Must you live in the country to have a gundog? Discussions

I`ve been talking to someone who thinks you shouldn`t have an HPR dog - or any gundog for all I know - if you live in a town.
As someone with an HPR dog happily living in a town I obviously disagree. The fact that I don`t drive and the dog had to see traffic and go on a train was also a matter of concern for them.
So - people who own gundogs - could your dogs survive an urban home?

I don't own gundogs and I don't live in a town - but I would also disagree with the person you spoke to. I think any dog of any breed can happily live in a town if given the right amount of attention, understanding, exercise and stimulation. I do think some breeds do better in the countryside, but dogs are infinitely adaptable.

I think as long as the dog's needs are met who cares whether it lives in a town or country!? A breed that springs to mind in the gundog group is the weim who IME doesn't do as well in a town enviroment... But having said that two we have in at work live in town centre! But get taken to Forests and woods near by for walks.

So many places are now built up anyway! Dogs adapt as people do.

Isnt that like saying Border Collies should only live in the country aswell?

I dont think this is true at all. Like other people have said if the dogs needs are being met then what does it matter where they live, be in town or country?

It sounds like that person has outdated views, I think opening dogs up to as many experiences as possible is healthy for a dog, you get more opportunity to do that in a town.

That was my response. I said I believed you should train a dog to be comfortable in all situations, as far as possible. She said her dogs got worried walking through her village.
I think it was one of those conversations where the parties inhabit different planets

That is complete nonsense. I have a very worky HPR and a Springer and I have a big garden which they rarely bother to go in, between their walks. They spend their time crashed out in the house. Working HPRs live in kennels anyway so would not have access to a large garden.

It is the type of exercise they get that matters. If you make the effort to exercise their brains then they do not need hours of romping around in the countryside.

And the woman concerned, who considers herself to be an expert, should know better!

My two do so quite happily, unless they're secretly depressed and not telling me! Sounds like this woman's dogs are particuarly badly socialised if they panic walking through a village, it's all about getting them used to lots of different situations from as early an age as possible for me,as a result the two of mine are as happy walking through an empty field as they are on our local high street with buses and arctics going past. God forbid that urban dogs might have to use public transport!!

I dont think she seees that she has caused them to be worried walking through the village, by not exposing them to different things. She may think thats what the breed are like so maybe thats why shes believes they shouldnt be homed in a town

load of bull, as long as the dog is looked after and their needs met then it doesnt matter where they live. what about the dogs that even though are meant to be for a certain job there is no way they would be suitable
ATD x

Possibly. I was just curious as to how widespread this attitude was.

God, some people are just very, very strange!

I moved from country to town two years ago and tbh it's probably done Oscar a favour. He's been exposed to far more living here than in my old village where you rarely saw anyone out walking (although I know which scenario I prefer! ), so socialisation wise he's much better for it.

It will always depend on the individual dog, it's exercise regime and the numpty rating of the owner imo.

I moved from the town to the country a year ago . When I lived in the town there were lots of lovely places for me to walk my dogs off lead . Here there are much fewer and I drive 10 miles every day ( there and back ) so my dogs can run around in one of the few places where they can be off lead . Naturally the fields are full off sheep and cattle . There are beaches too but some of them depend on tide times .

That is one of the major down falls, but having lived in the country most of my life my dogs are taught to ignore livestock (although not currently trusted 100% with sheep) so it's less of a problem. Where I am now my dogs are off lead most of the time, aside from the 20 minutes we spend in the on lead park, so it's certainly easier in that respect.

I'd still rather spend time out in the countryside with it all to myself though.

Also in towns it's nice that they cut the grass for you, I've spent too many summers in hay fields after rain with sopping wet trousers!

Well I think they can do well in either environment. Same as the 'big dogs cant live in flats' thing. They can.

Perhaps its more about the owner not being able to live in the city than the dog?

I know someone who will tell me that its inconvenient where I am so on and that they too can be in the middle of no-where with the dog if they wish - well I'm afraid that some trees planted by the side of the path isn't free ranging enough for me! Neither are the summer 'further out' walks covered in tourists...or the 'middle of no-where' that is actually a park. To them it must feel huge, to us its a park lol

My dog stays in a village and goes to town and guess what? he even goes to the city centre too. He seems ok to me (even on the [gasp] bus!)

edit; the fields with sheep thing I just taught the dog to come away from them when he was young...but these days they have actual roads that lead into town lol so even a dog thats older and cant be trusted with them can always walk somewhere, village, town or city.

Generally I don't think it matters. Most pet bred "gundogs" are so far removed from what they did originally it is irrelevant.

As for HPR's, it depends on the dog I guess. It also depends on 'facilities' available for exercising the dog. My dog Bo would be bored rigid if I lived in an urban area with a few small, flat football pitches for 'exercise'. I would never ever get a HPR if that was my only option.

I have a very "worky" GSP whose father was a German import and his mother was a Birkenwald. He was bred to work and never switches off voluntarily. All his hunt drive has been redirected onto toys and balls. He would be perfectly happy living in a town going to a park to play with his ball every day. In fact if the park was full of kids with balls...even better.

He finds the countryside a huge bore and stalks me waiting for his BALL to come out. Sadly he has to endure 2 hours a day of woods and fields because that's where we live and I like it.

I've been to Budby Forest today, a rare area of heathland round these parts. Yes, it was chucking it down with rain but the dogs were too busy leaping through the heather and gorse and hunting rabbits to even notice. Flynn got to act out his natural desires - the desire to range at distance, to run at speed, to hunt quarry and to point, and yes, even chase. I would hate to deny him those behaviours because we lived in a city where all you get are feral pigeons and hedgehogs.

I live in a town, but with readily accessable fields, pastures and woods. Flynn is happy to go on the local recreation ground and play ball, and traffic/screaming kids etc dont bother him in the slightest yet would he be happy with his on a daily basis? Maybe, but would I be happy with that kind of life for him? No.

I think some breeds are more suited to living in the country, some are suited to living in cities and towns but I dont think it should be set in stone and as long as you give the dog adequate stimulation, it shouldnt be a problem.

Never mind gundogs, I think the breed least suited to living in a city is a border collie, with their sound sensitivity and habit of herding traffic. But thats another thread...!

Well I have a "worky" HPR as well She is my 4th, and I have lived in a house, a flat; one with a garden one with a minute one with no fence; worked part time and full time and travel all over the country and exercise my dogs in city parks, motorway service stations, the countryside etc etc.

If a dog of ANY breed has never been into town then of course it would be stressed, fortunately I make sure that I socialise them with every living thing I can get hold of and habituate them to all sorts of environments so they can travel to and from anywhere and be comfortable wherever I decide to take them.

HPRs or other gundogs can and do live and work everywhere, look at the bomb, drug, cash etc dogs of the police; THEY do not live in the countryside but in urban environments, and work in them and airports, railway stations etc etc quite happily!

Perhaps this individual should a) buy stock from genetically stronger animals and/or b) get out more!

I live in a small terraced house with only a small paved yard & have a Border Collie.
We have a large (200 acre) park just 5 min walk away where we go most days. This park has a path all the way round which quite often has council vans or cyclists driving on it.
I have trained Taffy to lie down at the side of the path if any traffic comes - he certainly doesn't herd traffic. One day I was sitting on a bench next to the path throwing his ball for him (me being lazy!!) when about 12 trainee policemen on cycles came riding round the path. I told Taffy to lie down & the Police trainer said to me "If you can train a Border collie to stay there with & not chase these bikes you can come & get a Job training Police Dogs" LOL. I think he was joking!!
He usually lies down himself without being told if he sees the bikes or cars before I do if we are on paths & he is off lead.

Rubbish! It's not the actual environment, it's the lifestyle.

Helen