About Us
Gundog Gear
Gundog Gear was founded in 2007. We are an online retail business selling gundog training and shooting equipment, outdoor clothing and footwear.
Now in 2019, Gundog Gear has gone green! We are doing our best to try to help the environment by using paper packaging on our parcels which can be fully recycled. We have also got our major supplier Firedog to agree to cut down on the packaging they use when sending us products. So you will see that none of the Firedog dummies, training vests or leads come in plastic bags, and all tags are made from materials which can be recycled. We are in talks with our other suppliers, and hopefully they will follow suit soon too.
We hope that our customers will follow our lead and recycle all the packaging we send, and as much other stuff as possible!
Gary McCarthy BSC (Hons), Apdt - Partner, Gundog Gear
With many years practical experience of training gundogs, Gary is a very keen shooting and trialing man who knows only too well the value of a properly trained working gundog. Gary & Emma currently have 4 dogs in their kennels; FTW Muggleswick Samba of Thorsrock (Jack) is now retired, and now in 2019 Gary is starting to compete with Jack's son Hilbre Jackson of Thorsrock (Otter), winning the Novice Working Test at Arfon Working Gundog Club this June. Gary's young bitch Venvil Duchess of Thorsrock (Winnie) is coming on nicely too, and will soon be making her own Working Test debut!
Whilst Gary competes with retrievers, he says his kennels would never be complete without at least one spaniel, and cocker bitch Mossborough Lynn of Thorsrock (Bo) has accompanied Gary to many a shoot over the years.
Gary has had many years practical experience of working his gundogs in the field. Having started out as a beater on The Earl of Derby’s Estate, he then acquired his first spaniel from a gamekeeper twenty-five years ago. He was mesmerised by the pickers-up and their dogs, and so he progressed to a young cocker spaniel (called Leece) trained by a dear friend, gundog trainer Ian Griffiths – that was the start of Gary’s love affair with working gundogs.
Gary competes throughout the country in the many clubs he holds membership with and has won numerous puppy, novice and open working tests. In 2013 Gary achieved 7 2nds in Field Trials with Jack, and in 2014 he and Jack won 1st place, making Jack up to FTW. Prior to that Gary had been placed many times in Field Trials, first with his beloved Gwendyllen Kemen (Bryn), and later with Jack.
Gary also holds regular dog training classes and training days for all abilities on his private training ground on the Wirral. For more information go to www.wirralgundogs.co.uk.
Emma McCarthy BA (Hons), Ma - Partner, Gundog Gear
Emma grew up in rural Derbyshire working closely with dogs and horses and has always been passionate about the countryside. She worked for the Earl and Countess of Derby looking after their art collection, and was based on their estate in Knowsley, Lancashire. There she was introduced fully to the world of shooting and conservation including a highly memorable (!!!) day beating across the Derbyshire moorland looking for grouse! Having owned dogs all her life, she was incredibly impressed with the gundogs on the estate, and when she met Gary in 2007 she began to learn all about training working gundogs.
Today Emma and Gary run Gundog Gear together – Emma doing all the office-based work and Gary training dogs whilst field-testing new products (and avoiding being in the office whenever possible!)
Good Luck from all at GUNDOG GEAR - we hope to hear from you soon!