Many of the dogs we work to rescue are gundog breeds. Lots of our dogs are currently in Spain, in shelters and kennels, after being unwanted by their previous owners, largely hunters. Unfortunately, hunters in Spain treat their dogs more like tools than anything else and they are often abandoned or handed in to shelters if they aren’t good enough for hunting or simply surplus to requirements. Sadly, it’s hard to find homes for gundogs in Spain as they generally aren’t considered as pets which can mean they are left shut away for many years.
The dogs we help tend to be working stock, they are lively and intelligent dogs which makes them lots of fun. Some of the amazing breeds of gundogs we rescue include:
- English Setters – despite their name, they are much more common in Spain. They are named after the practice of ‘setting’, their distinctive stance which lets their hunter know they have found a bird before flushing it out. They are well known for their endurance and athleticism. The working setters tend to be smaller on average than the show line of the breed that we tend to see in the UK, and happily often live longer as well.
- Gorgeous Gordon’s and incredible Irish Setters also make an appearance every now and then, however these aren’t as common in Spain as the English Setters we help.
- Pointers – English, German shorthaired, German wirehaired,etc – these are again known for being energetic and hardworking gundogs. Their name comes from their ‘Pointing’ stance they adopt to indicate they have detected a scent. Some of the pointers we rescue have had their tails docked. This can be a common practice for some traditional hunters with the intention of preventing future tail injuries.
- Brittanys – originating from France, the Brittany is one of the smaller gundog types we work with as a rescue (generally smaller than a Setter), although they remain energetic. Some of these dogs are naturally born with a ‘bobtail’, although others can be docked by hunters.
- Hounds – solidly built and brave, hounds are used to hunt large game like wild boar. With their strong nose and ability to range a long way ahead of the hunters, recall can be a challenge.
All of the dogs we rescue can make an amazing addition to a family. They are happy and affectionate dogs who love human company and have a tenacity for life. Whilst they love to be outside, they also love nothing more than turning in a couch potato and snuggling up. They are good-natures and sensitive breeds that make devoted companions. While some may have been hit harder by their traumatic starts to lives, dogs have a phenomenal way of overcoming their hardships when given the time, space and love they need to learn to trust again.
The main challenges of our dogs are:
- Challenging recall due to them being strong and prey driven. They usually have next to no training in life so far and therefore will need to be walked on leads unless in secure fields.
- Lack of home experience. As the majority of these dogs have been kept by hunters previously and they have often never lived in a home environment before, so everything about that life is new to them. This being said, they soon learn to adore the comforts and love of a forever home and make wonderful additions to a family.
People can have many misconceptions about rescue dogs and particularly those from working backgrounds like many of ours. Through our years of experience we can assure you that even a rescue gundog CAN:
- Settle in a loving home environment
- Live with children
- Live with other resident dogs
- Live with cats and other animals
- Live their best life without being ‘worked’ as a gundog.
Of course not every home is suitable for every dog and vice versa, but we work very hard to match our dogs with suitable families. We may ask you to consider a different or older dog if we feel this is better suited to you or your current set up. We may also suggest a dog that fits better to your lifestyle such as one that may be better suited as an only dog or a more confident dog if you live in a busier area.
‘The perfect rescue dog is out there for everybody. You just have to find it.‘
Josh Hopkins
