Land rented out to Gun dog trainers

[Loftyrules]

Has anyone rented any land out to people for training gun dogs? Am thinking of setting aside a piece of land, putting some different areas/crops in.

Has anyone done anything similar?

 

[Dry Rot]

Not done similar but have trained gundogs for many years on my own land.

Wild game that is continually 'dogged' will either move or change it's habits. I always asked to be allowed as big an area as possible when dog training as it can actually help a shoot by dogging in at the boundaries and teaching birds to fly. Another pair of eyes on the ground can also be helpful as I could tell them where birds were, or were not, and why. I've often found fox dens that the keepers have missed. It's surprising what dogs will find.

If it is to be an area where novices can train, I can't see why that would not work. Maybe a rabbit pen? Quail can be trained to 'home' and can provide experience of game that owners would otherwise find hard to get access to. If you have a pond, that would be useful to owners of retrieving breeds. Yes, it could be done...if there is local demand. PM me if you like.

 

[JP1]

Not done similar but have trained gundogs for many years on my own land.

Wild game that is continually 'dogged' will either move or change it's habits. I always asked to be allowed as big an area as possible when dog training as it can actually help a shoot by dogging in at the boundaries and teaching birds to fly. Another pair of eyes on the ground can also be helpful as I could tell them where birds were, or were not, and why. I've often found fox dens that the keepers have missed. It's surprising what dogs will find.

If it is to be an area where novices can train, I can't see why that would not work. Maybe a rabbit pen? Quail can be trained to 'home' and can provide experience of game that owners would otherwise find hard to get access to. If you have a pond, that would be useful to owners of retrieving breeds. Yes, it could be done...if there is local demand. PM me if you like.

Big plus one for water. Training a dog to keep retrieved game in the mouth when leaving the water and in the steps just before handover and not shaking the water off and dropping is a big one for all the retriever breeds . Also command to come back through the water and not around, would mean something wider as you look at it than depth would help on this score

 

[Loftyrules]

Cheers both, pond a potential issue but may be worth a look. Not currently any game birds kicking about the place but have released partridges and pheasants elsewhere so also something that could be overcome.
Any landless gundog owners out there that would look to pay to use an area like this?

 

[JP1]

Cheers both, pond a potential issue but may be worth a look. Not currently any game birds kicking about the place but have released partridges and pheasants elsewhere so also something that could be overcome.
Any landless gundog owners out there that would look to pay to use an area like this?

Would you be better letting it to a gundog trainer who specialises in owner with dog type clinics?

If you can find water in the area and combine the two as a let, that might work?

 

[Boysground]

Your idea is good and I think there could be a market.

However in the last few months I have heard of different people doing “secure dog walking” basically it’s an area of grass with a decent high fence around it. People can bring their totally untrained and wild pet and let it run free for half an hour, be able to catch it and pay for the privilege.

If you area is anything like here, there is a bigger supply of customers for this than for a training area.

Bg

 

[Loftyrules]

Your idea is good and I think there could be a market.

However in the last few months I have heard of different people doing “secure dog walking” basically it’s an area of grass with a decent high fence around it. People can bring their totally untrained and wild pet and let it run free for half an hour, be able to catch it and pay for the privilege.

If you area is anything like here, there is a bigger supply of customers for this than for a training area.

Bg

I have seen these and it could be that the two are combined, area with lots of scents for joe public and then a decent area for gun dogs...was just frustrated by my lack of options to fire my dummy launcher.

@JP1 Renting to a trainer could also work

 

[JP1]

I'm a simple peasant watching from the sidelines but from what I see there are plenty of folks wanting a place to train gundogs

There seem to be a few key points

• Rach has access to her Father's farmland but wants specific facilties for specific training; water (as before) , safe and solid fences for a blind retrieve and a dedicated "back" or "get over" command.
• Folks sometimes want to actually train away from home distractions / familiarity (even spouses!)
• Folks are (rightly) paranoid about their dogs and heat and theft. Having a place that is under camera, secure, lockable even where they can keep the resting dogs cool and shaded is a big plus
• Can you derive an income from other things (selling bagged foods, drinks vending / machine / advertising cards and commissions on services etc?)

What I do learn is we think as farmers, know and grumble about the cost of everything. Mrs Waitrose will spend a fortune on the right gundog training clothes, spend money getting the time slot for training at a premium to suit her schedule etc

Hell, I even learnt from my Daughter that the Forestry Commission charge a tenner to use their dog washing hose after exercising the dog at Alice Holt !!! That Goldie would have come to my Niece's 18th black and left in the garden !

 

[Loftyrules]

I'm a simple peasant watching from the sidelines but from what I see there are plenty of folks wanting a place to train gundogs

There seem to be a few key points

• Rach has access to her Father's farmland but wants specific facilties for specific training; water (as before) , safe and solid fences for a blind retrieve and a dedicated "back" or "get over" command.
• Folks sometimes want to actually train away from home distractions / familiarity (even spouses!)
• Folks are (rightly) paranoid about their dogs and heat and theft. Having a place that is under camera, secure, lockable even where they can keep the resting dogs cool and shaded is a big plus
• Can you derive an income from other things (selling bagged foods, drinks vending / machine / advertising cards and commissions on services etc?)

What I do learn is we think as farmers, know and grumble about the cost of everything. Mrs Waitrose will spend a fortune on the right gundog training clothes, spend money getting the time slot for training at a premium to suit her schedule etc

Hell, I even learnt from my Daughter that the Forestry Commission charge a tenner to use their dog washing hose after exercising the dog at Alice Holt !!! That Goldie would have come to my Niece's 18th black and left in the garden !

This is my thinking too, potential to expand into other avenues and ventures along the way. When I was training my lab I built a secure jumping lane so he had no option, variety of different obstacle sizes and styles so could easily replicate

 

[renewablejohn]

Used to have a prision officer train there dog on a dedicated piece of land. Very nasty piece of work you definetly did not want to being trained while your there unprotected. Paid good money though on a regular basis. At the moment she is without a dog as her old one turned on a prision officer and it had to be put down.

 

[Mickeydredd]

Any landless gundog owners out there that would look to pay to use an area like this?

I have advertised on here looking to rent land to train our gundogs on in the Derbyshire/Staffordshire area with no success. My other half trials labs and I'm just getting into doing a bit with them too. I have a SGC and FAC so happy to sort out any vermin and deer too.

Most of the gundog training that folks look for is simply decent land for throwing dummies on rather than looking for game birds, although my preference would be to have the option to put a few birds down myself. A pond, of decent size, not depth, would be a huge bonus but not a must.
A bit of crop cover, which you would get paid to plant out, with rail fences, to replicate the set-ups for the Internationals at the game fairs would be good to have on a part of the land, the rest can be left au natural and can be rough ground that is no good for anything other than rough grazing sheep. You could therefore charge a rental rate in excess of what you could achieve for grazing letting, without having to really do anything.

We have some great rough ground in Scotland that we have set up for training holidays and it is great land, with valleys, rivers, we have set up fences etc, and the farmer gets his holiday cottages rented out into the bargain - just wish we could replicate the set-up a bit closer to home.

All dog mess is picked up by the dog owners and this is a requisite.