Training a retriever is a step by step process where learned skills build upon each other as you and your dog progress.

Puppy Program
The objective of our puppy program is to have a pup on its way to being a good citizen and being a pleasant addition to its new home.  We all know that life is not fair, and so it is with dogs.  Therefore, this program will teach the pup to learn how to learn and introduce it to life's challenges.

Since this is the most critical time in a dog's life, it is imperative that a pup be introduced to a wide range of environmental stimuli including leashes, dog crates, loud noises, water, automobiles, busy streets, strange people, etc.  During this program it is common practice for puppies to live inside the house, accompany us while shopping and running errands, and travel with us on weekend trips.  Some obedience commands will be introduced accordingly.

Beginning age: Between 7 to 12 weeks.

Duration: 6 to 8 weeks and at most until 6 months of age.

Obedience Training
This is the foundation for all future training. Obedience training consists of the following commands: no, sit, here, heel, place, and wait.  After completion of this program your dog will be a pleasure to have in the house and to accompany you in public places.  More info is here on the Obedience Page.

Duration: 2 months

Basic Gun Dog Training
This program consists of force fetching, development of marking ability, steadying, delivering to hand, continuous practice on obedience commands, and collar conditioning.  During this program, we will build your dog's confidence and its ability to learn by successfully completing new drills and hunting scenarios. Upon completion, your retriever will be ready for the duck blind.  More info is here on the Basic Gun Dog Training Page.

Duration: 2 to 3 months.

Transition/Advanced Retriever Training
The specifics of this program vary depending on the level of aptitudes and the goals the customer sets for their retriever.  This program is for the retriever that has a solid foundation as a gun dog and is ready to move on to more challenging drills and scenarios that require handling and blind retrieves. Within this program a retriever will typically fall into three different categories; started, intermediate, and advanced.  All three levels require the same basic set of skills, but the degree of difficulty varies greatly from started yard work to the advanced technical marks and blinds.  If you are interested in having your dog enrolled in this program, an evaluation will be necessary to diagnose your retriever's current aptitude and abilities.

Duration: at least 3 months.

Training Fees

The base monthly fee for all training is $500 per month.  It is required that owners furnish heartworm preventative and flea/tick preventative.  Additional fees include but are not limited to: veterinary costs, transport to and from airports, training birds.  Fees must be paid in advance for each month of training prior to shipping.