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My big Crufts adventure
BASC’s Dr Cat McNicol explains how she got into training dogs for picking up, through to taking part in gundog displays at Crufts.
As I write this, I have one Labrador lying at my feet under the desk and one stretched out in the hallway after a morning out deer stalking. These are my gundogs. More accurately, these are my part-time, sometimes self-employed, gundogs. It’s hard to believe that last month we were showcasing working gundogs in the main arena at the world’s greatest dog show – Crufts.
Rewind five years, however, and I had just bought my first Labrador, with a vision of taking her picking up the following season. I very quickly realised I had absolutely no idea how to train her.
I struggled to find realistic training videos on YouTube. I’d buy training books, but my dog didn’t ‘walk happily to heel on a slack lead’ at 16 weeks old. Had I bought a small velociraptor in disguise?
Crufts – how it all started
Two brilliant and extremely patient gundog trainers in Gloucestershire and more recently, Cumbria, changed my fortunes. They taught me so much about training and working a dog.
By complete chance, the gundog trainer in Cumbria, Claudia Atkinson, invited me and several of her other clients to Crufts in 2023 to showcase gundog training on behalf of the Kennel Club. We have been going every year since.
Crufts is the most prestigious dog show in the world. I watched coverage of the show as a child. I was in awe of the speed of the agility dogs and in wonder of Mary Ray and her dancing dogs. Little did I know that behind the sparkly curtain lay a whole arena of stands, shops and rings to explore. From diamante grooming scissors and vegan dog chews to wolf fleeces. You name it – Crufts has it.
But most brilliantly, tucked away in a corner of the NEC is the dog activity ring. Throughout the day, dog handlers showcase the variety of avenues you can pursue with your four-legged friend. There’s obedience, agility, ringcraft for showing dogs, heelwork to music, and gundog training. And this is where we found ourselves, doing two gundog training demonstrations a day for the four days of Crufts.
Gundog training demonstrations at Crufts
We were not the only working gundogs present at Crufts, however. On Gundog Day, the BASC arch at the gamekeepers’ ring can be spotted above the crowds it attracts. Here we see the classic gundog breeds but in their working form, often more agile and lean than their ‘show’ counterparts.
Fresh out of the winter shooting season, you can watch these working dogs being shown by ‘keepers in their estate tweeds, or in working teams as we most often see them in the field. There is also a class for young handlers, which attracts the biggest attention.
Away from the BASC gamekeeper gundog classes, we were also demonstrating to the average Labrador, spaniel and retriever owner that training a working gundog is accessible to all. Your dog doesn’t need to be perfect to start and you don’t need to have cold game at home. You can also train your dog using positive, reward-based methods.
Throughout the day we helped members of the public with training queries, breed-specific advice and, most commonly, pointed them towards gundog clubs and trainers in their area. The BASC regional teams are also a great port of call for this information.
Training gundogs: it’s a challenge worth pursuing
Getting into gundogs can be daunting when it’s your first foray into the world of field trials, working tests and shoot days. Even finding a good gundog trainer can be tricky, often with the best-of-the-best only being found through word of mouth.
But the basics of gundog training can start at home and in the garden. Such training can help create a wonderful pet or, if you catch the bug, a wonderful shoot day companion.
Rewind to Gundog Day at Crufts 2025. Four amateur gundog handlers (yes, me included) and their trainer take to the main ring alongside two legends in the spaniel world in the form of Roy Ellershaw and Jon Bailey.
The amateurs are nervous, the old-hats ooze confidence. The dogs are in their element. The spaniels hunt like they were born to do it; the retrievers are steady, leaping and picking dummies, showcasing their natural talent. The crowd loves it – mistakes and all.
This is where we inspire new people to get into gundogs. This is what gives the Labrador owner the courage to search for a gundog trainer, to take their dog to sit and watch its first shoot day and then the following season, pick up its first bird. Training a gundog may be a challenge, but it’s a challenge worth pursuing.
You can find more advice, guidance and information on gundogs here.
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Dr Cat McNicol
Scientific advisor working as part of BASC’s evidence and environmental law team. Cat holds a PhD in Wildlife Science and has spent much of her career so far working on grey squirrels and pine martens. Cat’s work at BASC focuses on providing guidance and evidence on the positive impacts that practical conservation work can have for both shooting interests and the environment.
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