Please Note:
We limit the number of dogs in our training programs to ensure that every dog gets the required attention and custom training. To reserve a spot for your dog, please contact us as soon as possible and we will get you and your dog added to our waiting list.
Our Gun Dog Training Programs are designed to fit each owner and dog's needs/ability. It is important to remember that much like people, dogs mature and learn at different paces, and actual training time will vary depending on your dog's natural instincts, ability, and maturity level.
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Our programs are designed to teach your dog to perform at the highest levels in all conditions and scenarios. We train for real life hunting scenarios and train in all weather conditions.
We highly recommend that you visit us regularly while your dog is in training. This allows you to see your dog's progress, and allows us to show you how to handle and manage your dog. It's our goal to teach each owner how to handle their dog in order to enjoy the benefits of its training. This is a critical step in helping to transition your dog from one in training, to obeying you, and then continuing to obey you once you get home. It also allows you to ask questions about behavior and progress while your dog is in training. Prescheduled, owner training sessions are included with all of our training programs.
Basics Program
*6 month minimum training contract required. Dog must be at least 6 months old to participate.
This is the most important part of retriever training and is the foundation of all training to come.
Our Basics Program consists of basic obedience on and off-leash, whistle commands, collar conditioning, force fetch, pile work, double T, and basic marking concepts on land and water. Your dog will be introduced to swimming, gunshots, decoys, live birds, dog blinds and stands, and a variety of hunting settings.
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Basic obedience: a fundamental part of our Basics Program. It includes the commands: sit, heel, here, down, and place.
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Whistle Commands: sit and here
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Collar Conditioning: used for obedience, bending, de-bolting, collar fetch, and introducing indirect pressure
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​Force Fetch: hold, ear pinch, and walking fetch. Having a dog that will fetch on command, hold, and deliver to hand will make everything from playing fetch in the yard to hunting in the field more enjoyable.
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Pile Work: lining and casting, force to pile, remote sit
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Double T: teaching the line, mini T, full T, double t, disciplined casting
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Swim By: teaching the line, forcing, stopping, overs and exits
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Basic Marking Concepts: singles off multiple guns, simple retired birds/hidden guns, simple doubles on land and water, de-cheating. To teach various concepts, we begin with simple, single retrieves and build to doubles, while steadily increasing the difficulty. In addition to teaching, marks and fliers are thrown throughout the week to maintain a positive attitude.​
When a dog completes our Basics Program, it will be obedient to verbal and whistle commands, deliver birds to hand, be retrieving singles (out to 100 yards or more) and simple doubles, on land and in water, and have the basic concepts in place to begin learning to run blinds. They also will be reasonably steady to shot.
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At the completion of our basic retriever program, your dog should be capable of handling basic hunting situations, and successfully compete in HRC Started and AKC Junior level hunt tests.
If you wish to pursue more advanced training, the foundations are in place to move to the next level.
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Graduate Program
Whether you want your dog to run simple blinds, or are looking for a fully-"finished" retriever, our Graduate Program can be tailored to meet your needs. Once your dog has "graduated" from our Basics Program, they may move on to our Graduate Program. Dogs coming from other trainers, or that have been trained by their owners, must be evaluated prior to admission to ensure there are no "holes" in their training prior to moving on. The length of time in this program will vary based on your needs and your dog's abilities.
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During our Graduate Program, your dog will learn a variety of new concepts and strengthen ones that they have already learned. Your dog will be introduced to increasingly more difficult marking scenarios and a variety of situations that may arise in an average days hunt. A variety of complex drills may be used to teach your dog the skills of running blind retrieves on both land and water. Your dog may also learn the concepts of honoring, diversion birds, de-cheating, and walk-ups. Your dog may learn advanced marking concepts and advanced blind retrieves, with emphasis on precise marking, handling and straight lines through cover, difficult terrain and water. Hunting scenarios may include exposure to poison birds, blinds under the arc, inline marks, etc.
Your dog may be taught:
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Basic handling via pattern blinds
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Pattern blinds with diversions
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Cold blinds
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Marks off multiple guns
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Perfected Handling
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Literal Casting
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Carrying a Straight Line
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How to Fight Factors
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Land and Water Triples and Quads
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Retired Guns
As in our Basics Program, marks and fliers are thrown throughout the week to maintain a positive attitude.
During this program, we will work with you to assure that your expectations and goals are being addressed.
Important:
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Monthly Training Fee includes training, boarding, administering owner-provided medication/supplements, and feeding our feed (currently NutriSource Super Performance) or owner-provided feed.
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Live Fliers are an additional fee.
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Flea, Tick, and Heartworm Preventive must be supplied by the owner.
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Dogs must be current on Rabies, Distemper, Parvo and Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccinations prior to admittance to the program. (copies of vaccination documentation and rabies certificate are required)
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We strongly recommend all dogs receive vaccinations for K9 Influenza and Lepto; and, any dog traveling north for the summer receive Lyme vaccinations.
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Payment for the first month's training is due on/prior to admittance to the program.
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A completed Release Form must be received on/prior to admittance to the program. Click HERE to download.
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