the final stages of training. Any handlers are welcome on these days, from complete novices through to experienced field trailers who want to simulate a trialing atmosphere to train or improve their dogs in. It is NOT just open to clients who have already attended training with us. Spaces on these days are limited to 6-8 handlers and are in much demand. Please visit our 'News page' for this coming seasons dates and availability.

Residential Training

This is for the client who wishes to have a dog professionally trained from either a basic 6 week course through to full training. As each client has individual requirements any residential course is set out for both time scale and content of training only after a thorough discussion with the owner to establish commands and to what they would like us to produce from their dog. We also train dogs to compete in Field Trials and can handle for clients by separate agreement. Any dog on residential training is treated as one of our own, is fed a balanced diet and covered by our insurance.

Please contact us for currant prices for the above or to discuss your requirements.

Our Facilities

Our training ground here at Hawcroft Gundogs consists of two large secure training paddocks, 6 acres of mature woodland, 1 1/2 acre rabbit pen stocked with fit wild rabbits on open rough grass land and is as close to a real situation as you can get for training in, a slightly smaller pheasant pen in woodland with more cover and a few rabbits as well, 100m retrieving lane and various height fences to teach novice through to advanced jumping. We have immediate access to 200 acres of land with various type of ground and cover to train and shoot over. With the many contacts we have we can train and shoot on all types of ground with access to all types of game too.

Any dogs in training with us or clients having tuition will be taken on a huge variety of ground so as not to get to familiar with one training area.