Gundog training, done to a standard you can trust.
The Guild of Gundogs is a national pathway for ethical, structured gundog work, delivered by licensed trainers in your area. Same standard everywhere. Adapted to the dog in front of you.
The problem
Most gundog training falls apart in the one place it actually matters. Outside.
A dog can look brilliant In a hall, at home or within a familiar enclosed space and come undone the moment there is real cover, water, scent and movement in front of it. That gap, between what a dog can do in an easy space and what it can do in a real environment, is where most training quietly stops. It is where owners lose their confidence, and where a lot of trainers find themselves out of their depth.
The turning point
Now picture the other version. A dog that hunts, stops on the whistle, comes back under control with birds in the air and scent everywhere. A handler who knows what to ask for and when. Training that holds up in the field, not just on the easy days.
That is what a clear pathway, proper ground and honest teaching produce together. It is the whole point of the Guild.
What we stand for
Kind training that still has standards.
Dogs do not need to be frightened or forced to learn. They need clear foundations, fair handling and the confidence to try. However, kind training does not mean overlooking behaviour that needs to change. Gundog work needs structure, progression, good timing and a real understanding of the dog in front of you.
Foundations before complexity. Confidence before pressure. Understanding before progression.
Why It Works
Who It Is For
The Guild is for people who want real progress and understand that consistency is an essential part of the process. Committed owners who would rather do it once and do it well than chase a quick fix. And those who want to teach gundog work to a standard they are proud of, whether they are already a working dog professional or an experienced handler ready to step into teaching.
Two ways in
For those who want to teach. Become a Guild instructor.
A clear, practical and structured pathway for established dog professionals and experienced gundog handlers who want to develop the knowledge, skills and teaching ability needed to become Guild instructors. Our founding cohort is now being formed.
For owners. Find a Guild trainer near you.
Take your dog through the same pathway, taught by a licensed Guild trainer in your area.
Frequently Ask Questions.
Across the UK and growing, with founding-cohort interest from the Netherlands and Belgium too. The directory shows your nearest options.
The pathway is open to retrievers, spaniels, HPRs and gundog crosses. Training is adapted to the natural abilities and working purpose of each individual dog.
Not at all. The same foundations build a calmer, more fulfilled pet as build a shoot or competition dog.
Client Review
Training alongside Nikki for the past 4 years has had a lasting impact on both my own dogs and the way I work with clients dogs. The gundog skills and concepts she’s taught me have become an integral part of my training and I regularly use them to help dogs build confidence, improve recall, develop engagement and overcome challenges such as reactivity and over-arousal.
The skills and concepts she teaches aren’t just for gundogs—they’ve become an invaluable part of my everyday training toolkit. I’ve used them successfully with pet dogs of all breeds to improve recall, build engagement and encourage calmness. The practical exercises are easy for owners and handlers to understand and more importantly, they produce real, lasting results.
As a professional dog trainer accredited with IMDT, I regularly incorporate these techniques into my own training sessions because I’ve seen first-hand how effective they are. Whether I’m working with a pet gundog or a family companion, the foundations I learnt through Nikki’s gundog classes continue to benefit both the dogs and their owners.
If you’re looking to develop practical, ethical training skills that translate into everyday life—not just the shooting field—I couldn’t recommend Nikki’s Gundog Training classes more highly. Nicole Watson IMDT ‘Bea Pawsitive’
