THE GUNDOG CLUB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- South Yorkshire Gundog Trainer
This instructor is a ‘cross over' instructor. This means he is a traditional instructor who is actively learning about force free techniques to add to his substantial experience but is not an established force free instructor - he is, however, already accommodating Force Free students in his classes.
Andrew Baker is a Gundog Club instructor for South Yorkshire (Barnsley).
He is a lifelong owner of gundogs, and has competed in working tests and field trials for 9 years with awards at open level. His dogs also pick up on a local shoot all season.
Andrew is also a show judge of Gundog breeds and is on the breed specialist C list for Irish setters.
Job Titles:
- Cambridgeshire Gundog Trainer
Job Titles:
- Cambridgeshire Gundog Trainer
Carol considers herself lucky to be able to say her job teaching people to train their dogs is her passion.
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Mid Wales Gundog Trainer
Collette May is our Gundog Instructor based in Mid Wales.
Collette runs her own dog training school ‘Lead and Listen' and is a full member of the Pet Professional Guild and the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers.
She has two working labradors called Benji and Angus that she competes in working tests during the summer months and takes picking up in the winter months.
Collette attends dog behaviour and training seminars and conferences on a regular basis and introduces these new ideas into her own style of gundog training. Taking ideas from the world of agility, obedience and other dog sports has helped her solve many gundog training problems by thinking outside the box, especially when punishment is not an option for her.
Leanne's first gundog was a German Wirehaired Pointer who prompted her to explore the needs and behaviours of Gundog breeds, and to enter the world of shooting to better understand and work with her dog.
She has now been working on local shoots for more than a decade, going beating several times a week. Her first working cocker, Branston, joined the ranks in 2008 and he had a very successful working career.
In 2013 Erik, her second working cocker, join the team and he works successfully on the local shoots during the shooting season. Leanne and her cockers have demonstrated Positive Gundog Training at several game and country fairs for many years. Leanne and Erik compete successfully at scurries during the summer months and has won the Scramble at The Game fair twice.
2018 saw Ragnar, Leanne's third working cocker come on board, and she hopes to enter Working Tests, and possibly Field Trials with him, of course alongside working on shoots during the winter.
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Trainer
- Worcestershire Gundog Trainer
Helen Phillips is a gundog trainer based in Evesham, Worcestershire.
She is well known as the author of the popular book ‘Clicker Gundog', the first gundog specific training guide using clicker techniques.
Helen has three dogs of her own, all Hungarian Vizslas, which are not only valued members of her beating and picking up team, but also loved family members.
Helen is a highly trained instructor, with a variety of qualifications in both teaching and canine behaviour.
Job Titles:
- Lancashire Gundog Trainer
Jane is our Gundog Club instructor for Greater Manchester (Bury) and Lancashire (Barnoldswick).
She is one of our most qualified instructors, with 5 years of university education, and over 6 years lecturing experience in canine behavior and dog training, along with over 20 years practical experience training dogs.
She is not only exceptionally well qualified as a dog trainer, she is a qualified trainer of people, with a City and Guilds Level Three Award in Education and Training.
Jane is an established force free trainer, and firmly believes dogs can be trained effectively and to very high standards using kindness and motivation, and by building the right relationship of trust between dog and handler.
She works her own cocker spaniels, and specialises in helping pet owners with working line bred dogs, and training gundogs using positive reinforcement. She has four working cocker spaniels, Pickles, The Stig, Mia and Drift, two of which she bred herself. She is a particular expert in helping people with dogs that need to improve their self-control and manage excitement.
Here are Jane and the Stig, with the judge, after successfully achieving the working gundog certificate on game.
Job Titles:
- Jersey Gundog Trainer
- Registered Dog Trainer
Jo Laurens is Jersey's only APDT registered dog trainer and Gundog Club Instructor
Jo runs training classes, but is happy to travel anywhere on the island to carry out one to one training sessions at her clients' homes if they prefer.
Her passion is for force-free gundog work, and she enjoys introducing her gundog clients to shoots, when they are ready.
Jo welcomes Gundog Club students in all categories and will be very happy to help you work towards your Gundog Grades or to solve any training problems you have with your dog.
Qualifications and Experience
Jo has been an APDT member since 2007, and holds an Advanced Diploma in Canine Behaviour Management (AdDipCBM) and Distinction in CAP1 & CAP2 clicker training qualifications.
To further her credentials, she is also currently working towards accreditation as a CBATI for working with dog-dog aggression.
Jo has been running classes, and working with handlers and dogs from a variety of breeds and with different levels of experience, for many years. She also has a wealth of experience in working her own HPRs in the field
Jo particularly enjoys rough shooting and has competed successfully in working tests and field trials.
She is also very supportive of non-competitive forms of assessment - such as the KC Working Gundog Certificate, Natural Aptitude Tests and Spring Pointing tests (for HPRs), and, of course, the Gundog Club Graded assessments. Jo also has experience in agility, obedience and working trials.
Job Titles:
- Member of the APDT
- Professional Dog Training Instructor
- Surrey Gundog Trainer
Jules Morgan has been a professional dog training instructor since 1993, and has built an excellent reputation for good quality, kind, reward based methods of training.
Jules is a member of the APDT (The Association of Pet Dog Trainers) and of the Kennel Club's Accredited Instructor Scheme, working towards accreditation and adhere to the Codes of Practice for both organisations.
Job Titles:
- Trainer
- Devon Gundog Trainer
Leanne's first gundog was a German Wirehaired Pointer who prompted her to explore the needs and behaviours of Gundog breeds, and to enter the world of shooting to better understand and work with her dog.
She has now been working on local shoots for more than a decade, going beating several times a week. Her first working cocker, Branston, joined the ranks in 2008 and he had a very successful working career.
In 2013 Erik, her second working cocker, join the team and he works successfully on the local shoots during the shooting season. Leanne and her cockers have demonstrated Positive Gundog Training at several game and country fairs for many years. Leanne and Erik compete successfully at scurries during the summer months and has won the Scramble at The Game fair twice.
2018 saw Ragnar, Leanne's third working cocker come on board, and she hopes to enter Working Tests, and possibly Field Trials with him, of course alongside working on shoots during the winter.
Leanne has been a professional dog trainer since 2005 gradually moving towards specialising in gundog training using clicker training and other positive reward-based techniques to train people and their dogs to become quality working teams. A lot of her training looks at how to set things up so that your dog learns to make correct choices when out working, through teaching good impulse control and self-management and creating high value reinforcers that can be used to reward your dog for a job well done.
Leanne has been working regularly beating on several shoots since 2007 and has begun competing at Working tests during the summers. She also competes in Scurries and has won the Scramble at the CLA Game fair the last two times that it has been held at Ragley Hall.
The breed Leanne is most familiar with is the Working Cocker Spaniel, she also works regularly with other spaniels.
Leanne has owned an HPR, and works with many different HPR breeds and understands how their hunting style is different from the spaniels.
She has many clients with retrievers and so is familiar with how they work. She has also been on many Retriever focused training courses and so one of her cockers is an honorary retriever and can do long straight lines even on a blind retrieve!!!!
Leanne mainly teaches on a one to one basis at her purpose-built Gundog Training ground, which is about 15 minutes from junction 28 of the M5. She has both indoor and outdoor facilities so that lessons can go ahead whatever the weather. The facility has varied terrain with many natural obstacles which help to give the dogs variety in their training.
She offers monthly group sessions for her one to one clients so that they can put into practice what has been learned in the private sessions.
Currently Leanne has clients working through all the Gundog Club grades up to grade 5. She offers a training course for grades 1 and 2 during the summer on a weekday evening.
Job Titles:
- Leicestershire Gundog Instructor
Job Titles:
- Instructor for Sheffield
- South Yorkshire Gundog Trainer
Lindsay Hermann is our Gundog Club Instructor for Sheffield, South Yorkshire and trains people and their dogs for the Gundog Club foundation grades (grades 1 - 3).
She has been a professional dog trainer since 2013 and her students describe her as approachable, patient and understanding. She concentrates on the dogs, and the people training them, having fun. And helps owners to build solid relationships with their dogs to achieve great results.
Lindsay is on the Gundog Club list of approved force free trainers here.
Lindsay works her Springer x Labrador on local farm shoots and rough shoots, mainly as a picking up dog, but near the end of the season she also goes beating to let her express her Spaniel side. Her second dog is a new young Labrador who she plans to work during the season and also compete with once he's old enough.
Lindsay's services and classes are ideal for people who have a pet Gundog and want to train as a way to improve their relationship with their dogs, and of course have a better trained pet, or if want to work your dog and take him or her shooting.
Lindsay looks forward to hearing from new students in the Sheffield and surrounding areas, and helping them to understand their dog through developing gundog skills and to achieve a fantastic fun bond between owner and dog.
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Northumberland Gundog Trainer
Lyndsey Rutherford is the Gundog Club Instructor for Northumberland.
She is a registered dog trainer with the ADTB and The Guild of Dog Trainers.
Lyndsey also holds qualifications in Canine First Aid and CPR and is a qualified SAC Dip Dog Grooming Professional.
She has several dogs of her own including working cocker spaniels Sweep and Polly, labradoodle Rocco and border collie Grace.
Lyndsey follows positive, reward based training methods and is available for group training or one to ones.
Job Titles:
- Northumberland Gundog Trainer
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Trainer
- Somerset Gundog Trainer
Penny Hoare is the Gundog Club's instructor for Somerset (Yeovil).
Penny has been training dogs for 25 years and qualified with a COAPE diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training in 2003. She has been running her dog training business for the last 10 years.
Penny used to be a breeder of both Whippets and Labradors but more recently has given a home to spaniels Dougie, Winnie and Basil and an English Setter called Dora, who live with Penny's Whippet, Ronnie.
Penny works her rescue sprocker Basil, and he is successfully taking his Gundog Grades and beats on a small syndicate shoot.
Penny is a force free trainer, and a clicker trainer (although students do not have to use a clicker in her classes and lessons and she will always offer techniques to suit a particular student and dog).
Penny is looking forward to hearing from you, and you can contact her using the form below. Enjoy your training!
Sue lives on the beautiful Somerset Levels with her family and dogs - Labradors and a Working Cocker Spaniel.
Her earliest memory is of being a toddler and being surrounded by a litter of Labrador puppies, bred by her parents. Her passion for dogs was ignited and has remained with her ever since.
She has owned dogs for many years, both rescued and bought as puppies of assorted breeds, and challenges.
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Trainer
- Leicestershire Gundog Instructor
Steve is highly qualified instructor: he is a Gundog Club Accredited Instructor; an Instructor with the Academy of Dog Training and Behaviour; and The Institute of Modern Dog Trainers.
Although Steve was himself introduced to gundog work via more traditional methods, he now prefers gentler training.
This is the approach that Steve offers to Gundog Club students in Leicestershire. He says "I have found that both handler and dog find this a more pleasurable way of learning".
Steve fully appreciates the requirements of those new to gundog work, and worked through the graded training scheme himself some years ago.
Experience in training people, is as important in a Gundog Instructor as experience in training dogs. Steve is a qualified teacher and assessor with the City and Guilds occupational awards scheme.
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Somerset Gundog Trainer
Sue lives on the beautiful Somerset Levels with her family and dogs - Labradors and a Working Cocker Spaniel.
Her earliest memory is of being a toddler and being surrounded by a litter of Labrador puppies, bred by her parents. Her passion for dogs was ignited and has remained with her ever since.
She has owned dogs for many years, both rescued and bought as puppies of assorted breeds, and challenges.
Sue is an instructor for the foundation grades, and is ideally placed to help the owners of pet gundogs. She offers one to one home visits, and training in very small groups in a secure training paddock.
Sue regularly updates her knowledge and experience by attending seminars and workshops.
My name is Emma Stoker. I own three Showbred Labrador Retrievers called Baxter, Elsie and Prue, and have extensive knowledge of the breed. I also have a working bred Springer Spaniel called Pip.
I have both worked and shown my dogs. I like nothing better than watching my dogs work! It takes my breath away every time!
Job Titles:
- Worcestershire Gundog Trainer