The Gun Dog Retrieve : A 7 Day Challenge

Learn from the incredible gun dog trainer Jane Ardern to teach and proof the perfect gun dog retrieve.

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Elevate Your Dog’s Retrieval Game: Reward-Based Skills for All Breeds
Discover Expert Techniques from Jane Ardern in This Specialised Gundog Retrieve Course
If you’ve ever wanted to master the art of gundog retrieval with your dog—whether you own a gundog or not—this course is for you. No matter the breed, your dog can benefit from learning how to retrieve with skill, precision, and joy, all while using kind, reward-based methods.

What’s In The Course?
We’ve designed this 7-day course to be accessible, fun, and packed with actionable skills. Each day brings you a new challenge that will build your confidence and transform your dog’s retrieval abilities, step by step.

Daily Challenges Include:
Day 1: Steadiness : Teach your dog to stay calm and focused in high-excitement situations.
Day 2: Lining the Dog Up for Direction : Learn how to direct your dog with precision, so they always know where to go.
Day 3: The Seen Retrieve : Your dog will learn how to retrieve objects they can see with speed and accuracy.
Day 4: Sending the Dog Back : Boost your dog’s confidence in following cues to retrieve objects they can’t see.
Day 5: The Memory Retrieve : Train your dog to remember and retrieve items, even when they’ve been out of sight for a while.
Day 6: The Blind Retrieve : Teach your dog how to trust your direction to retrieve an unseen object.
Day 7: Terrain Generalisation & Transitions : Ensure your dog can retrieve across different environments and adapt to new challenges.

Who Is This Course For?
• Dog Trainers & Behaviourists looking to add a specialised skill set to their training repertoire.
• Dog Enthusiasts eager to bond with their dogs through fun and rewarding training.
• Any Breed—this course isn’t just for gundogs. Whether you have a Labrador, a Terrier, or a Spaniel, the skills learned here apply to all!

What You’ll Get
• 7 Days of Expert Training: Short, structured challenges that are easy to follow.
• Skill-Up Sessions & Drill-It Exercises: Each day combines learning with hands-on practice.
• Certificate of Completion: Build your credibility as a reward-based gundog trainer.

Ready to join? This is your chance to transform your dog’s retrieval skills in just a week. Grab your spot now and bring out the best in your dog with expert guidance from Jane Ardern.


Your Instructor


Jane Ardern
Jane Ardern

Jane Ardern BSc (Hons) Dip. CABT, CAP2, KCAI (WG)

Jane is a qualified behaviourist and trainer with over 20 years experience training professionally and handling her own dogs in a variety of disciplines from breed showing to working gundogs in the field. Jane has 7 working cocker spaniels of her own and breeds them under the Riverirk Affix. Jane is known as a specialist in spaniels, but is experienced in all breeds, having owned several different breeds over the years; Leonbergers, St Bernard x Rottweiler, Polish Lowland Sheepdog and Lancashire Heeler.

Jane’s passion is reward based dog training, helping people with working breeds in pet homes, gundog training and dog to dog reactivity.

Jane has an extensive list of canine related qualifications including a BSc (Hons) in Canine Behaviour and Training from Hull University, the COAPE Advanced Award in Practical Behaviour Therapy and the COAPE Advanced Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training. Jane has completed the Kennel Club J Regs Seminar and Assessment for Spaniel Field Trials, Clicker Trainer Competency Assessments, as well as hours and hours of continuing professional development. Jane is a Kennel Club Accredited Instructor KCAI in Working Gundogs.

Jane has lectured at University in Canine Behaviour and had recognised teacher status in Canine related subjects to Level 6 with Hull University during this time. Jane also delivered COAPE’s Level 5 practical weekends on their OfQual Regulated Behaviour Course for 3 years.

Understanding the importance of teaching people in her role Jane went on to study a City and Guilds Award in Education and Training, Emotional Intelligence Coaching and Mindful Coaching.

Jane loves working and training her own dogs and has achieved awards in practical handling ranging from making up her imported Polish Lowland Sheepdog to a UK Kennel Club Show Champion, Kennel Club Good Citizen awards to Gold Level with several dogs of different breeds, The Gundog Club Field Test Awards with several dogs and the Kennel Club Working Gundog Certificate on Game, being the first to achieve this with a clicker trained working cocker spaniel.

In March 2016 Jane was awarded Kennel Club Dog Trainer of the Year at Crufts.

Jane is a professional member of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA) and has spoken and presented internationally for the UK Kennel Club, The Association of Pet Dog Trainers, The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, The Canine Behaviour and Training Society, The Positive Gundog Conference, The Fenzi Dog Academy, The Lemonade Conference, The Pet Professional Guild and was the after dinner speaker at the Kathy Sdao Conference when she visited the UK.

Jane is a trainer for Dog AID (Assistance in Disability) and made up the first and only German Shorthaired Pointer to full UK Assistance Dog Status.

Jane is the author of the book Mission Control – How to Train the High Drive Dog, Published by Performance Dog UK available in both English and German and selling all over the world.


Course Curriculum


  Introduction
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  Day 1 - Frustration and Steadiness
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  Day 2 - Lining the dog up
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  Day 3 - The Seen Retrieve
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  Day 4 - Sending the dog back
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  Day 5 - The Memory Retrieve
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  Day 6 - The Blind Retrieve
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  Day 7 - Terrain Generalisation and Transitions
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  Training Chat
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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts on the when you buy the course and essentially never ends! There are 7 days worth of videos to watch, but training to lest months as you perfect your skills. The course is yours for life, so work at your own pace.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
How long will the course take me to complete?
Honestly, you can take as long as you like... and the skills you pick up here will have value to your current dogs, your future dogs and your clients.

Get started now!