Falconry and hawking dogs

About falconry and hawking dogs

In falconry the dog finds the game and the bird does the rest. A good falconry dog locates game, holds it on point or flushes it on cue, and then keeps out of the way while the hawk or falcon makes its flight. Most hawking dogs in the UK are pointers, setters, Brittanys and spaniels, bred by private breeders and trained by the falconers who work them.

What this work involves

There are two broad styles of hawking with dogs. With falcons flown at gamebirds such as grouse and partridge on open ground, a pointing dog quarters wide and locks on point. The falconer releases the falcon, which climbs and waits on overhead, and the dog flushes on command when the falcon is in position. With hawks such as goshawks and Harris hawks, flown in closer country, the dog either points and flushes when the falconer is ready or, if it is a spaniel, flushes game from cover within range of the bird.

The job asks a lot of temperament. A dog for hawking must be steady on point, flush only when asked, and accept a bird of prey without chasing it, crowding it on a kill or taking its quarry. It needs patience for long days and calm manners around birds of prey.

Who trains and supplies these dogs in the UK

No organisation breeds or supplies trained falconry dogs. Falconers buy puppies from private breeders, usually from working gundog lines, and train them themselves, often bringing dog and bird on together. Some adapt a gundog that is already trained to the gun.

• The British Falconers’ Club. The club, which says it has stood for almost 100 years, has regions across the UK, including Scottish and Welsh regions, and holds field meets for members in the UK and abroad. Its code of conduct asks members to respect previously agreed arrangements when approaching landowners for permission to hawk, and to ensure quarry is promptly and humanely dispatched.

Gundog clubs, graded training schemes and instructors are useful for the basics of steadiness, recall and quartering before the dog meets a hawk.

Breeds and lines

The Pointer and English Setter are the traditional choice for falcons on grouse moors: wide-ranging, stylish and staunch on point. The Brittany is smaller and works closer, which suits many falconers flying hawks in enclosed country. The German Shorthaired Pointer points and retrieves, and suits falconers who fly both hawks and falcons or who also shoot. The English Springer Spaniel and Cocker Spaniel are flushing dogs, and a spaniel for falconry is most often used with a hawk on rabbits and pheasants in cover.

A pointer for falconry does not need a field trial pedigree. What matters is that the dog’s range matches the bird: a very wide-running dog suits a falcon on open moor, while a hawk in woodland needs a dog that stays close.

What to ask a breeder

• Have the parents been worked with a hawk or falcon, or only to the gun?
• How far do they range, and how steady are they on point and to the flush?
• How do they behave around birds of prey?
• What health tests have the parents had, and do they meet the RKC Health Standard for the breed?
• Can I meet the dam and, if possible, see her work?
• Have other falconers had puppies from you, and would they talk to me?

Legal and welfare notes

• In England and Wales, Schedule 1 of the Hunting Act 2004 exempts flushing a wild mammal from cover to enable a bird of prey to hunt it, on land that belongs to you or where the occupier has given permission.
• In Scotland, the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 allows dogs to be used to provide quarry for falconry with no more than two dogs, under control and with the landowner’s permission. The quarry must be killed by the bird or shot as soon as reasonably possible, and an animal injured but not killed must be dispatched by means other than a dog. Rabbits count as wild mammals under the Scottish Act.
• In England, hunting some wild bird species with a hawk requires a falconry quarry licence; the British Falconers’ Club publishes guidance on how it works.
• Game seasons apply to gamebirds taken with a hawk just as they do to the gun.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best dog for hawking?

It depends on the bird and the ground. Pointers and setters suit falcons on open moor, Brittanys and GSPs suit hawks in mixed country, and spaniels suit rabbit hawking in cover.

Can a dog from shooting lines become a falconry dog?

Usually, yes. The basics are the same: hunting, pointing or flushing, and steadiness. The extra work is teaching the dog to accept the bird and to leave quarry once the hawk has caught it.

Does a falconry dog need to retrieve?

Not usually. The bird takes the quarry, and a dog that tries to pick it up can injure the bird or spoil its flight. A retrieve matters mainly to falconers who also shoot.

If your dogs are worked with hawks and falcons, or come from lines used for hawking, list your kennel so falconers looking for a dog for hawking can find you. Add your listing.