It’s a story so many gundog owners know all too well. One moment your dog is happily trotting alongside you, and the next, their nose is glued to the ground, laser-focused as they follow a scent or dart off after wildlife.
You’ve worked on recall, you’ve practised focus, and yet their natural hunting drive seems to take over. Especially at this time of year when there is a lot of game scent around.
It can feel frustrating, leaving you wondering if your gundog will ever truly listen or learn to work with you when it matters most.
The truth is, hunting isn’t just a behaviour for gundogs. It’s part of who they are. It’s what they were bred to do, and rather than trying to fight it, the key is learning to understand and harness it.
By teaching your gundog to hunt with you, not for themselves, you’ll tap into their instincts in a way that builds trust and teamwork. The result? A more focused, responsive, and happier dog who’s both mentally and physically fulfilled.
In this two-part blog, we’ll dive into the essential role hunting plays in your gundog’s life and how you can work together to channel their instincts in a positive way. From breaking down the hunting chain to understanding how your dog uses scent and exploring breed-specific exercises, you’ll learn practical steps to help your dog become a confident and skilled hunting partner, whether they’re a pet or working gundog.
What exactly is hunting?
Hunting is at the very core of what makes a gundog, well, a gundog. It’s not simply a skill they learn - it’s an instinct woven into their DNA. Every gundog is born with a natural hunting drive, and understanding this is key to working effectively with your dog.
At the heart of hunting lies your dog’s remarkable sense of smell. Gundogs are equipped to detect both ground and air scents, making them highly effective hunters. Ground scent gives clues about where the game has been (e.g. tracks, feeding spots, or resting areas), while air scent tells your dog where the quarry is right now, carried on the wind.
The act of hunting is made up of a sequence of instinctive behaviours, including hunting, searching, locating, stalking, pausing, pouncing, chasing, capturing, carrying, and consuming.
This natural “hunting chain” flows effortlessly for gundogs, guided entirely by instinct. Recognising how this chain works allows you to understand and shape your dog’s natural drives.
For working gundogs, the hunting chain has been refined over generations of training and selective breeding to align with specific tasks in the field. This refined “working hunting chain” channels instinctive behaviours into purposeful, structured skills. For example, pointers and setters have transformed the “pause” into a steady point, while retrievers have perfected the “carry” stage, mastering the art of retrieving.
The working hunting chain typically looks like this:
- Hunt
- Search
- Locate
- Stalk
- Point (for pointing breeds)
- Flush (followed by a gunshot)
- Retrieve
Why You Can’t Stop Your Pet Gundog From Hunting
If you have a gundog breed, you’ve likely experienced their unshakable focus when they catch a scent, their determination to explore every inch of a trail, or the sudden burst of energy as they chase movement.
These behaviours are impressive, yes, but they can also be challenging to manage for pet gundog owners who do not want their dogs to be efficient hunting machines.
But no matter how much training you invest, your gundog’s natural hunting instincts are a core part of who they are - and always will be.
Hunting behaviours are deeply ingrained in gundog breeds, from Labradors and Spaniels to Pointers and Setters.
While they can be refined through training, these instincts aren’t learned - they’re instinctive, passed down through centuries of breeding for fieldwork.
Even if you tried to train these behaviours out, as a gundog owner, you need to understand too that for all our gundogs (regardless of whether you want to work them in the field or have them as a family pet) hunting is much more than a skill - it’s also a source of mental stimulation and emotional enrichment.
For instance, the act of scenting releases feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin, making the process inherently rewarding for them.
Hunting is, therefore, essential to your dog’s mental and physical well-being. In fact, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 highlights that dogs need the opportunity to engage in their natural behaviours, like hunting. And suppressing these instincts can lead to frustration, boredom, and even unwanted behaviours like destructive chewing or excessive barking.
The good news for pet gundog owners who don’t want to work their dogs, is that hunting doesn’t have to involve live game or animals.
You can channel your gundog’s natural drive into fun, structured games that mimic the hunting process in a way that is safe, rewarding, and deeply satisfying for your dog.
Instead of viewing your gundog’s hunting instincts as a challenge and something you need to battle against every time you leave the house, see them as an opportunity.
By playing hunting games and working together as a team, you’ll help your gundog see you as a partner in the hunt, creating trust and cooperation that carries over into every aspect of their life and leads to a better relationship between you and your gundog.
How to Figure Out Which Part of Hunting Your Dog Finds Rewarding
Every gundog is unique. While they all share an instinctive drive to hunt, the specific part of the hunting process that excites them most can vary widely.
Some dogs are captivated by the search, diligently working their noses to follow a trail. Others are energised by the chase, springing into action with unmatched enthusiasm. For some, the act of retrieving is where they find the greatest reward.
Identifying which part of the hunting chain your dog finds most motivating is essential to harnessing the power of this self-rewarding behaviour for training.
The first step is observation. Watch your dog closely during training and play to see what grabs their attention and drives their energy. Do they seem most focused when sniffing out hidden treats or toys? Are they thrilled by movement but less interested in the retrieval? These observations will give you invaluable insight into your dog’s natural preferences and what excites them most.
The Search Enthusiast
Dogs that love the search are often happiest when sniffing out hidden objects or following detailed scent trails. For these dogs, games like hide-and-seek with dummies or food rewards are highly engaging. The search itself becomes their reward, reinforcing their behaviour and keeping them motivated.
The Chase Lover
For some dogs, nothing beats the thrill of movement. These dogs might enjoy games that simulate chasing prey, such as dragging a dummy across the ground to create a scent trail for them to follow. The excitement of the chase is what drives them, and dynamic, fast-paced activities will hold their attention best.
It’s important to remember that even within a breed, motivation can vary. For example, some retrievers may find the act of running more rewarding than the retrieve itself, happily darting across fields even after locating their target.
Dogs motivated by scent will work with greater purpose when searching, while those who love movement will respond best to dynamic, action-oriented games.
Every dog’s preferences may evolve over time, too, so staying attentive to their responses is key. By adapting your approach to match their needs, you’ll keep them motivated, and once you’ve identified what excites your dog most, you can start to use scent as a self-rewarding behaviour.
How to Use Scent as A Self Rewarding Behaviour
Your gundog’s love of scent isn’t just a quirk - it’s a window into their world. For gundogs, sniffing isn’t just fun, it’s a natural behaviour that provides both mental stimulation and emotional fulfilment.
By using scent as a self-rewarding activity, you can turn something they already love into a powerful training tool. With a little patience and practice, you’ll not only enrich your dog’s life but also build a stronger bond between you.
Step One: Find a Fascinating Scent Spot
Start by choosing an area where the scents are particularly rich—perhaps a corner of your garden, a patch of woodland, or a spot on your walk where wildlife tends to pass. This should be a safe place where you can linger for a little while without distractions.
Encourage your dog to explore the area at their own pace. Let them lead the way, sniffing and investigating. There’s no rush here; this is their time to take in the world around them. By being patient and supportive, you’re letting your dog know that it’s okay to slow down and enjoy the moment.
Step Two: Observe and Share the Moment
As your dog begins to absorb the scents, you’ll notice their body language change. They may pause, tilt their head to catch a breeze, or root their nose firmly to the ground. Their mouth may relax and hang slightly open, or they might drool a little if the scent is particularly intriguing. These are all signs that they’re deeply engaged.
Stay close by and let them know you’re part of this moment. Your calm presence will help them feel secure and supported as they explore. Sharing this experience together is as much about building trust as it is about training.
Step Three: Add a Cue
When your dog is fully absorbed in the scent, gently introduce a cue like “sniff.” Use a calm and encouraging tone, repeating the word as they engage with the scent. Over time, your dog will begin to associate the cue with this enjoyable behaviour.
To strengthen the cue, repeat this exercise in different locations and with different scents. This will help your dog generalise the cue, so they’ll understand it no matter where you are.
Step Four: Combine Scent with Other Behaviours
Once your dog responds reliably to “sniff,” you can begin to merge this cue with other behaviours, such as “wait.” For example, in a quiet environment, ask your dog to “wait” and then release them with the “sniff” cue as a reward. This pairing helps build the value of “wait” by connecting it to something your dog naturally enjoys.
Remember to start small. Teach “wait” in a controlled environment first, then gradually add the challenge of combining it with scent work. This way, your dog can succeed at each step without feeling overwhelmed.
With practice, the “sniff” cue will become a wonderful tool in your training toolkit. In Part Two of this blog which will be published next month, we’ll dive deeper into breed-specific hunting techniques, covering Hunt Point Retrievers (HPRs), Spaniels, and Retrievers.