Understanding Gundog Training Jargon – A Guide for Beginners
If you’ve recently started gundog training, you will have no doubt discovered a bewildering array of unfamiliar words, terminology, phraseology and jargon associated with dog training and fieldsports.
Terms like “reinforcement”, “recipe”, “steadiness”, “beating”, and “proofing” can sound confusing at first, and more like something you’d read in a cookery book than you’d hear in a gundog training session.
It can seem like everyone else is speaking a different language, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the terminology, especially if this is your first puppy and you’re new to dog training in general, as well as breed-specific gundog work.
But every handler, no matter how experienced and fluent they are in this terminology now, has been in your shoes at some point.
We know there is nothing more frustrating than asking a simple question, only to be met with an incomprehensible response full of words that you’ve not come across before. And while we always try to avoid using jargon, sometimes it’s unavoidable.
Learning the terminology isn’t about trying to sound clever. It’s about making sure everyone is on the same page. Because when we’re clear in our language, we can teach more effectively, support our dogs better, and learn with more confidence.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most important terms you’re likely to come across. We’ve chosen the words and phrases that we believe are most useful to understand early on. Some come from learning theory, which helps explain how dogs learn. Others are more specific to gundog work and what you might hear on a shoot or in training sessions when discussing why we train our gundogs certain behaviours.
Why terminology matters in dog training
When you’re learning something new, hearing unfamiliar words can be a bit off-putting.
Gundog training is no different. At first, it can feel like there’s a whole separate language to figure out, and that can make things seem more complicated than they really are.
In the early stages of training, it’s perfectly normal to feel a bit unsure when trainers use terms you haven’t come across before.
While we always try to keep jargon to a minimum, sometimes these words are used in lessons, blogs, books, social media posts, etc., without much explanation, which can leave you wondering what’s actually being asked of you and your dog.
It can be frustrating at first, but these words are not being used to exclude newcomers or to make things sound fancy or technical. They’re simply there to help us all talk about training in a clear, consistent way.
If your trainer uses jargon during a session, it’s always okay to ask what it means. A good trainer should explain it in a way that makes sense to you, and, depending on what it is, they might even be able to show you a quick example.
Don’t worry if the words feel unfamiliar at first. Learning the language of training is just part of the process, and the more confident and familiar you become with it, the more it can help things click into place.
And as you continue your training journey, before you know it, you’ll be using these words and phrases yourself without even realising it; it’ll just have become second nature.
Glossary of words and phrases relating to general dog training and learning theory
Before we get into the gundog-specific terminology, it’s really helpful to zoom out and look at how dogs learn. A lot of the language used in training comes from behavioural science, so let’s break down some of the key terms that you’ll come across, especially if you’re training with modern, ethical methods.
What is positive reinforcement?
This is something that happens after a behaviour which the dog enjoys, or feels better because of, making them more likely to repeat that behaviour again in the future.
Reinforcement comes from the four quadrants of operant conditioning which describe how behaviours are strengthened or weakened based on their consequences.
R+ Positive Reinforcement is the addition of something the learner finds pleasant in response to a behaviour. For example, giving a treat for recall. Behaviour is likely to be repeated.
R- Negative Reinforcement is the removal of something the learner finds unpleasant. For example, the loosening of the lead when the dog stops pulling (stopping pulling = relief from the tight lead). Behaviour is likely to be repeated.
P+ Positive Punishment is the addition of something the learner finds unpleasant in response to a behaviour. For example, smacking a dog for barking. Behaviour is likely to be avoided.
P- Negative Punishment is the removal of something the learner finds pleasant in response to a behaviour. For example, leaving the room when a dog jumps up. Behaviour is likely to be avoided.
While learning theory has moved on a long way, with many other factors now recognised for their effect on our dogs’ learning, we still use the core concept of positive reinforcement - rewarding our dogs for desirable behaviours - to increase the likelihood of them being repeated.
When it comes to choosing the positive reinforcement, this is anything your gundog finds pleasurable.
This could be a tasty treat, a fun ball chase, or a game of tug. But it could also be the opportunity to keep working, permission to keep hunting, or being sent on the next retrieve. And it might, for some dogs, be verbal praise.
The key is that it’s from your gundog’s perspective. A reward is only a reinforcer if they find it rewarding.
It’s essential to observe the world through your gundog’s eyes, and if you notice a behaviour is becoming stronger (e.g. is being repeated more) in response to a stimulus (e.g. a cue), it’s crucial to identify what reinforcement they’re receiving as it may not always be what you expect.
Often overlooked, play is an extremely powerful reinforcer for our dogs. With gundogs we are always challenged by the lure of the environment. We need to be inventive and thoughtful in order to provide the appropriate type of reinforcement in a given situation.
To elaborate a little, dogs are predators. They love to sniff, stalk, chase, capture and consume. Many also like to dissect or at least tug or rag.
By engaging in play activities that encourage and allow our dogs to express their natural behaviours, we are tapping into something that is intrinsically rewarding for our dogs. These games become an increasingly valuable tool when our training moves on to more challenging environments.
What does ‘click (or mark) and pay’ mean?
A clicker is simply a small handheld box with a button or piece of metal that can be pushed by the handler to create a ‘click’ noise.
This ‘marks’ the precise moment that the correct behaviour or response has occurred.
Our dogs use this to learn when they have done something correctly and to anticipate that you are about to ‘pay’ them with positive reinforcement.
Clickers are not always practical, especially when training outdoors, and so an alternative or additional method of marking the behaviour is to use a specific short ‘marker word’. It should be said in a specific tone and be as consistent as possible.
We advise you choose something your dog wouldn’t normally hear such as “tick”, “wow”, “yip”, or “yes” as commonly used word like “ok” or “good” are already part of the white noise that your dog hears every day and will be far less effective.
Before you get started, you will need to ‘charge your clicker’ or marker word so that your dog understands that they associate the clicker, or marker word, with something positive and that it is a signal that they have earned a reward.
What are dog training behaviours and how to train them?
A behaviour is simply any action your dog does, but when we talk about behaviours in training terms, we’re usually thinking about the specific actions we want to teach, encourage, or change.
That could be something you’ve asked for, like sitting when you give a cue, or something they do naturally, like sniffing the ground or chasing a ball.
We must find ways to communicate with our dog what behaviour we are looking for from them before we can call it a finished behaviour, at which point we can add a cue and start proofing it.
There are different ways to achieve this as follows:
Capturing
This is self-explanatory - you capture your dog’s behaviours as they happen. It is a really cool way to train more spontaneous behaviours and we often use this to train dogs to shake on cue as dogs will naturally shake when their coat is wet. When they shake, we can click and pay and thereby ‘capture’ this behaviour.
Putting a shake on cue can help with our delivery to hand out of water as we can teach them to hold off the shake until the dummy, or retrieve article, is in our hand.
Shaping
Shaping involves clicking or marking small increments of effort/behaviour toward the final desired behaviour.
It is probably one of the most effective methods as the dog is very much involved in the learning process, working out how to get the click, which makes it very powerful and memorable learning for them.
We often use shaping for teaching a dog to go on a place board. First, you will click and pay the dog for looking at it, then for sniffing it, then for walking towards it, then for putting a foot on it, then for putting both front feet on it, then for putting three feet on it, and finally for putting all four feet on it.
Luring
Luring involves teaching the dog to follow a hand lure to create the final desired behaviour.
It is one of the most common methods, but it is often fraught with errors that interfere with your dog's learning.
To start, you will have a piece of food held in the tips of your fingers and thumb, and your dog will follow - he should not be mouthing or licking your fingers, his nose should be following the scent trail of the food rather than trying to grab it.
After you have clicked the behaviour you want, drop the food into the palm of your hand, open it and offer it to your dog. Over time, your hand creating that shape, but without food in it, will become a hand lure on its own, and reinforcement can be given after the click.
Modelling
Modelling is also an effective form of training behaviour when taught ethically but can be open to abuse where a dog is physically placed or forced into a position or action.
Taught ethically and thoughtfully, it is an excellent resource for achieving certain results, for example, lining up in heel position. It requires the skill of a good clicker trainer to do this well so we would recommend seeking professional help for this method of teaching.
Targeting
Targeting is similar to luring, but with objects used as targets instead of your hand.
We would first use shaping or luring to add value to a target and then use the target to get other behaviour.
A good example of this is continuing the use of a place board. We would first ‘shape’ the dog getting onto the board before adding a cue. We could then use this to help teach our dog to run out in a straight line, to show them where the heel position is, or to stop on the whistle.
Mimicry
While a bit abstract, mimicry still deserves its place in this list of how to get behaviour.
Never underestimate how much dogs are watching each other, and how often they will attempt to copy behaviour around them.
When we want our dogs to settle, for instance, it is important for us to think about our body language and whether we appear to be settled. Equally, in gundog training terms, if a dog is unconfident on blind retrieves or unsure about entering water, it is amazing how quickly this can be changed after watching other dogs perform the desired behaviour.
Pressure
Pressure is often used in a rather intimidating way, for example, leaning towards the dog to get a sit or using sharp turns into the dog during heel work, which we do not recommend.
We do, however, find it to be very useful if the dog is in control of the pressure because they can learn how to take it off. Think about lead work, for instance, if your dog pulls forward, making the lead tight, you can stand still and simply keep hold of the lead without increasing or decreasing any pressure on it. Once your dog stops pulling and relaxes the pressure, you can then click and pay.
Why we use cues (not commands)
A cue is simply a signal that tells your dog which behaviour is likely to be rewarded. It could be a word, a whistle, a hand gesture, or something environmental. Either way, it’s something your dog learns to recognise as a prompt to do something that earns reinforcement.
In modern dog training, we use the word ‘cue’ instead of command. That might not seem like a big difference, but it reflects a more ethical and thoughtful way of working with dogs.
We avoid the word command because it implies pressure—something the dog has to do, often with a consequence if they don’t. A cue, on the other hand, gives the dog a chance to respond because they’ve learned it’s worth their while. It’s based on trust and learning, not fear or force.
When we have trained a behaviour and we are happy it is the ‘final finished behaviour’, we can give it a ‘cue’. This will be attached to the behaviour over hundreds of repetitions. Once you have your behaviour on cue, you should always be mindful that if the association between the cue and that behaviour is not reinforced regularly, then the power of the cue will eventually disappear.
What do dog trainers mean when they say proofing and isolating cues?
Proofing and isolating cues is the process of helping your dog to learn to do a behaviour reliably, no matter where they are, what’s going on around them, or how long they need to do it for.
A helpful way to think about it is to imagine your dog’s brain as a photo album. Every time your dog successfully does a behaviour, they’re taking a photo and adding it to the album. But they can only work with what’s in that album.
So, just because your dog can sit beautifully on cue in the kitchen doesn’t mean they’ll know to do the same in the park, at a training class, or in a field full of pheasant scent.
Our job is to fill our dogs’ photo albums with as many pictures as possible of the same behaviour, but in lots of different locations, with different distractions, for different durations, and at different distances.
We also need them to distinguish and discriminate your cue from other cues. For instance, you will want your dog to understand that the cue sending them on a marked retrieve is their name, not the fall of the dummy, or the sound of shot.
Proofing and isolating the cue helps them learn, “this cue always means the same behaviour, no matter where we are or what’s happening around us”.
The more variety we give our dogs, the more confident and consistent they’ll become. And over time, all those “pictures” add up to a dog who can respond reliably, even when things get a bit more exciting or challenging.
Common gundog terms explained and fieldsports jargon dictionary
For those of you who are new to the gundog and shooting world, we thought it would be helpful to start you off with a glossary of some common terms that you might hear or read during your training journey.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, it’s simply a starting point. You might come across other terms as you go, and that’s completely normal. The more time you spend in training classes, workshops or on shoot days, the more these words will become part of your everyday vocabulary.
We’ve grouped these terms into useful categories to make them easier to understand. If anything is unclear, don’t hesitate to ask your trainer. No one is expected to know all of this straight away.
General Gundog and Fieldsports Phrases and Words
Action and style
The way a dog works when hunting or retrieving e.g. the enthusiasm, speed, and methodology the dog uses when working. Mainly used to describe spaniels hunting.
Beat
The area to the front, right and left of the hunting dog across which he quarters, questing for game. Spaniels tend to have an area of approx 30-40 yards across, an HPR might have up to 100-120 yards.
Bolt
The act of ground game (rabbit, hare, etc) breaking out of cover and accelerating away.
Brace
A pair (in the shooting arena) of birds. Pheasants and ducks = cock and hen. Other birds = two, as they are difficult to distinguish gender. After being retrieved and dispatched, they are hung up in a brace in order to cool quickly. Can also refer to two dogs hunting together, for instance, HPRs, pointers and setters will often be worked in a brace.
Cover
Bushes, bracken, heather, trees, and crops in which game is likely to inhabit.
Drive
A term to describe the speed and style of a gundog, not to be confused with a drive on a driven shoot. Drive is internal and will make the dog more determined e.g. to enter thick brambles in pursuit of a retrieve. It is often confused with over arousal but a highly driven dog should still be able to pay attention to the handler, if they can’t, they are too aroused.
Fall
The location where a dummy or shot game has landed.
Flush
The act of a bird accelerating and breaking out of cover (the flush of a bird into the air). A gundog will flush game hiding in cover for the Gun to shoot.
Game
Any bird or ground animal legally hunted for sport, such as pheasant, partridge, grouse, rabbit or hare.
Ground treatment
A traditional expression used to describe how thoroughly a dog is covering ground in order to flush or find.
Gun shyness
A dog that is scared of loud noises, in particular the sound of gunfire.
Handler
A broad term relating to anyone in working or training a gundog.
Hard mouth
A dog that regularly punctures/damages game during a retrieve. Considered to be a major fault in gundogs.
Holding the area
When a dog stays in a specific area and continues to hunt thoroughly until the retrieve article (or bird) is found, as opposed to ranging great distances therefore less likely to find successfully.
Hunt pattern
How the hunting dog quarters across the wind (usually a dog will choose to quarter from left to right towards the oncoming wind direction).
Scent cone
The way scent emanates away from the game/article being searched for.
Soft mouth
A traditional term to describe the desirable natural trait in gundogs to carry articles tenderly so as not to damage them.
Wind
Strength and direction of the wind scent. When we say “the dog has just winded the dummy” we mean it has hit the scent cone and is homing in on the article.
Common Gundog Training Terms
Blind retrieve
The dog did not see the dummy land and is given the direction by the handler lining up.
Blinking
When a dog finds game or a dummy and refuses to retrieve it. This can be due to a wide number of reasons such as being distracted, lack of experience on game, over excited, teething problems, or lack of motivation to pick the article e.g. a dog that has just picked warm game might not want to pick a canvas dummy.
Casting / handling
Sending a dog in a direction, either back, left, right and towards us, usually to help them locate the area of fall if they have gone out of the area.
Creep/creeping
A term used to describe a gundog that is moving, usually forward, when it should be steady e.g creeping forward towards the handler after being stopped on the whistle.
Dead
A verbal cue given to a dog to release the held retrieved dummy/bird.
Delivery to Hand
The dog brings the retrieve and places it gently into your hand, rather than dropping it on the ground or running around with it.
Double mark retrieve
Two marked dummies are put out in separate locations at the same time and the dog is directed by the handler which one to retrieve.
Hi lost
A verbal command given to a gundog meaning to hunt there.
Hunt up / sweeping up
The dog did not see the dummy or game land and is cued by the handler (who is often walking in the area with the dog) to search the area.
Marking
When a dog and/or handler watches and memorises where the game or dummy falls, so they can go and retrieve it.
Marked retrieve
The dog has seen the dummy land and there is very little time delay before being sent. No need for the handler to line the dog up.
Memory retrieve
The dog saw the dummy land but there was a delay or a change of location/ activity before the dog is sent.
Running in
When a dog leaves a handler before being cued, with the intention to retrieve a dummy/bird.
Stop
The act of a dog stopping suddenly either to flush, sound of shot, whistle or verbal cue. A cue to tell the dog to stop immediately and look to you for the next instruction, often used at a distance.
Steadiness
The dog’s ability to remain focused on the task required without responding to distractions (some examples: 1/ sit quietly while dummies are being thrown; 2/ keep at heel with distraction of other people or dogs; 3/ keep retrieving the requested dummy without swapping for another).
Quartering
The methodical side-to-side hunting pattern that a flushing or pointing dog is trained to follow in order to cover the ground efficiently and thoroughly. Typically this is into the wind of a dog when questing
Gundog Training and Shoot Day Equipment
Cold game
Dead 'game' such as pheasant, duck, partridge etc., which is cold stored and used for retrieving practice out of season.
Dummy (also known as bumpers in America)
Commonly a canvas cover cylindrical bag tightly packed with sand used for retrieving exercises during training, assessment and competition. There are nowadays many varieties of colours, sizes, weights and shapes including different types of material (plastic, rubber, fur, feather, paracord, etc).
Game bag
A bag, usually of leather or canvas, for carrying 'game' or dummies and other equipment. Not to be confused with “the bag” on a shoot day which is the term used for the total number of shot quarry/game taken from the field in one day or session.
Game carrier
A strap with wire slots onto which shot birds are hung for ease of transportation by the pickers up as well as enabling the birds to cool quickly.
Long line
A very long, training lead. Used to assist with recall or help with steadiness issues.
Priest
A short weighted club used to dispatch game quickly and humanely.
Training Vest
A gundog vest is a practical training vest worn by handlers. It has large, easy-to-reach pockets designed to carry dummies, leads, treats, whistles, and other training bits. It keeps everything you need close by while keeping your hands free to work with your dog.
Slip lead
A type of lead often used in gundog training as it can be quickly slipped on or off the dog. Usually made of rope or leather, a slip lead is a combination of both a dog lead and a dog collar allowing quick control/quick release of the dog.
Starting Pistol
A blank-firing gun used in training to get dogs accustomed to the sound of gunfire in a safe, controlled way.
Whistle
A whistle is a key tool in gundog training, used to give clear, consistent cues to your dog without relying on your voice. Different breeds often respond best to different pitches. Spaniels, who tend to work close and in heavy cover, usually do well with a higher-pitched whistle (like a 210.5). Retrievers, working at longer distances, often need a slightly lower pitch (like a 211.5) for better range. HPRs (hunt, point, retrieve breeds) may vary, but a 211.5 or a 212 is typically a good starting point, depending on how they work and how far out they range.
Shoot Day Language and Shooting Roles
Beater
A person (and often their dog) who works through the cover to flush game towards the Guns during a driven shoot.
Beating
On a shoot day, beating is walking in a line with other beaters and their dogs, under the direction of a game keeper with the aim of herding birds to a flushing point before flushing game birds out over the Guns who are standing at their pegs waiting to shoot.
Drive
A driven shoot day is broken down into individual drives. On a shoot day, the land is divided into specific areas where a wood or area of cover is assigned for the beaters to push birds forward toward a line of Guns, over which the birds fly.
Guns
When spelt with a capital G, a Gun or Guns refers to the people shooting on the day. On a driven shoot, each Gun stands at a peg, which is their allocated spot. On a walked-up or rough shoot, the Gun will walk behind the flushing dogs and in front of, or next to, the retrieving dogs, or behind a HPR, which will be used to point, flush and then retrieve.
(Game) Keeper
The person (usually) employed by the shoot to raise and care for the birds and the shooting ground. Responsible for running the drives on the shoot day and ensuring the birds are collected up and taken to the game dealer. Among many, many other jobs!
Peg
The place where a Gun stands during a drive on a driven shoot. A peg dog refers to the Gun’s dog who will stand with them on the peg.
Picker-Up
A member of the team of people with retrieving dogs who stand back from the Gun line and retrieve all shot game, and humanely dispatch all wounded game, during and after the drive and bring them back to the game cart or gamekeeper.
Pricked
A bird that has been shot and potentially injured but not killed.
Rough Shoot
An informal shoot whereby one Gun or more walks through an estate/private land and shoots at 'game' as they rise or run before them.
Runner
A shot and injured bird that runs along the ground and requires 'picking up' immediately by a dog so that it can be humanely dispatched.
Gundog working test and field trial terminology
Eyewipe
The opportunity for a dog to retrieve a bird after another dog has been unsuccessful. If the second dog achieves then the first dog is eliminated. If two or three dogs have been unsuccessful and the fourth dog achieves, then the first three dogs are eliminated. The Judges can also ‘eyewipe’ if they go out to the designated area and find the bird. If the second, third, or fourth dog, and the Judges, are unsuccessful then the ‘slate’ is wiped clean. Yes it’s complicated!
Field Trial
A competition where gundogs compete against one another. Field Trials are held on live ‘game’ that is shot for the purpose of that Field Trial and during the shooting season.. They mirror, as closely as possible, a day's shooting. Field Trials can compose of one or more Stakes - Novice, All Age and Open, which reflects the experience and/or Awards the dog has won.
FTAW
Stands for 'Field Trial Award Winner' where a dog that has won an award at a Field Trial e.g. Certificate of Merit (COM) or higher but not actually won the Trial.
FTW
Stands for 'Field Trial Winner'. A dog that has actually been placed first/won a 'Field Trial'.
FTCh
Stands for 'Field Trial Champion'. A dog that has won at least three days’ worth of Field Trial 'Open Stakes'.
J-Regs
The J Regs refers to the Kennel Club's Field Trial Regulations. These regulations are essential for all field trial competitors and judges, outlining the rules and procedures for organising, conducting and participating in field trials. All competitors must be familiar with the J Regulations relevant to their breed and the specific field trial they are entering.
Run-off
An additional gundog test at a 'Working Test' used when the Judges have been unable to separate two, or sometimes more, dogs for an award.
Working Test
A competition at which gundogs compete in turn, against one another. Held usually in spring and summer by gundog clubs where they use canvas dummies rather than 'game'. A Working Test may comprise of three or more actual tests during the day - each one designed to test the gundogs hunting, retrieving, steadiness and handling skills. Each test is marked out of a total score of 20. The gundog accumulating the highest score overall for that day, wins.
This list is just the beginning. As you learn and observe more, you’ll find that many of these terms will become second nature. And if you ever forget what something means, ask. Trainers and more experienced handlers will usually be happy to explain, it wasn’t long ago they were learning the same words themselves.
Want to learn more?
If you’ve found this blog helpful, are looking to learn more and would like support as you get started with gundog training, we’d love to welcome you into our online membership.
It’s a supportive space for handlers of all levels who want to train their gundogs breed-specific skills using ethical, positive reinforcement methods backed by science.
Inside the membership, you’ll find step-by-step written tutorials, supporting video demonstrations and practical guidance to help you and your dog succeed, whether you’re looking to enrich your pet gundog’s life, or are aiming to take them out shooting.
For those based in the UK, we’re also pleased to announce that the 2026 dates for our Handler Course are now live. This in-person course is ideal if you’re ready to take a deeper dive into your training. It combines hands-on gundog skills with the kind of learning theory we’ve touched on in this blog, helping you understand how dogs learn, not just what to teach. The course is open to all gundog breeds and is a great next step if you're looking for structured, supportive development as a handler.
Whether you prefer to learn online or in person, we’re here to help you build a strong relationship with your dog through kind, thoughtful training that works in the real world.
For more information, click here
📸 Photographs 2 to 5 credit Alice Loder Photography