IN-KENNEL TRAINING ($600/Month)

The most popular choice of service that we offer is the in-kennel retriever training.  In today's busy world, most owners do not have the time that is required to properly train their retriever.  We offer a variety of in-kennel training programs where we board, feed, and train your dog to the desired level of performance you seek for your hunting companion.  Below are a list of the types of In-Kennel training and a breakdown of what is involved:

Basic Program

The beginning program is designed to provide the owner with a retriever that is obedient, steady to shot, and reliably retrieves and delivers the birds to hand under a variety of hunting scenarios. 

• We begin during the first month with a thorough obedience program that teaches your dog five commands: Sit, Down, Heel, Here, and Place.  Basic Obedience is the foundation of a good retriever and a high priority is placed on this stage of training.  We also introduce and expose your dog to birds (ducks and pigeons), gunfire, and swimming; and encourage the desire to retrieve with lots of fun bumpers.  This process takes approximately one month, but can vary from dog to dog. 

• Next, we teach your retriever how to properly hold, drop, and fetch bumpers and birds on command.  This process is important because it teaches the dog how to heel and deliver the birds to hand, and avoid problems such as playing, eating, or mouthing the birds.  This process takes approximately one month, but can vary from dog to dog. 

• During the third month, we take the training that your dog has learned in the first two months and apply it to a basic retrieve in the field.  We show your retriever how to retrieve on command and be steady until sent, how to hunt and find birds in cover, and how to reliably return your birds to hand.  We apply this to both land and water.  This process takes approximately one month, but can vary from dog to dog.  Once your dog understands the process of a basic retrieve, then we begin to introduce him or her to a variety of hunting scenarios.  From dove hunting from a bucket, to duck hunting in a blind over a big spread of decoys, to goose hunting from a dog blind and lay-out blinds, we expose your retriever to every hunting scenario imaginable.  Our goal in this stage is to try and familiarize your retriever with as many different set-ups as possible so that he or she can be comfortable in any setting that you might choose to hunt your dog in.  This process takes approximately one month, but can vary from dog to dog. 

• In the fourth month, we begin to teach hand signals through a series of drills.  Left, right, and back are the beginning signals as well learning to stop and sit on a whistle.  This is also when we introduce multiple retrieves- Your retriever is taught how to watch and memorize the fall of multiple birds in the field, and retrieve them efficiently.  This process takes approximately one month, but can vary from dog to dog.

The Basic Program is also designed so that your dog is prepared to run the basic level hunt test program for both AKC (Junior) and HRC (Started). 

Training Classes:

One hour class at the kennel with you and your dog = 50/hr

Adam will come to you and your dog for a training session. 1 hour = $125

Advanced Training