Working
Training
Forthcoming Training Events
Would you like support introducing your Flatcoat to the shooting environment?
This December the Society are offering a Shoot Experience Day and, in conjunction with this, a training day for dogs that have little or no experience of picking feather or fur.
The two training days will be held near Retford on 16th and 17th December 2025. The trainer will be Andrew Sweeney. Both days are suitable for novice (or more experienced handlers) with young or novice Flatcoats, who wish to progress their dog into a ‘live game environment’.
The ‘Shoot day’ is aimed at those whose dogs have had little or no experience of being in a shoot environment. However your dog must be of the standard expected of the WFRDP 2A training days - for dogs that have not previously picked fur and feather. On the shoot day your dog will be able to sit through drives, help sweep up afterwards and also have the possibility of picking wounded game. Shoot etiquette and despatching game will also be discussed. The aim is by the end of the day, you should understand the role of the ‘picker up’ and what is required of your dog on a shoot day. It should be possible to sign off some skills on the 3A WFRDP Checklist.
The following day, the game shot the previous day will be used to develop retrieving skills based on the WFRDP ‘game pathway’ Level 2A. This day is aimed at those whose dogs have had little or no experience of picking fur or feather and who wish to gain experience in control, obedience, hunting and retrieving a variety of fresh, previously shot game. On this day blank shot will be used to simulate the shooting environment. There will be the opportunity to do individual retrieves, marks and memories, some walked up training and potentially simulated drives.
Dogs taking part must already have a complete retrieve and delivery to hand, and should be capable of some off lead heel work, be steady to shot, thrown dummies and other dogs working, and be able to hunt effectively in different cover and conditions. If your dog is not reliably delivering to hand, or is unsteady on canvass dummies, your dog is not yet ready for this training.
The cost of each day will be £65 per day for FCRS members. Non members are also welcome. The cost to non members will be £70 per day. Preference will be given to those attending both days or to those who have previously completed Level 2A training.
Please use this link below to apply for a place on both or either day.
The Working Flatcoated Retriever Development Programme.
The FCRS is pleased to announce the launch of our new training programme, the Working Flatcoated Retriever Development Programme. The WFRDP was developed following the outcome of the online survey conducted in the autumn of 2023 which indicated that handlers wanted a training programme that was available nationally and that offered structured goals to work towards.
The WFRDP consists of 5 levels, each covering Control, Obedience, Hunting and Retrieving. You can read more about the different levels and what they encompass here.
A Guide to the Working Flatcoated Retriever Development Programme on Dummies
A Guide to the Working Flatcoated Retriever Development Programme - on Game
The programme is designed to have something for everyone, so that: whether you are new to the sport of gundog work or an old hand, whether you have a pet dog who might benefit from using his nose and brain as he was bred to do, or a youngster you would like to train to work on a shoot, whether you are interested in Gundog Working Tests (or not), or whether you are aiming to run your dog in field trials, this programme has something for you.
Each level can be assessed in a number of different ways and will be certificated by the Society. Gundog training, indeed all dog training, is not something that is done once, passed and forgotten. It’s more like continuing professional development; skills that you and your dog will acquire but keep returning to, to revisit and practice together, so any level of the WFRDP may be repeated as wished. However as each level is achieved you will be offered ideas as to how to progress to the next level, what to aim for next.
There is also more than one pathway through the levels. Levels, Foundation, 1, 2B and 3B all involve training on canvass dummies. Levels 2A, 3A and 4 cover the introduction of dogs to game and progression to training on live game including training for our field trialing dogs. Some handlers may wish to train solely on dummies. Others will move interchangeably through the levels encompassing both dummies and game. Some will start on dummies and progress to game. Some will aim to test their skills in Gundog Working Tests or the Kennel Club Working Gundog Certificate on Dummies. Others may wish to take their Shooting Dog Certificate, their Kennel Club Show Gundog Working Certificate or their KC WGC on Game. (More information on the SDC can be found here. More information on the KC WGC on dummies and game and on the SGWC May be found on the Kennel Club Website).
What is your goal? Whatever you are aiming for, we hope that the Society’s Working Flatcoated Retriever Development Programme will help you to achieve your goals with your dog, building their control, obedience, hunting and retrieving and in so doing, to strengthen your partnership. Do go to our Working Forms Section to find out more. Link to Working Forms
