Choosing the right stage
Most buyers start by deciding how much training they want to do themselves. A gundog puppy lets you shape the dog from the start, but you take on all of its training, and how long it needs before it is ready for working days varies from dog to dog. A part-trained gundog has some training foundations in place, which might include recall, stopping to the whistle and early retrieving, and still needs further work. There is no fixed standard, so ask what the dog can do. A trained gundog is one its seller describes as having finished its training, often with some working experience. It may suit a buyer who needs demonstrated experience sooner, but it still needs a careful handover, continued handling and daily care. Stud dogs are listed for breeders looking for a proven sire from working lines.
Choosing a breed
Think about the shooting you do. Retrievers such as the Labrador suit the peg and the picking-up team; spaniels such as the working cocker and springer hunt and flush game from cover; HPRs such as the German shorthaired pointer and the vizsla hunt, point and retrieve, which suits walked-up and rough shooting; pointers and setters find birds on open moorland. Our gundog breed guides explain how each breed works, its temperament and the health tests to ask for.
Buying safely
See the dog in person before you pay anything, and for a puppy, meet its mother where it was bred. Ask for health test certificates rather than a note saying 'health tested', and check the microchip and any Kennel Club registration. Look for the Verified Breeder badge, which shows our team has reviewed a breeder's licence details, but confirm the licence with the issuing council yourself. Message sellers through Gundogs Yard so there is a record of what was agreed, and never send a deposit to someone you have not met. Our buying checklist has the full list of checks.
Checking the breeder
Whatever stage you buy at, check the person you are buying from as carefully as the dog. Breeders who reach their nation's licensing threshold need a licence from their local council, and the thresholds differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so ask whether the breeder is licensed and see the licence. Our licensing guide explains the rules in each nation. A good breeder or trainer will show you the dog where it lives, introduce a puppy's mother, hand over the parents' health test certificates and the microchip paperwork, and tell you honestly why an older dog is for sale. They will ask you as many questions as you ask them, about your experience, your home and the shooting you do, and many will offer to take a dog back if things do not work out. Be wary of a seller who will only meet you somewhere other than where the dog lives, who has several breeds of puppy ready at once, or who wants a deposit before you have visited.