What trained should mean
There is no fixed standard for a trained gundog, but buyers usually look for a dog that is steady, handles at a distance and does its job on a shoot day, not just on a training ground. For a retriever such as the Labrador that means sitting quietly at the peg, marking, and taking blind retrieves on the whistle. For a spaniel such as the English springer it means hunting within range, sitting to flush and shot and retrieving to hand. For an HPR it means quartering, holding its point and retrieving. Ask the seller what the dog has done and where: how many seasons, what kind of shooting, and whether it has run in working tests or field trials.
Trying the dog
Always see a trained dog work, first with its current handler and then with you. Some dogs work beautifully for one person and take time to settle with another, so ask whether a trial period is possible. Watch its steadiness when other dogs are working, and ask how it behaves when game is falling; anything involving game or shot should only be seen where it already takes place lawfully, with the seller's agreement. Ask which commands and whistles it knows, so that nothing is lost when it changes hands. Our guide to buying a working gundog covers the other checks.
Health and age
If the dog is old enough to have been screened, ask for its own hip and elbow scores and eye certificate as well as its parents' results. Ask about any injuries, its general health and fitness, and what it is fed. A working dog that has been well looked after will be fit, sound on its feet and in good coat, and a seller should be happy for your vet to check it. Check the microchip and any Kennel Club registration, and have the microchip details transferred into your name.
Choosing the right level of training
Trained dogs vary as much as the shooting they are trained for. A dog that has spent two seasons picking up on a big driven shoot has different experience from one that has worked a rough shoot or the foreshore, and the right choice depends on the work you will ask of it. Think about the breed too: retrievers suit the peg and the picking-up team, spaniels the beating line and rough shooting, and HPRs walked-up days, and our gundog breed guides explain how each one works. Ask the seller how the dog behaves at home, in the vehicle and with other dogs as well as in the field, because you will live with it every day, not just on shoot days. If a fully trained dog is more than you need, the main gundogs for sale page also lists puppies and part-trained dogs.