Would you like for your dog to actually sit or come to you when told to do so? If so, our obedience program is just what you need. The program consists of five commands which must be mastered before being declared "finished." The commands taught are: sit, here, heel, kennel, and ok (a release command). We recommend pups be at least 6 months old to start formal training. Development of your dog begins when they are a pup. See the Puppy School section for details. Owners are welcome to visit to monitor progress as performance improves.

While staying with us, dogs are handled by different individuals to ensure they respond to others. They are worked around other dogs and different types of distractions to be sure they will respond to commands in various situations. In addition to standard commands, we can help coach you on individual issues you may be experiencing. Obedience training can be tailored to individual requests as well. If there are special commands or needs that you have, just ask. We'll be glad to help.

We stress owner involvement. Put simply, no training program is effective if life at home is not consistent with the training environment. In addition to teaching your dog new skills and perfecting existing ones, we will show you what needs to be done at home. We invite owners to watch or participate in their dog's training. Local owners can come by to check in on the progress of their companion. Owners that are too far to visit in person get periodic video updates so that they can keep an eye on how things are moving and what their dog is being taught. Whether in a duck blind or the living room, working effectively with your dog is a team effort. Keeping owners involved helps insure that they understand what is being taught and that they are confident when they return home.

Developing your pup begins surprisingly early. Their little minds are like blank slates. It's important to take advantage of this time in your pup's life. It's much easier to instill good habits early in their development rather than trying to correct them later. That said, their little 'blank-slate' minds can be an intimidating challenge to fill. We're here to help. Puppy School is a 1-2 hour session with you and your pup. You will likely learn more than he does. We'll show you how to get things started correctly. Your pup will develop more quickly, you'll be more comfortable knowing things are done right, and formal training later will not take as long as a result. It makes the stage from puppy to adult much more enjoyable as well. Even folks that have had dogs all their lives comment about new tricks they learned during these sessions. Puppy School is absolutely the best time you can spend for your pup. The best part is that it's FREE with a training contract.

Don't want to leave your dog with somebody else? We can help with that. We've helped countless owners work through tons of problems and questions. With anything from an e-mail to weekly instructional sessions, we'll do our best to help with what you need. Call or e-mail for details.

For all training programs, it is critical that the dog see consistent commands and enforcement when they return home. We'll work with you as much as it takes to ensure that you understand exactly what to do when you leave. With a little effort, you and your dog will have years of enjoyment ahead. Timber Creek Retrievers offers boarding for all medium and larger breeds of dogs (20 lbs. and up). Dogs will be kept in outdoor kennel runs. They will have daily exercise and special attention. Vaccination / fecal records along with current medications are required for boarding as with training.

What we will need from you:

1.Vet Records: Dogs are required to be current on all vaccinations, including bordatella, and have a negative fecal exam within two weeks of arrival.

2.Current Flea and Tick as well as Heartworm medications: We will administer them during training monthly. Dogs must be current on medication before training begins.

3.Your signature: We ask that you sign our training contract authorizing us to administer vet care, etc. if we can not reach you in an emergency.

You are welcome to come for a visit whenever you would like. Please call or e-mail to schedule an appointment.

Payment for obedience training is due when the dog is picked up to go home.

Invoices for retrieving are sent at the end of each month. Payment is due monthly or when the dog completes the program.