At ReedBed, we have always believed that good gundog training is as much about the people as it is about the dogs.

Throughout the year, we organise training trips for our puppy owners, friends and fellow gundog enthusiasts. Several times a year, we travel to the UK, Ireland, Italy and Poland, taking the opportunity to train alongside some of the most respected trainers and judges in the working retriever world.

These trips are about putting our dogs to work, learning from experienced people and sharing different approaches to training and handling. Every dog and every handler has something to teach us, and there is always more to learn.

But the best part often begins when the whistles are put away.

A day in the field is followed by good food, a glass of wine or a dram of whisky, and long evenings spent talking about dogs, training, breeding, shooting and life. Some of the best lessons are learned not on the training ground, but around the kitchen table, sharing experiences with people who have the same passion for working retrievers.

For us, this is what the gundog world should be about — good dogs, good sport, good friends and a willingness to share knowledge.

We are fortunate to have built a wonderful circle of like-minded people around ReedBed, and these training trips have become something we look forward to every year.

Train hard. Learn from the best. Enjoy your dogs — and enjoy the company along the way.