Basic Obedience Program

This basic program will teach a dog the following commands:  SIT, HERE, HEAL and other commands needed to get your dog to react. Walk on a leash without pulling or tugging the owner. On command the dog will get inside a kennel or vehicle. Sit means sit until instructed to move. The sit command can be one of the most difficult for the owner himself to understand. Sometime owners require minimal coaching as well. Here, means “come to me now”, if the owner sees danger, a simple, “here” will get the dog to turn and come back to them. This program will include coaching the owner as well. The owner may need to make a couple visits with their dog to get comfortable handling it. Obedience time varies depends on the dog, typically month to 6 weeks.

Basic Gun Dog

This program typically takes 4 months. The program can extend  to 6 months, depending on the dog. This program is extremely popular for water fowlers. This program can be combined with the Basic Obedience Program as a part of the complete package. After a dog gets their adult teeth, they are eligible to enter this program. The program teaches a dog to fetch and hold until commanded to give the bird to the handler. The canine being steady and sitting at or near the hunter is very important. This program teaches basic retrieves from land, boat, blind area, and some remote stands as well. Shooting shot guns around the dog and retrieving live birds are all part of the basic gun dog program. After completing the basic gun dog program, the dog is now ready to advance to the “Advanced Gun Dog Training Program”.

Advanced Gun Dog Training

This program is exactly what the title states. Advanced means the dog begins to work in a more technical area of retrieves. Many times when we are hunting in larger groups and or really tough cover a dog must mark multiple birds shot. At times a dog will not see a shot bird and therefore will need to be sent to something not seen fall. This will require the handler and dog to work as a team to pick up lost game. Honoring other dogs working may be required, sometimes there is more than one dog in a duck blind. We can’t send both dogs at the same time so one must wait and honor.

Hunt Test and Dog Trials

Many years ago, man wanted to know who had the best dog thus competition or Dog Trials began, today there is several venues to compete in. There is an article written “Why Title a Dog”, The AKC Organization and the UKC Organization recognize Hunt Test and issue Titles to dogs who have been judged and passed a test standard. Field Trials and SRS are a couple more venues that handlers compete in as well. When a dog passes a series of test a title of Champion or Master Hunter is issued to the dog. Field Champion and other prestigious titles can be obtained. A dog must pass a test in order to reach this title position. It all begins at the obedience level and works through all levels.

Training