Gundog Group

The common denominator for dogs in this Group is that they have been bred over centuries to assist the hunter in his quest for food or the sportsman in search of game. Prior to the invention of firearms they would have been used to drive game into nets or to pursue and retrieve animals wounded or killed by arrows or spears.

Four types make up the Gundog Group: the Spaniels, the Retrievers, the Setters, and the multi-functional Hunting-Pointing-Retrieving breeds. Each has been developed for a specific purpose but, in practice, the divisions are not always rigid as dogs from one category may be perfectly capable of performing the tasks of another sub-group.

The task of the Spaniels is to flush game from cover; the Setters and Pointers locate game and indicate its presence to the hunter; the Retrievers mark where shot game has fallen on land or water and bring it back to the hunter; the HPRs are all-round gundogs which hunt, point and retrieve.

Owing to their long history of working closely with people gundogs are generally of good, stable temperament, are amenable to training and make affectionate and reliable companions but they require a considerable amount of physical exercise and mental stimulation to keep them healthy.