Week 3 – The Role of Rewards in Gundog Training

Using rewards in gundog training builds motivation and strengthens your bond. Here’s why food and play won’t “ruin” your working dog.

Week 3 – The Role of Rewards in Gundog Training

There’s a stubborn myth in the gundog world: that giving food or play as rewards will somehow spoil a working dog. The truth? Rewards don’t ruin gundogs – they motivate them.

A reward is simply something your dog values. For some, that’s food. For others, it might be a ball, a tug toy, or even the retrieve itself. When we reward behaviours we like, those behaviours are more likely to happen again.

In training, your dog is making choices all the time. Do I sit or chase? Do I come back or run off? Rewards tip the scales in your favour, making it worthwhile for your dog to do what you’re asking.

Think of rewards as communication. They tell your dog, yes, that was exactly what I wanted! Over time, behaviours become habits, and once a habit is strong, you don’t need to reward every single time.

Training with rewards is not bribery. Bribery is asking for behaviour by showing food first. Reward-based training is reinforcing the behaviour after your dog has offered it. There’s a huge difference.

At the end of the day, a gundog that enjoys training will enjoy working with you in the field. And that joy is the foundation of every good partnership.