The Shallow End First: Building a Water-Confident Gundog

Water retrieving has a reputation for being the dramatic bit of gundog work. The big swim, the crashing entry, the retrieve from the far bank. In reality, the best water dogs are rarely the ones that hurl themselves in first. They are the ones that have been taught to think, mark properly and come out with something left in the tank.

In the Cotswolds we are spoiled for places to practise, and also for places to get it wrong. Shallow chalk streams like the Coln and the Churn can tempt a young dog into water that looks easy but runs cold and quick. The Windrush and Evenlode can rise after rain. The Cotswold Water Park gives us big open lakes, while low meadows and ditches flood in winter and create a very different sort of test. A gundog that can handle all three calmly is a useful dog indeed.

Start Where the Dog Can Stand

A puppy's first water session should not involve throwing a dummy into the middle of a pond and hoping for the best. Find a shallow edge where the dog can wade, turn around and come out without scrambling. Let it investigate. Toss a dummy a couple of feet along the margin, not out into the deep. The aim is for water to feel like ground the dog can work on, not a barrier to be survived.

Keep these early sessions short and pick a mild day. If the pup pads about, dips its nose and comes back for more, that is plenty. If it hesitates, do not coax, shout or push. Walk away, try again another day. Confidence in water is built slowly, and a bad first experience takes far longer to undo than a missed training session.

Marking Is the Real Skill

Once the dog is happy at the edge, start asking for proper marks. A visible dummy thrown into shallow water teaches the dog to follow the fall and swim a line. Then move to a short memory mark: let the dog see the dummy land, turn away for a few seconds, then send it. This is where water work sharpens a dog's mind, because the dog cannot rely on scent the way it can on grass.

Do not rush into blind retrieves over water. A dog that has not learned to mark across a pond will often swim in circles or climb out on the wrong bank. Better to repeat simple, successful marks than to create confusion. Keep the retrieve the reward, not the whole lesson. Calm handling on the bank matters as much as the swim itself.

Read the Current, Not Just the Dog

Moving water asks different questions. A dummy thrown upstream will drift back towards the dog. One thrown downstream may keep going. Wind adds another layer, pushing a dummy across the surface or making a dog misjudge its line. Start on a narrow, slow section and work the dog both upstream and downstream so it learns to adjust.

Avoid sending a dog into strong flow, especially where the bank is steep or the exit is uncertain. Look for eddies and slack water. A good handler reads the river before the dog does and chooses the exercise accordingly. On flooded ground, check the depth and the bottom yourself before asking the dog to work. What looks like a shallow splash can be a deep ditch with a lip of grass over it.

Cold Water and the Fatigue You Can See

Cold water drains a dog quickly. A retrieve that would be easy on a mild October day can leave a dog shivering in January. Watch for the signs: slower turns, a lower head, reluctance to re-enter, heavy flanks, or a dog that suddenly starts gulping water. Some dogs will keep going because they are keen, which is exactly why the handler has to be the sensible one.

Keep winter sessions brief. One or two good retrieves are better than five mediocre ones. Dry the dog thoroughly afterwards, get it into a crate with clean straw or a dry coat, and let it warm up gradually. Never send a dog onto ice. If a dummy lands on ice, leave it. No retrieve is worth a dog going through.

Also keep an eye on water quality. Stagnant ponds in late summer can carry blue-green algae, and flooded ground can hide all sorts of rubbish. Avoid letting the dog drink from dubious water, rinse it off after a muddy session, and seek veterinary advice if it swallows something it should not.

Safety Rules That Are Not Optional

Before any water retrieve, know the entry and exit points. Check for weed, fishing line, barbed wire and steep banks. Make sure your recall is solid before you ask for a swim, and keep sessions away from boats, anglers and other dogs where possible. A dog that will not come out of water on the whistle is a disaster waiting to happen.

For wildfowling preparation, practise steady marking from a sitting position and getting the dog used to waiting while birds or dummies fall. Do not let it charge into every retrieve. The dog that sits quietly, watches the fall and then swims a clean line will be far more useful on a cold morning than the one that has only ever been allowed to splash about.

A Simple Progression for the Next Month

Start with marked dummies in shallow edge water. Move to a short swim in a calm pond. Then try a memory mark across a narrow channel. Introduce gentle current only when the dog is swimming confidently and coming out cleanly. Finish with a few short sessions in colder water, always ending on a good retrieve and a warm dog.

Water work should leave a gundog sharper, not soured. Build the shallow end first, read the water and the dog honestly, and stop while the tail is still up. That is how you produce a dog that will go into the Windrush in December with confidence, and come out still thinking clearly.